Sports has been a huge part of my life recently, going to the bouldering gym three times a week, it’s safe to say that besides gaming, sports is my main hobby. If I’m not working out, I’m probably playing and testing a new game, thanks to Ring Fit Adventure, I can do both at the same time. After many attempts in the past, Nintendo finally found the perfect mix of a sports game and a true videogame. Ring Fit Adventure isn’t like anything you’ve seen or played before, you better prepare for a true work-out session!
Adventure mode
The biggest selling point of Ring Fit Adventure is, of course, its titular adventure mode. Although the game has so much more in store than just this mode, let’s discuss the importance of it first. In adventure mode, you’ll follow the adventures of a self-created character (male/female) who’s going on a quest to stop Dragaux from taking over the world. Dragaux, the most swole dragon in history, escaped his imprisonment. It’s up to you to beat them once again and with the help of your brand-new Ring-Con and Leg Strap, you’re ready to kick off your most intense adventure on Nintendo Switch.
Unlike other third-person RPGs, you’re not controlling your character with a traditional controller. No, if you want to run, you’ll need to jog in real life too. Don’t worry if you think your neighbors won’t like that, you can also choose to do squats in order to advance, it’s a lot more silent but for most, it might become too intense a bit too fast. Also, keep in mind that jogging isn’t the only thing you’ll need to do, you’ll have to use your Ring-Con too! This new equipment is used to blast gusts of air by pushing it or to suck all coins and medals towards you by pulling it. Of course, it’s a lot more than just that since the new Ring-Con also enables you to jump, hover, steer a canoe and tons more. One thing’s for sure, if you’re playing the Adventure Mode, you’re going for a full-body work-out, calibration at the start of your adventure is crucial for success.
Before you start your adventure, you’ll be going through a couple of streamlined menus in order to calibrate both your running and your strength. The results of this test in combination with your age, weight, and fitness level, will result in a certain difficulty level. Be advised that going all out in these tests will result in a difficulty that’s too high to handle. Luckily, you can always change the level of difficulty in the menus but it’s important to never underestimate Ring Fit Adventure. If you’re a veteran sporter or a newcomer, you’ll both find a level of difficulty that will push you beyond your limits, elevating this from a fun game to a true work-out.
More than just running
In Adventure Mode, running isn’t the only thing you’ll need to do. While jogging, your character will automatically run, following a set path where he/she will bump into enemies from time to time. Just like in many other RPGs, bumping into the enemies will activate combat where you both attack and defend in turns. Since this is Ring Fit Adventure, both moves will demand a lot of exercise. Before you can attack or defend, you’ll need to select one of your available exercises, ranging from classic squats to pure strength exercises using the Ring-Con. The better you execute the routine, the more damage you’ll deliver to your enemies. Sounds easy? Well depending on your initial calibration, battles will offer you a mild to extreme work-out, giving you the freedom to decide how hard you want to push yourself.
Ring Fit Adventure enables every type of player to play it at his/her pacing all while playing a fun game. Since combat is made in true RPG fashion, there’s an extra layer of depth too. Some enemies indicate a certain color showcasing their weakness. If you attack them with an exercise of that color, you’ll inflict a lot more damage, which is both a blessing and a curse. It’s good to take them down quickly but it can make your work-out a lot harder if you struggle with a certain type of exercise. On top of that also comes the ability to drink smoothies, boosting up some of your stats and eventually leveling up, enabling you to change your set of exercises. This list is rather impressive and collecting everything will take you an impressive amount of time. The adventure won’t be over in just a couple of hours, if you want to play it all, you’ll be playing this in the coming months.
The most intense party you’ll ever throw
Besides the Adventure Mode, Ring Fit Adventure has a lot more to offer, especially the mini-games might convince a lot of new players to give this one a go. The game comes packed with fun mini-games, ranging from parachute gliding to wall climbing and even pottery. All mini-games have one thing in common, they’re crazy and they’ll give you an unexpected work-out. Just like the main game, you’ll need to perform a couple of exercise routines in order to clear the mini-games. This can vary from keeping your balance to using your arm strength as accurate as possible. It’s fun and easy to pick up a mini-game but it’s hard to put it back down. I played this together with my girlfriend, constantly switching the Ring-Con and Leg Strap in turns to attempt to break each other’s records. This resulted in a very addictive, intense party game. It’s strange to say maybe but having a mini-game mode in a fitness game is like a dream come true. It never feels like working out and the fun only ends when you want it to end or when you need to catch your breath for a couple of minutes. Besides that, the mini-games really demonstrate the potential of the new peripherals, it’s a blast discovering everything this new Ring-Con is capable of doing. If you’re planning on throwing a Nintendo Switch party, you might want to add Ring Fit Adventure to your list of playable games.
Go for a real work-out
Of course, having modes like the Adventure Mode and Mini-Games Mode is great to combine sports with the joy of videogames but if you’re looking for a true work-out, Ring Fit Adventure got you covered too. You can choose to perform a couple of sets to target specific muscle groups or you can select the exercises yourself and create a daily routine for yourself. Needless to say, this mode is aimed at those who’re looking for a new way to improve their work-out routine or for those serious about losing some weight. It’s great to see how accurate Ring Fit Adventure manages to track your stats, to give you an idea, the Joy-Con heartrate monitor was just slightly off of what my FitBit indicated, with FitBit being a dedicated tracker, it’s impressive to see just how precise Ring Fit Adventure actually is. It’s also there that lies the true power of this new game, it offers something for everyone. If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to get yourself some sports, this is definitely a game worth trying. If you’re looking for a new work-out routine or if you’re willing to improve your endurance, Ring Fit Adventure got you covered too. With the ability to create your own routines, carrying around the game in tabletop mode or even using the Ring-Con without the game connected (you can save over hundreds of movements in between connection with the game), you’re sports adventure never has to end. It’s clearly something entirely new and it’s by far the best active game on the market so far.
Conclusion:
Ring Fit Adventure is unlike anything you played before and finally manages to blur the line between working out and playing a game. This is the perfect game for those who are looking for a fun way to get a daily work-out but it’s also the perfect game for those who would like to challenge themselves. Thanks to the intuitive controls and the ability to create your custom work-out, this is the perfect game for all types of players. We can’t stress out enough how much the game took us by surprise. It’s not just a gimmick, Ring Fit Adventure is the real deal, offering an intense work-out combined with the fun and depth of a good action RPG.
