Path Of Fury - Episode 1: Tetsuo’s Tower Review

If you’re a big fan of VR Exercise, VR Workout Games, or just VR Fighting games for any reason, then I’ve got a pretty solid recommendation to make for you this week. That’s Path Of Fury, or at least the first Episode titled “Tetsuo’s Tower”, which released this previous week.

Here I’ll help you out by giving you a brief overview of what the game is, how it feels to play, and why I think it’s a solid new VR Fighting game that’s worth your money and time.

Oh, and if you’d rather just watch a video about the game then check this one out about it on the Reality Remake Youtube channel.

What Is Path Of Fury - Episode 1: Tetsuo’s Tower?

The Path Of Fury - Episode 1: Tetsuo’s Tower Logo.

So here’s the gist of the game. You’re angry at a guy called Tetsuo. To be honest I’m not sure why, but you are his greatest enemy and he lives at the top of a big tower full of various goons and fighters that don’t want you to reach him at the top.

So this means you’ve got to fight hundreds of people to get to the top of the tower. They’ll be different sorts of people, different styles of fighter, and will go toe to toe with you in a variety of environements.

A solid premise for a Virtual Reality beat-em-up, and here’s what the actual gameplay is like.

In this Path Of Fury - Episode 1: Tetsuo’s Tower Review you’ll find that this is a very punching centric game.

Path Of Fury - Episode 1: Tetsuo’s Tower - Gameplay

The gameplay of this game is pretty simple as easy to grasp. You stand still and are moved through a part of the tower automatically and stop whenever there are enemies in your way. Targets will appear on those enemies that you need to hit with your hands. They are blue or red or grey. You’ve got a blue hand and a red hand. You deal extra damage by hitting a target with the hand colored the same as it, and hand color doesn’t matter for grey targets.

If you don’t hit an opponent fast enough and the target on them shrinks then they get a chance to strike you. You have to punch whatever limb they’re hitting you with to block the blow before they hit you or you take damage.

You’ve got to hit with some force though, and as the game goes on it gets harder and you have to strike faster and faster in order to knock your enemies down and avoid being hit yourself.

This boss absolutely loves to kick in Path Of Fury - Episode 1: Tetsuo’s Tower

There are levels with different themes and environments, and a boss at the end of each level. You get a score depending on how quickly you completed it and how few mistakes you made.

That’s basically it. The game also switches things up by having you punch different things like doors and objects to get them out of your way and progress, or choose which way you want to go. The entire game is basically an on rails shooter… except with punching.

Oh, and should you lose then you have to start from a previous checkpoint (which might be a very far way back). The game is a roguelite in that way, but is far less punishing than other games with a similar system.

Path Of Fury - Episode 1: Tetsuo’s Tower - Review

There are some crazy set pieces in this VR Fighting game.

The end result of all of this is a game that is very quick and easy to get into, but very hard to master because it relies so much on your physical speed and endurance.

You get a break at the end of each level so you won’t have to completely drain yourself to finish one, but the game does get very intense. While it doesn’t involve moving your legs and upper body as much as other punching games like Thrill Of The Fight, Path Of Fury does a great job at wearing your arms out and making you breathe heavily. You’ve got to do a lot of fast punching, and that makes it both very entertaining and a great workout.

The aesthetic of the game is that classic Playstation 1 style so commonly seen in indie games, yet not so much in Virtual Reality. It fits with the grungy setting and world.

Punching a Cop In Path Of Fury - Episode 1: Tetsuo’s Tower

The score is pretty decent with some great upbeat tracks, and in the end Path Of Fury relies on replayability, because it does have a roguelite format that may keep you stuck in a certain portion of the game. Should you actually complete the game though then there are also challenge modes to keep it interesting.

Still, even completing it once is quite the achievement, and even when you do there are multiple paths up the tower to take, and each time you can focus on completing the level faster and more efficiently. All while getting a fantastic workout.

It’s a fairly straightforward premise for a VR Fighting game that Path Of Fury executes excellently with a fantastic gritty look and feel. It is an absolute blast to work up a sweat in this game, and you don’t need a huge VR play space to enjoy it.

Alien: Rogue Incursion VS Alien: Isolation

When Ridley Scott’s Alien premiered in 1979, it redefined sci-fi horror with its slow-burning tension, claustrophobic environments, and an almost indestructible alien lurking just out of sight. Nearly a decade later, James Cameron’s Aliens (1986) transformed the franchise into an action-packed, pulse-pounding experience.

Decades later, these iconic films inspired two distinct gaming experiences: Alien: Isolation and Alien: Rogue Incursion. Both games capture the essence of the Alien universe, yet they do so in drastically different ways. One is a nerve-wracking survival horror experience reminiscent of Alien, while the other immerses players in fast-paced, action-driven combat akin to Aliens.

So these might both be games that feature the xenomorph, but they are very different. So here are the differences between Alien: Rogue Incursion VS Alien: Isolation.

Oh, and in case you didn’t know, you can play Alien: Isolation in VR using a mod! It’s very fun.

Alien: Isolation - Stealth, Survival, and Pure Horror

The Alien: Isolation Logo, modified slightly.

Released in 2014, Alien: Isolation is a love letter to Ridley Scott’s Alien, embracing slow-burn horror, relentless tension, and an overwhelming sense of vulnerability.

Set aboard the Sevastopol Station, Alien: Isolation plunges players into dimly lit corridors, flickering lights, and eerie silence punctuated by the distant sounds of an ever-present Xenomorph. The game’s world design amplifies its horror elements, ensuring that every shadow and sound contributes to a creeping sense of dread.

Alien: Isolation is more of a survival horror game that prioritizes stealth over firepower. With limited resources, players must avoid detection at all costs, using tools like the motion tracker to monitor the Xenomorph’s movement. The alien’s AI is unpredictable, learning from player behavior and adapting accordingly, making every encounter uniquely terrifying.

The Alien is stealthy and terrifying in Alien: Isolation.

Jump scares are rare but deeply impactful. Instead of relying on cheap thrills, the game sustains a lingering tension, forcing players to carefully strategize their movements. Every hiding spot, every breath held in fear, and every narrow escape contributes to an atmosphere that mirrors the heart-pounding suspense of Alien.

You have to carefully use your resources and be stealthy in Alien: Isolation, just like the characters in the movie Alien.

Alien: Rogue Incursion - Adrenaline-Packed VR Combat

The Alien: Rogue Incursion - Chapter 1 Logo.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Alien: Rogue Incursion—available on the Meta Quest platform—channels the high-octane energy of Aliens, delivering an action-heavy VR experience that immerses players in the role of a battle-ready marine.

Unlike Alien: Isolation, where stealth and avoidance is key, Alien: Rogue Incursion throws players into the heat of battle, facing wave after wave of aggressive Xenomorphs. The VR setting intensifies the action, requiring players to physically aim, dodge, and react in real time, amplifying the sense of immersion and urgency. This is not a survival horror game. It’s an action shooter through and through. You’ll have a ton of guns and ammo and a ton of Xenomorphs to shoot with them.

Armed with a few very powerful weapons, players take on the Xenomorph menace head-on. The game rewards quick reflexes and strategic positioning, pushing players to think on their feet as they navigate chaotic, enemy-infested environments. The Xenomorphs find you pretty easily, but they aren’t as tricky and stealthy as those in Alien: Isolation, they’ll mostly charge you from the front. They’re meant to be less of an individual challenge because there are an awful lot of them.

You get a lot of bullets and a lot of guns to blast a ton of Xenomorphs with in Alien: Rogue Incursion.

While Alien: Isolation instills fear through helplessness, Rogue Incursion thrives on the rush of combat. Instead of hiding from an unstoppable foe, players face the terror head-on, embodying the fearless marines from Aliens (1986). The game captures the film’s high-stakes, explosive action, making it an exhilarating counterpart to Isolation’s slow-burning dread.

Xenomorphs aren’t stupid in Alien: Rogue Incursion, but they’re clearly meant to give you the chance to shoot them before they get you.

Two Sides of the Same Franchise

Alien: Isolation and Alien: Rogue Incursion offer two vastly different yet equally compelling interpretations of the Alien franchise. One delivers the suffocating horror of being hunted by a singular, relentless predator, while the other thrusts players into the chaos of alien warfare.

• For fans of psychological horror and stealth gameplay, Alien Isolation is the ultimate test of patience, nerves, and strategy.

• For those who crave intense action and immersive VR combat, Alien Rogue Incursion provides a thrilling, pulse-pounding experience worthy of the Aliens legacy.

Whether you prefer the terror of the hunt or the thrill of the fight, both games keep the Alien franchise alive in their own unique ways. By capturing the core essence of Alien and Aliens, they prove that this beloved sci-fi horror universe continues to evolve, offering players new and terrifying ways to experience its nightmare-inducing world.

That’s what the differences between Alien: Rogue Incursion VS Alien: Isolation are, and why despite both being Alien games, they are both very different experiences.

An Amazing VR Climbing Game - Crowbar Climber

When I first shelled out 6.99$ for Crowbar Climber in the Meta Quest store I wasn’t prepared to be so impressed by the game, but I was very intrigued by the concept of a VR Climbing Game using crowbars.

It’s one of those ideas that is so simply straightforward and seems obvious when looking back at it. It really brings the hit indie game Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy to mind.

Oh, and if you want to see some video of this game check it out on Youtube.

What’s So Fun In Crowbar Climber?

You can even wave at yourself in Crowbar Climber.

Alright here’s the game put quickly and simply. You’re a little guy in a pot and your hands are crowbars. You climb upwards and try not to fall back downwards.

Boom, bam, that’s it. That’s the game, and it is a lot of fun for such a simple concept for a Virtual Reality Climbing Game. Instead of just putting your hand over a grabbable thing and holding grip down you actually have to concentrate on how you are hanging on to something with the hooked end of a crowbar.

The stages get progressively harder in this VR Climbing Game.

Let’s face it we’ve seen that old “raise hand and hold grip” climbing system in so many VR games from adventure titles like Skydance’s Behemoth to dedicated games like The Climb 2 that it’s just so old and tired by now. It was never a particularly interesting way to simulate climbing in the first place.

Well Crowbar Climber might not be a simulator for real life climbing, but it sure is fun and interesting. The more obstacles you manage to climb past the harder they get. From hooking your way from ledge to ledge to swinging and jumping off of small handholds. After a while the platforms move as well, adding an element of timing.

Things get sort of hectic in Crowbar Climber as you keep going, and it offers a fantastic VR Climbing challenge.

If you fall down you can lose quite a bit of progress, and the feeling of playing Crowbar Climber is a lot like that of playing Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy. It can be so frustrating to miss and fall down, but it just makes you want to climb higher even more.

The only downsides are that the visuals are very basic and the clanging of the crowbar can get a little annoying. It could use a little music. Still, I never thought I would have so much fun pulling myself up a hill with a pair of crowbars in VR.

Crowbar Climber is a fantastic use of VR hand controls to create a unique and fun VR Climbing Game. I highly recommend it if you want a Virtual Reality climbing experience that feels fresh and unique, is easy to get into, and it’s reasonably priced.

Alien: Rogue Incursion Is Still Fun Despite The Bad Quest Port | Alien: Rogue Incursion Review

So Alien: Rogue Incursion has hit a bit of flak for the quality of its port to the Quest 3. I’ve played this fantastic Alien VR game exclusively on the Quest 3 and I’d say that well… yea there is some justification to the criticism.

The game occasionally struggles on the Quest 3 even when not recording, and my recordings of it often came out choppy at points, which is a pretty good indicator for an unoptimized game. Not to mention the most obvious indicator of the visual fidelity being below what you would be accustomed to expect on a Quest 3.

There were some bugs as well. The occasional missed trigger for a mission (defend this area… and then nothing happens for five minutes).

Though I do have to say that despite all of this I had an absurdly good time with Alien: Rogue Incursion, as you can see on Youtube.

I’m not saying that the criticism of the low quality port isn’t valid. I am saying that I really loved this game despite the issues that others, and myself, have with it. I guess you’d call this an Alien: Rogue Incursion review… but I’m really just biasing towards the good parts here (and there are many more good parts than bad).

What Alien: Rogue Incursion Does Right

Blasting Xenomorphs in Alien: Rogue Incursion is an Unmatched Aliens VR Experience.

So ignoring the technical faults of the Quest 3 port, what does Alien: Rogue Incursion do right that makes it such an enjoyable VR shooter adventure game?

I think the foremost thing that it does, and how it utilizes Virtual Reality the best, is it immediately gives you a pulse rifle. No intermittent period of the game where you just use a pistol or something stupid like that, you just get a pulse rifle at the very beginning.

Oh and what a pulse rifle it is. It’s got the sound, the heft, the feel, and the firepower of a hundred round magazine that you’d expect from such an iconic weapon. Alien: Rogue Incursion has a pulse rifle that is really the closest you could get to using a real one, since they don’t actually exist. It’s a magnificent and iconic weapon to any lover of the Alien franchise.

Check out the Pulse Rifle in Alien: Rogue Incursion.

The other weapons in the game, while not as unique as the pulse rifle, are also all well implemented and fun to use. Though it would be nice if there was a way to turn off the “snap aim” feature the game comes with that forces your sight down the barrel of a weapon when your eye gets close enough to it.

I’d rather aim the old fashioned way, thank you very much, but this is a feature that you can get used to. I’ve also heard some complain about how slow the weapons are to move and load, but that’s another thing that I think is actually really great about this Aliens VR game.

Guns are heavy, and you can reload guns ridiculously quickly in many Virtual Reality games because you don’t feel the weight of them. Well Alien: Rogue Incursion is part horror game, just like all Aliens games are, and the horror of trying to reload a weapon as quickly as possible mid combat should be well known to any VR gamer. Drawing that out and giving the weapons some real heft as you try to aim and load them not only increases the feeling of immersion with the items you are using, but also increases the tension of every situation.

Of course these situations wouldn’t be tense without a proper creepy setting, and Castor’s Cradle is a really good choice. It’s a barren icy planet, and you spend your time there inside of a Xenomorph infested clandestine research base. It is about as grim and creepy a setting as you could hope for out in space. The place is trashed, it’s cold, and it’s creepy.

Castor’s Cradle is your classic creepy Alien infested facility… but now in a Virtual Reality shooter!

The Xenomorphs themselves, the titular Aliens, also make a pretty fine showing. Though they may also draw criticism as being “not clever” or running into your gunfire too easily.

Sure the Aliens take chances on frontal charges often, but also consider that in this game you have a motion tracker on you at all times. If you consider the Aliens to be too dumb, then turn that tracker off and never use it. It gets a lot harder to even know when a Xenomorph is nearby, and twice as much so to be looking in their direction as they charge you.

Every sound might be an Alien in a vent sneaking up on you. They really are hard to see, and often flee or try to attack you from another angle when a frontal assault isn’t expedient. Though you can tell that they don’t try to attack you from behind as much as they could. Likely for balance purposes.

Let’s face it, fighting a facility full of Aliens that are as stealthy and clever as those in the movies would be a suicide mission.

Where Are All Of The VR RPGs?

Seriously, where are all of the good VR RPGs?

Okay, sure, you might be thinking that there are “real” VR RPGs out there. You might point to The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners as an early example, or maybe Skydance’s Behemoth or even Skyrim VR and Fallout 4 VR.

Well the Bethesda VR ports are only decent with a ton of mods so they don’t really count. I’m talking about out of the box VR RPG games with meaningful choices and character customization, but made for Virtual Reality.

Take games like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 as more recent examples. Games that give you expansive choices, a huge world to explore, and a path of character progression and story exploration that isn’t just a linear series of challenges. Are there any Virtual Reality games that really give you the same level of world immersion and personal choice as those do?

There Are Some VR Games That Are Close To Being Roleplaying Games in Virtual Reality

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners might be close… but it’s really more of a survival game with a good story than a real RPG.

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners is superb, but it’s not a VR RPG.

Sure there are some story choices that are meant to feel impactful, but you don’t really customize your character, just decide which upgrades to invest in until you’ve got them all.

Maybe you’d point to A Township Tale or Asgard’s Wrath 2 as VR RPGs worth mentioning. Still… where’s the in depth character customization? Where are the decisions that affect the story and world? These games come closer, but they just aren’t quite there.

These VR games all really just give you multiple avenues to get to the same result. Even Medieval Dynasty VR doesn’t give you greater choice than where to build your first settlement.

Crafting doesn’t make a VR RPG, though some crafting systems, like in Medieval Dynasty VR, are pretty great.

Oh, and before Legendary Tales is mentioned… it’s just too shallow and linear of a game to be an RPG. The same goes for Grimlord. You do get stat choices, but these games are just so damn linear at the end of the game that you never get that RPG feeling of exploring a huge world. They’re more binary choices between more health or more damage. Nothing that feels like you’re creating your own vision of a character exploring the world you are presented with.

At the end of the day the choices in those games really boil down to whether you use a bow or a sword or magic. Is this really a bigger choice than what gun you use in a VR survival shooter? Maybe I’m being too picky there, and as much as I love those games they just don’t give much of that RPG feeling.

So What Would A True Virtual Reality RPG look like?

It’s hard to define a genre, so let’s look at a supremely popular recent example for some inspiration. Baldur’s Gate 3.

In this game you get to choose your character and class and background. There are meaningful characters you interact with, and how you interact with them decides what happens in the story and what challenges you need to overcome.

You have equipment and items and stats that are all meaningful and impact what you can do and how you do it. Do you smash your way through the door or lockpick it?

Maybe something like Into The Radius can argue that your choice of equipment as you progress through the game makes it an RPG. Despite Into The Radius being a superb VR game, it’s just still not an RPG. It does give you a great world to explore, but no characters to interact with and no meaningful progression choices that can’t just be changed by grinding out more missions and artifacts for a different piece of equipment.

Into The Radius lets you customize your equipment… but those are the only meaningful roleplaying choices you get.

If you don’t agree with the premise of this article you might start seeing what I mean. There is so much potential for a Roleplaying Game in Virtual Reality.

Low strength score? Then maybe if you try to pick up a huge hammer your VR arms are barely able to move it. High perception score? Then secret doors and tunnels are highlighted or interactable when they otherwise wouldn’t be. Sided with one character over another? Then you get a completely different mission depending on who you picked, and the content of that mission reflects the type of character you decided to side with.

VR games that are RPG-lite don’t make you make meaningful choices with long lasting impact. They more just end up with your grinding to the same conclusion.

Orbus VR is probably the closest thing that we have to a real VR RPG, but its an inherently Multiplayer experience, being a VR MMORPG and all. There’s even Morrowind VR, but it’s a mod and doesn’t really count either.

Why? There are so many ways in which VR specifically can be leveraged to create new and interesting RPG mechanics that haven’t been thought of or utilized yet. Years ago I had hoped that the first big Virtual Reality RPG was just right around the corner, but every project I’ve kept my eye on or hoped for has flopped or been stuck in development hell with a buggy and forgettable demo.

The first developer to put the Roleplaying into RPG in a game made for Virtual Reality will have a true hit on their hands. I just wish we would have already seen one by now.

If I’m wrong and there’s an example out there that I haven’t seen or somehow forgotten about then please let me know. I’d absolutely love to be proven wrong.