01 May A Fit Woman’s Review of Fitness VR Game SUPERNATURAL

All the fun rhythm games disguised in a workout to get you swole! Kind of.

I should preface that I classify myself as “fit” based on the standard that, before Atlanta ordered to shelter-at-home 7 weeks ago, I was attending hour-long kickboxing and HIIT classes at my favorite gym, VESTA Movement, for 3 to 4 days a week for over a year. The steady progress I was making, and physically seeing, was empowering in itself, as well as the high-energy instructors “gentle” suggestions to increase the weight I was pulling, to pull up just one time on the high bar, to speed-round multiple kicking combos on the bag, or even one – just one – box jump (not a fan of box jumps). If all those extra pushes doesn’t kill me, WOW!, what a rush of power, confidence, and gratitude I’d get from that. Well, for 7 weeks now, you can imagine the lost progress, lack of motivation, and a little flab around the midsection that I feel. 

Then came Supernatural, which released on Oculus Quest last week, free to download and free for the first 30 days. However, it is the only VR game of its kind to require a monthly subscription of $19. So far, it has been a fun addition to my regular rotation of VR gameplay. Here are its stand-out features: 

Soundtrack 

There’s a great, upbeat soundtrack from popular artists like Lizzo, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, The Ramones, Panic! At the Disco, and Macklemore with more added every day. Now these personal trainers are probably not choreographers, so these workouts are focused on getting your heart rate up and your body moving, not so much flowing through dance moves like in Beat Saber. But they, nonetheless, can still make you feel like a badass through verbal motivations and guidance.  

Visuals 

High-definition, 360-degree, photographic visuals of far-away landscapes trumps the virtual, dark and neon’ed backdrops of other rhythm games. I have been working out at the Great Wall of China, the beaches of New Guinea, the fjords of Iceland, Machu Picchu mountaintops, the Erta Ale volcano in Ethiopia and other beautiful locales.   

Fresh Workouts with Real Trainers 

Daily 15-30-minute workouts are choreographed and instructed by certified personal trainers, all with a varying degree of intensity (beginner to pro) and style (yogic to cardio), complete with a warm-up and cool-down to round out the sessions. I’ve been taking off the headset after each session this week with considerable sweat that hasn’t happened since my early days of Beat Saber (I owe that to VESTA). I’ve even found myself needing to pause between workouts to catch my breath and drink water. This quarantine is really not doing me any favors.  With Supernatural, I have a fighting chance of stay off the edge of the Quarantine-15 [lbs] cliff.  

Use of 6DoF and Rotation  

Supernatural makes excellent use of the Quest’s 360-degree wireless freedom more than any rhythm game right now. Players are batting at colored targets that move towards you at different angles, and each of these targets have specific actions designed to work your arms and core – hits, arm swings, core swings, and a special burst of floating confetti for no reason but to make you feel badass. Clear a lot of floorspace, be light on your feet and prepared to turn a lot, “with your core”, not your feet.  

Squats! 

Speaking of feet, the lower body is not ignored at all in Supernatural. Instead of passively dodging walls like in Beat Saber, BoxVR, Pistol Whip, Synth Riders and OhShape, players actively squat and side lunge INTO moving triangles. Since being a VESTA member, I’ve really grown to enjoy squats, with and without weights, especially since I’m stronger and am more aware of good form. Not to mention, gluteus be gettin’ MAXimus. Bring ‘em on. 

Device Integrations 

Of course, there is a mobile app for players to track workouts, personal progress and records, and participate on leaderboards and social community. For the analytical folks, you can Bluetooth a heart-rate monitor or smartwatch, and track power and accuracy in-game, which gives you an overall Supernatural score and class. Power is measure by how hard you swing at targets; accuracy is a percentage of how many targets are hits vs. misses.   

After giving Supernatural a week-long trial, I’m going to finish out the free 30 days, and until it’s absolutely safe to venture back to my gym. The question is if Supernatural can replace the gym for me, and already I’m saying “No”.  I can’t get swole enough on Supernatural alone. This fitness game prides itself as a possible replacement for expensive gym memberships, but it’s far from being entirely replaceable for me. While it is a great cardio workout for when I’m stuck at home and/or short on time, nothing does the body and mind better than the resistance of weights, the in-person community, and less screen time. Plus, it is MUCH more satisfying to punch and kick a punching bag than air.