Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower on Meta Quest 3
Game developers often have genres that they focus on, allowing for gameplay mechanics, design, visuals and more that get better with time. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for experimentation, and for Trek to Yomi‘s Leonard Menchiari, that means a new virtual reality adventure in Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower.
Published by Abonico Game Works, you step into a gauntlet of relentless, dangerous foes and a tower to climb. Players are invited to this on-rails slugfest that uses violence to help you work up a sweat and enjoy that cathartic release with each successful beatdown of your enemies.
The gameplay setup is quite straightforward, requiring quick reflexes and good timing to emerge victorious. At every enemy encounter, players will have to deliver blows in specific orders and in the right direction, and the better you do, the more damage you will inflict. Flip it over, and blocking competently will reduce the pain you will receive, or go for the more risky counters to punish your opponents. This cycle of violence will repeat until one combatant falls.
One of the biggest worries when playing in virtual reality is the possibility of motion-related troubles. Thankfully, as a standing-only adventure that is also on rails, those issues are less likely to occur, whether you are a seasoned player or a newcomer.
The quick teleportation that brings you from one fight to the next keeps up the pace of the action quite well, and sets the stage for players to chase the high scores of effective, efficient fighting throughout Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower. Throw in multiple enemies instead of a sole foe, then the freneticness only increases, as does the fun.
The enemy variety certainly helps in keeping players on their toes, too. Different enemy types and environments all work to keep the gauntlet fresh, ensuring you will always have something new to see and fight, even if you perish at times.
Eventually, players will face a boss fight, where the enemy gets bigger and more menacing. These fights will be the most demanding of your memory, accuracy, and cardio, but the underlying mechanics remain the same. Give them a good beating, and you can enjoy your victory as sweat rolls down your face.
Fitness-related virtual reality experiences have always had a place in the ecosystem. Still, they often have to straddle between being intense enough while still being relatively comfortable with a headset. For Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower, the enjoyment you will get out of the fisticuffs isn’t the only benefit; the exercise you will get is also a great bonus. This is most evident in the unlockable stages that deliver infinite battles, where you can show off your skills and endurance like nothing else in the game.
The world design is something to look forward to as well, with the stripped-back aesthetic doing wonders in immersing players in the action. As baddies converge in different settings, the surprise at hearing various languages spoken, especially if you can understand them, is a nice touch as you throw down with the worst of the scum. Not to mention the banging soundtrack, which instantly gets you into the mood to tear down whoever is standing in your way.
On a technical level, Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower generally performs well as you go from fight to fight. However, there are occasions where the tracking can get a little disoriented, causing missed hits and blocks that can end a run rather unceremoniously. There will be adjustments needed, and it is recommended that you at least carve out more space when playing to stay on the safe side.
It may not be heavy on the narrative, save for a few interspersed cutscenes, but the star attraction of Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower is the engaging combat. It gets you into the action quickly and almost seamlessly, and has enough of a challenge to push you further and higher. Even if you are not chasing a high score or trying to find a new fitness routine, every run in Tetsuo’s Tower will inevitably lead down those paths, and it is extremely satisfying every time.
Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower is available now on the Meta Quest Store.
SavePoint Score
Summary
Every run in Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower is a blend of cathartic violence and a good workout to boot, keeping you engaged from start to end.
