First Look at ‘Path of Fury’: A Nostalgic VR Beat-‘Em-Up Experience

Path of Fury – Episode I: Tetsuo’s Tower is an upcoming combat simulator that throws you into an engaging ’80s underworld, where your main goal is to fight your way through hordes of gangsters. We had the opportunity to try the first two levels before its release on Quest this March 12th, and here’s what we found.

Having grown up on movies like Big Trouble in Little China and a steady stream of ’80s and ’90s kung-fu films, I feel somewhat like a martial arts master myself. Path of Fury really captures that vibe, immersing you in a world filled with Cantonese and Russian-speaking gangsters. Players punch their way to increasingly formidable underworld bosses, providing a thrilling experience.

Despite a brief intro, the reason behind the intense action remains a bit mysterious. What stands out, however, is that this game definitely doubles as a workout. Even with its on-rails design, the world-building really pops, pulling players into a colorful world filled with low-poly, PS1-style bad guys.

Your journey begins with interrogating a captured gangster for intel, setting the stage for your first mission at Tetsuo’s Tower—a classic crime hideout that masquerades as a bustling nightclub. The game’s on-rails system means each step forward involves automatic teleportation to the next group of enemies. But that doesn’t take away from the core mission: punch, punch, block, punch.

The punch-and-parry system is delightfully simple yet reminiscent of mid-’90s arcade classics like Time Crisis. Instead of hiding behind cover and reloading, you parry incoming attacks by tapping highlighted targets on fists or feet, then launch into a series of punches.

Defeating enemies requires timing your punches with highlighted body parts, delivering red punches for strong hits and grey for quicker, softer strikes. Though the game doesn’t offer much latitude in combat style, it delivers an experience akin to Instructed Motion games like Until You Fall and Beat Saber. The focus is on making you feel like a master in select moments, and it truly hits the mark.

Path of Fury comes to us from Leonard Menchiari, the indie developer known for titles such as Trek to Yomi and The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED]. It’s no surprise that Menchiari has seamlessly captured the essence of classic side-scrollers, delivering a VR-native experience in his first attempt at the medium.

The two levels I sampled left little to gripe about. While it didn’t leave me totally out of breath, it’s easy to see how a full half-hour of gameplay could meet your daily fitness goals. Despite its low-poly design, the game excels in crafting environments you’ll wish you could explore more thoroughly.

Currently, options mid-game are sparse, with only pause and restart available. The demo didn’t offer a seated mode, and getting hit too often might make you stumble visually, which could be tweaked before the full release. The absence of a difficulty option is also a drawback for those wanting to breeze through for the story alone.

Ultimately, Path of Fury stands out as a fun, stylish addition to any workout routine. Its entertaining gameplay not only boosts your fitness but also keeps you engaged enough to work up a sweat without even trying.

Path of Fury: Episode I – Tetsuo’s Tower is set to launch on March 12th for the Quest 2/3/Pro, with a price of $9.99. You can add it to your wishlist on the Horizon Store now.