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Dungeon Delving In Blade & Sorcery Is My New Workout Routine, And Fitness Has Never Felt More Effective

On May 17, 2025 3:02 pm, by NuclearCoffee

There are a few reasons to be interested in VR headsets: gaming, productivity, and fitness are the three big selling points. As someone who works remotely in video games media, points one and two are a given, whether it be playing games or using mixed reality to have all the floating screens my heart desires. The third point, fitness, is something I’m trying to keep on top of this year, and I’m using a Meta Quest 3 to help me with that. But man, I wasn’t expecting it to be so effective.

The last headset I owned was the PSVR, which is coming up on nine years old, so the jump here has been significantly impressive.

I struggle to go to the gym because it’s just not my scene – I’m introverted and deal with anxiety, so the times I’ve made myself go were very much against every fibre of my being. I enjoy exercise, though, so I picked up a Meta Quest 3 with the idea that I would be able to indulge in gaming, productivity, and fitness in equal measure, as I know there are numerous fitness applications and games out there.

However, rather than any fitness apps, I’ve been glued to Beat Saber and Blade & Sorcery, and they are more effective for me than the gym ever was.

I’ve cancelled my gym membership. Rather than occasionally forcing myself to go there, with long gaps between sessions depending on my mental state or motivation, I just use VR at home pretty much every day, and it’s been infinitely more rewarding on multiple levels.

In terms of effectiveness, using VR manages to engage my body naturally, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could wake up with those infamous muscle aches you get after strenuous exercise. As I keep it up, I have that feeling more consistently, where steady progress can be noticed as things get easier – especially when compared to the staggered results of my sparse gym visits.

Of course, it won’t be a suitable switch for everyone, depending on what you’re looking for. You could always combine weights with VR or seek out more fitness-centric apps, but professional equipment and training will always have the edge.

A Way To Make Workouts Feel More Unique

Facing and enemy with a sword and shield in Blade and Sorcery VR.

Aside from just the results, however, the actual workouts are what have me the most excited. Beat Saber is a great one for movement, and combined with modding in custom songs, the rhythm game is perfect for having fun while working up a sweat.

But then we have Blade & Sorcery – a game I’ve wanted to play for a long time. This game is all about combat with medieval weaponry and fantasy spells. It’s a brutal game, where you fight to the death with swords, bows, and just about anything you can pick up, and the game won’t sugar coat the violence. While there is a sandbox mode to mess around with if you just want the VR version of a rage room, the campaign is an incredible experience.

As a non-violent person, performing an up-close stealth kill on someone in VR felt very strange.

A workout in this game is taking on an enemy outpost, finding ways to fight my way through, and grabbing all the loot I can along the way. But it’s not just combat – the game lets you climb any surface you can grab onto, swim by wading your arms through water, or climb along ropes high above enemy positions. Just make sure you’re not someone who gets motion sick before attempting some of those things.

After my first outpost, I had to sit on the ground for a minute afterwards. It was exhausting, and I loved it.

I not only love that my workouts are now so unique and fun, but it also means I’m excited to go back to another dungeon and keep playing the game, despite the strenuous effort it takes. With each excursion into enemy territory, the effort became less tiresome, and my creativity with climbing, stealthing, and going face to face with enemies in combat has been expanding in each session.

If you want to work out outside of the gym, and especially at home, then I highly recommend VR as a method – even without fitness apps, it can prove effective just as quickly as a trip to the gym.