E3 2010: Hands-On With 'Your Shape: Fitness Evolved'

By Hector Cortez Jun 17, 2010, 7:54 GMT

Having played Ubisoft\'s Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for the Xbox 360, it\'s very apparent that this is a true workout game.

Written by Michael Barryte

In recent years, developers have attempted to change their public image; more specifically, they've tried to change the general public's image of gamers. Games such as Konami's Dance Dance Revolution and Nintendo's Wii Fit get gamers off the couch and moving, and now Ubisoft's Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for the Xbox 360 with Kinect continues the "get off your couch" movement.

Having played Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, it's very apparent that this is a true workout game. What sets it apart from the rest is the fact that this isn't a rhythm step game or a game that relies on a peripheral. Your Shape takes full advantage of Kinect's 48 points of recognition, actively monitoring and recognizing the player's movements.

I managed to engage in all parts of the demo: a yoga portion, something of a kick boxing portion and an aerobic portion, but first I needed to be scanned in. I was impressed and surprised when the game accurately reported my height. This may seem small, but that was the moment that I trusted my environment and was ready to work out.

I started the yoga portion with a cool down. A digital trainer is present and you mirror her movements. There is also a soothing voice that instructs, although the din of E3 made listening rather difficult. The yoga is methodical and slow, making you hold positions to ensure a good stretch. During this exercise, I also noted that my skeleton was now etched on my on-screen avatar in the form of green lines. Even though I've taken yoga courses before, these simple indicators along with being able to see an instructor and your character skeleton really helps you improve your performance.

Next I entered something of a kick-boxing stage. Blocks would appear in front of me and I was to hit them with the opposing arm or leg. If they appeared on the right, I would punch with my left. In this exercise, I tried to mess around with the game and saw that the game didn't appreciate my playfulness. Nothing happened when I tried to knock a waist-high block with a kick. Similarly, the game resisted my attempts when I tried to swing my arm down on top of a block instead of through it.

The final exercise was basic high knees and squat-punches. These were pretty straight forward and once again my digital trainer showed me what to do. I hoped the sets would run a little longer so that I would actually break a sweat, but I understand that Your Shape wanted to start on easy before ramping it up.

Until now, I had always viewed exercise video games as something of a gimmick, but Ubisoft has utilized Kinect's technology brilliantly, resulting in a game that delivers on its promises. Ubisoft's Your Shape truly is Fitness Evolved.

Michael Barryte is a Monsters & Critics Gaming contributor and is also the co-creator and co-star of the internet series Ari & Stone.