Path Of Fury's greatest strength - its physical combat - is also what makes its limitations most apparent
Path of Fury's first episode, Tetsuo's Tower, aims to deliver a physically engaging VR combat experience with a gritty neo-noir aesthetic. While it succeeds in some areas and offers decent value for its budget price point, several limitations hold it back from being a truly compelling package.
The narrative setup is straightforward - you're on a mission of vengeance against Tetsuo, who resides at the top of his namesake tower. The structure itself functions as a self-contained criminal ecosystem, with lower floors producing goods for the wealthy elite above while the impoverished masses struggle below. While this premise has potential, the story remains largely superficial throughout the experience.
The game's PS1-inspired visual style creates an appropriately dark and moody atmosphere. The grungy environments and VHS-like visual effects contribute to its '80s action movie aesthetic. However, the consistently dark lighting can make it difficult to read certain visual cues and appreciate the environmental details. Some variety in brightness and color palette would have helped break up the visual monotony.
The core gameplay loop is simple - you progress through the tower on rails, stopping at predetermined points to engage in hand-to-hand combat with various thugs and enforcers. Combat revolves around matching colored indicators with the corresponding hand (blue for left, red for right) to land punches, while also blocking incoming attacks by striking the highlighted limbs.
Initially, the physical nature of the combat feels satisfying. Landing solid punches and successfully blocking attacks provides a visceral thrill that works well in VR. The game tracks punch force, requiring actual effort to defeat tougher enemies. This makes fights feel more engaging than simply going through the motions.
However, the gameplay formula begins to wear thin rather quickly. Despite introducing different enemy types and attack patterns, you're essentially performing the same basic actions throughout. The lack of variety in combat options or meaningful progression systems means there's little tactical depth to master beyond timing your punches correctly.
A significant missed opportunity lies in the rhythm aspects of combat. While the game presents combat sequences that should theoretically flow like choreographed fight scenes, the absence of proper musical integration makes these sequences feel mechanical rather than natural. Attacks often don't sync well with the soundtrack, preventing the combat from achieving the fluid, rhythmic quality it seems to be aiming for.
The game employs a roguelite structure, with failed attempts sending you back to previous checkpoints. While this adds some stakes to combat, the repetitive nature of encounters means replaying sections feels more tedious than challenging. The scoring system rewards speed and accuracy but doesn't provide enough incentive to master the mechanics.
The difficulty curve is reasonable, gradually introducing new enemy types and attack patterns. However, without meaningful progression systems or combat variety, overcoming challenges feels more about endurance than skill development.
The retro-inspired visuals effectively establish the game's grimy aesthetic, with faceless thugs and minimalist environments contributing to the oppressive atmosphere. The synthwave-influenced soundtrack provides a fitting backdrop, even if it isn't integrated well with the gameplay mechanics.
Playing Path of Fury can be physically demanding, as the constant punching provides a decent upper body workout. The force detection means you can't just lazily swing your arms - you need to put genuine effort into your strikes. This aspect could appeal to players looking to combine gaming with light exercise.
However, the physical engagement isn't enough to overcome the repetitive nature of the gameplay. While individual fights can be intense, the lack of variety means sessions quickly start feeling like a chore rather than an exciting combat experience.
Path of Fury: Episode I - Tetsuo's Tower is a serviceable VR combat game that shows promise in its physical gameplay and atmospheric presentation but ultimately falls short of its potential. While the budget price point makes it worth considering for VR fitness enthusiasts, most players will likely find the experience becoming stale before reaching the top of Tetsuo's tower. The foundations are solid, but more variety in gameplay, better rhythm integration, and environmental diversity would be needed to create a truly compelling experience.
The game's greatest strength - its physical combat - is also what makes its limitations most apparent. There's satisfaction in the basic punch mechanics, but without more depth or variety to build upon that foundation, it struggles to maintain interest beyond the initial hours. For those intrigued by the concept and price point, there's some entertainment to be found, but temper your expectations regarding long-term engagement. Thanks for reading!
The game was reviewed on a Quest 3 via a promo copy provided by the developer. Path Of Fury - Episode 1: Tetsuo’s Tower is available on Meta Quest.
