Ascending - Dojo: Martial Arts Magic

Ascending - Dojo is in development and currently has a Kickstarter Campaign. We also have a video showing off the Ascending - Dojo tech demo here.

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Ascending - Dojo is a game compared by its Creators at Selfox and others to a VR version of Avatar: The Last Airbender. After experiencing the tech demo, which is available on SideQuest, the comparison seems very apt. Here’s why.

Magic as a Martial Art

You may have heard of or remember VR games like The Wizards. There are a few out there, and their main mechanic is that the player moves their hands in a certain way, maybe pressing the grip and flipping their hand over, and then something happens. A fireball appears that you can throw, or you pull your hands in a bow motion, and bam, a bow appears and you can fire an arrow.


This is very cool the first time you do it, and hearkens back to similar mechanics used in flat games such as Arx Fatalis, where the player would draw runes on the screen in order to cast spells. The only problem with this is that it is repetitive, and after a while is rote. There is some tension to be had trying to draw a rune in a life or death situation, but even that fades in time.


Not so in Ascending - Dojo. This experience takes the same concept and refines it from a gimmick to a core mechanic that is not only functionally part of the game, but aesthetically too. As with Avatar: The Last Airbender, Ascending - Dojo has a Chinese theme to the environment, characters, and equipment. So too does the magic, or bending if you prefer.


The movements required to say, shoot a gust of air from your hands for ten seconds, are complex. Start with your hands apart, hold the triggers down to open your hands, then twist them in a circle and bring them to your left side before holding both forward, wrists parallel.

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On the surface there is similarity here to older titles. Move your virtual hands correctly to get a magical, and impressive, result. The difference is in the implementation, and that is where Selfox’s ambition shines.

The movement required to use bending in Ascending - Dojo is not simple, it is not rote, though it can be memorized and done better over time. It is complex and beautiful in execution, as any form done properly in an actual martial art. This is the refinement of a previously used mechanic, in line with the aesthetic of Ascending - Dojo. It is clear that Selfox did not invent the required movement randomly, or simply used whatever was convenient for gameplay purposes. To execute the magic feels like an art form. Do not do it too quickly, do not do it too slowly, complete it with precision or fail to get the desired result. The result is virtual Martial Arts.

Each of the three types of bending available in the tech demo, Air, Fire, and Earth, have a distinct feeling to their movements. Just as in Avatar: The Last Airbender each clearly has a different martial art as inspiration for its movement. Air Bending flows like Tai Chi. Fire Bending is as quick and aggressive as Northern Shaolin style. Earth Bending is grounded and strong like Hung Gar. Each is different and each requires skill. Practicing using magic in Ascending - Dojo is like practicing an actual martial art or similar skill. Just like crafting in A Township Tale there are no skill points or trees to show improvement, just a better personal understanding of how to achieve your goal. Practice makes perfect. Do the same more more times and become more fluid at it, more adept. It’s satisfying, and it feels like mastering a Martial Art.

This is the immersive magic of VR in general. Ascending - Dojo is moving the bar forward in this regard, and seeing what they do next will be very interesting, and gratifying.

While the tech demo does not have too much to sink your teeth into, Ascending - Dojo is still in development. As of writing they have a Kickstarter campaign ongoing in order to fund the game.

If you would like to see these Virtual Reality Martial Arts in action check out our first look Youtube video here.

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