The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners Factions - The Tower

The waterlogged and zombie infested world of The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is filled with living people. People fighting and struggling to survive even after a year of trying to live in a world where everything is upside down, even the cycle of life and death. In the city of New Orleans most of these people are part of one of two societies. That of the Tower, or that of the Reclaimed. Those lost souls that are left to fend for themselves and are considered doomed to become another member of the hordes of the dead which roam the city streets are called “Exiles”.

Let’s start with the group that most would likely consider to be the most heinous of them all. The Tower.

A Tower Made of Sand

The Tower began as a large group of survivors with the standard zombie apocalypse dream. Find a defensible place with enough room to house a lot of people and supplies, and make it safe. So they chose a large skyscraper in the business district and got to work. Many of them died while cleaning their new home of the undead. Now those who perished during the founding of The Tower are martyrs in a mythically poignant founding story. They are the dead half of the Romulus and Remus which founded their society. A society that the Romulus of the story, a Haitian woman called Mama, so quickly turned into an authoritarian society.

Even with a secure home things were not easy. People desperate for any kind of security flocked to the new safe haven. The Tower inevitably had a strain on resources, and so sent patrols all over New Orleans to gather what was needed. The strain became greater and greater as the population grew. Though Mama was powerful she had a great burden to a great many people, and so quotas on supplies had to begin. Those quotas, if not met, would likely result in harsh punishments from a leader who felt a great obligation to feed her people. So, inevitably, corners were cut to meet those quotas. A group of hunters put human meat on the menu to make ends meet and numbers add up to the correct amount.

They were caught when the human meat caused an outbreak of disease that killed many, and so the hand of control had to tighten. It tightened into a society of secret policepersons. After the cannibals were sentenced to death, paranoia began to reign. People caught going against Mama’s will were either exiled, a fate many considered akin to death, or simply killed by forcing them to walk off of the heights of the skyscraper itself. That is how The Tourist meets The Tower. As a desperate regime that becomes more brutal by the day, and mostly to its own members, but also as the most powerful and omnipresent force in New Orleans. Other than the dead themselves, of course.

The Tower is the ultimate representation of the order that is created in trying times of interregnum. Brutal because it has to be, and when times get tough even more brutal. All in a vain attempt to hold on to order in a world thrown into chaos. Mama might have been a good leader, but she stepped down when things became too difficult, and her right hand woman Georgia took over. It was likely Georgia who encouraged such harsh measures in order to keep control. While not stated explicitly, Georgia’s will seems to have overtaken Mama’s own, and the strain was too much for the old woman, so she secluded herself. While it seemed that Mama was the one imposing harsh laws, in reality it was likely Georgia’s bloodlust and desire for absolute control that caused those orders to be given.

It is by Georgia’s hand that The Tower becomes the Stalinist society of snitches that it does. Closed off to outsiders and quick to use force against any threat internal or external. Georgia encourages even harsher measures as the game’s story goes on. Those thought to be weak are thrown out, not worth resources which are becoming more scarce. No more exiles, just execute those who dissent. Do not simply ignore Exiles. Kill all of them in an area before they become a threat, or join The Reclaimed.

The Tourist vs. The Tower

The Tower’s patrols are well armed, organized, and numerous. So they are naturally a suitable enemy for The Tourist. Throughout the game The Tourist is forced into conflict with The Tower in order to gain access to The Reserve, via the auspices of May, who will be discussed more later. Even if the player, as The Tourist, feels no disgust or hatred to The Tower by learning of their atrocities, or is convinced of the necessity of their harsh stance by reading their propaganda posters, they are forced to infiltrate Tower strongholds. Unless they sympathize with the tower so much that they kill May, who sends them against The Tower in exchange for good opportunities to steal supplies and weapons. In the Aftershocks DLC it is even harder to avoid fighting The Tower, as they are the main opponent guarding multiple Reserve caches. It seems that conflict with The Tower is inevitable for The Tourist.

It may not be impossible to never fight The Tower without killing May, but if it is it would be damn hard, and require sneaking around their guards in order to steal the objective. It is much simpler to fight them, and at the end of the day feel some comfort in knowing that the people who were killed likely would have stabbed their own family members just to stay safe. Those are the people that remain in The Tower. Those ruthless enough to do anything for survival, or those physically strong enough to be accepted, but weak enough to not want to strike out alone no matter what they are told to do.

Conclusion

Georgia’s brutality is easy to hate when taken at face value. It is easy to judge such actions on moral grounds when playing a game in comfort, for relaxation. It is easy to not think of the pervasive fear that must accompany a world gone to hell, and the desire of regular people who simply want security so badly that they will trust someone who is clearly a ruthless despot in order to get it. It is unfortunate that Georgia’s ideology is simply not suited to longevity. Such a system inevitably collapses sooner rather than later, because fear of being executed overcomes fear of the undead chaos that lurks outside those walls. One day those walls may seem more of a cage to be escaped from than a bulwark of safety. It was that fear that lead to the creation of The Reclaimed.

See our article on The Reclaimed for more on the factions of New Orleans in The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. They are The Tower’s worst enemy, and also a product of its own beliefs.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is available on Steam for 39.99$. It is also available on the Oculus Store for 39.99$. This is one of the best Virtual Reality experiences out there right now, with extremely polished survival gameplay and a compelling story. Not to mention an unmatched melee combat system, focusing on piercing the skull of course, because zombies. If you like zombie games then this is one you should not miss. Even if you aren’t a huge zombie culture fan, this is a game that is well worth its price tag for even a single playthrough. There’s even an Arena Survival Mode, and more free updates.

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners Loot Tier List and Crafting Guide

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners by Skydance Interactive is the premiere Zombie Survival experience for VR both on the Oculus Quest and PCVR. Based in the Walking Dead universe, as the name implies, you take the role of “The Tourist”. Basically a Louisiana badass wandering the flooded, zombie infested ruins of New Orleans looking for the rumored “Reserve”, an underground military bunker containing enough weapons and supplies to equip a regiment and care for a horde of refugees. As always in the apocalypse, weapons and supplies are king. The only problem is, everyone else also wants to get to the Reserve, so finding it won’t be quick or easy. You’ll need weapons, upgrades, food, and medicine just to get there. The best way to acquire all of these things is by collecting junk, and then crafting it into something useful. Here’s the best way to do just that, and blaze your trail through zombies and bandits to The Reserve.

Without The Loot The Point is Moot

Before getting to what you should upgrade and buy, let’s start with what you should be taking back to your base when out in the zombie infested city of New Orleans. Not all pieces of loot are created equal, and you only have so much space in your backpack. Knowing what to take and what to leave can be the difference between a shiny new pump action shotgun, and facing off against five zombies with nothing but a kitchen knife and the will to survive.

S Tier

Box Of Loot

Always, always, always pick these up. No matter what color they are or what you need. The metal boxes of loot hold an insane amount of crafting material for a single inventory slot. They are the absolute best pieces of loot in The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners and so should never be left behind. Don’t think about it, just take it. It’s also important to note that any unarmed NPC will drop one of these boxes when killed. That doesn’t mean you should do it… but it is an apocalypse. Sometimes even enemy patrols will have one or two on them, and those you won’t have to feel so bad about.

Medicine/Sterile Bandage

What’s not to love about free items? While not as effective as some other medical items you can craft with the upgraded Survival Workbench, bottles of medicine and sterile bandages are effectively free items that you won’t have to spend resources on and therefore are definitely worth the inventory slot when out on a run. Don’t scrap them, but keep any spares in your storage box. You never know when you might need them. Be careful not to take any dirty bandages though, they are hardly worth it.

A Tier

Destroyed Firearm

Ruined Pistols, shotguns, and rifles are extremely good pickups. Not only do they provide frames which are required to craft a working version of the same firearm, but they also give Workable Metal, Nuts and Bolts, and even Wood Scrap in good quantity. In the early days they are very common, especially ruined revolvers. Armed NPCs will drop either a whole or destroyed version of their weapon when killed.

Working Firearm

Working firearms provide both firearm frames as well as a good amount of resources, as their destroyed counterparts do. Make sure to unload them before scrapping. Sometimes armed NPCs will still drop their weapons in working condition. You can use them if you like, but keeping them for scrapping is better, as the firearms you craft yourself last for much longer.

Candelabra/Candle Stick

While it may not seem like much at first, the Candelabra is a fantastic loot item. Not only does it provide Workable Metal, which is especially useful in the early game, but it also contains sharp objects, which are needed for most melee weapons and constantly in demand. The shaft is also a nice bonus. While shafts may not seem very important, they are more scarce than they seem. The Candelabras and Candle Sticks are great all in one items and shouldn’t be left behind.

Toy Robot/PWNBOT

Toy Robots contain Nuts and Bolts, Workable Metal, and more. For a single junk item they certainly have a lot inside of them. Definitely worth taking.

Dragon Bar/Poseidon Tuna/Twinkle Toe/Cereal

These are the three best non-craftable food items in the game, and each provide the best resources for food crafting. The Dragon Bar is generally the best, while Poseidon Tuna, notable from other cans by it’s blue label, is the best source of Protein. Twinkle Toes and Cereal are the best source of sugar.

Chemical Vial/Effigy

Both the Effigy and the Chemical vial are excellent sources of gunpowder, which as you might guess is needed for crafting all firearms ammunition. The chemical vials can be found in the science lab in Rampart (the school) abundantly. Be careful to check each one though, not all contain gunpowder.

Keyboard/Headset

Keyboards and headsets are both great sources of many good resources in small quantities. Regardless they are very good pickups.

B Tier

Firewood

Firewood should definitely be coveted in the first few days, as they provide an astounding six wood in addition to a single shaft. After upgrading the crafting stations wood is still a very common resource found in other items, and is not needed in great quantities. So later on Firewood should be ignored, but when you are still upgrading your stations it is invaluable. Take enough of these early on and you will never run out of Fiber either.

Clock

Clocks contain not only Wood Scrap, but also Nuts and Bolts and Bindings. While none of these resources are especially rare, this is a good variety in a single item in good quantity. Not a bad pickup.

Large Can of Food/Dog Food/Can of Beans

Any of the larger cans of food contain a variety of foodstuffs such as Fiber, Water, and Protein. Not to mention a small amount of Workable Metal. All in all they are decent pieces of loot, but not as dense in singular rare foodstuffs as A Tier food items. Fiber and Water are common, while Protein and Sugar are not.

Skull/Box of Matches

Both of these are more common sources of gunpowder, though they do not contain much. As an added bonus they do both include some Wood Scrap. If you need some more ammunition in the short term, definitely pick these items up. Otherwise there are likely better alternatives lying around.

Two Handed Weapon

Before getting the backpack upgrade you will only have the capacity to hold two two handed weapons, three after the upgrade. These are items such as Hatchets, Fire Axes, and Crowbars. They are good pickups which don’t grant exceptionally rare resources, but are better than leaving with any of those two handed slots unoccupied. If a two handed firearm such as a rifle is available instead, favor those over two handed melee weapons.

C Tier

Book

Books aren’t for reading when the dead roam the earth, at least not these. Instead they are a good source of Bindings and Adhesives.

Pots and Pans

Pots and pans are essentially infinite durability melee weapons, which take multiple bonks on the head in order to bring down an opponent. Otherwise they are a subpar source of metal and other various pieces.

Dog Bowl

A decent combination of Nuts and Bolts as well as Workable Metal. Not the best item and just barely above D Tier. However, they are worth a backpack slot if you need both of those things.

Kitchen Knife/Screwdriver

Occasionally you can find Kitchen Knives and Screwdrivers out in the wild, which operate as decent weapons with low durability. As scrapable objects they are alright, containing some Sharp Objects, Workable Metal, and a Shaft. A decent pickup, but not the highest priority.

Broken Plank

These are wooden boards with a single nail in them, obtained by smashing a wooden barricade with a single or two handed weapon. These give some Wooden Scrap and a pittance of Workable Metal. While they do not give great resources, if no two handed weapons are available to fill your two handed slots these are better than nothing.

D Tier

Box of Razors/Empty Bottle

Boxes of Razors provide only Sharp Objects and are effectively garbage items that should always be left behind unless there is no time to grab something else. Empty Bottles are a better alternative. Not only are they more abundant, and also contain one Workable Metal as a bonus, they can be broken and used as weapons in a pinch. You will never want for Sharp Objects since empty bottles are so common, even forty plus days into a game.

Shoe

Old shoes are a decent source of Bindings and Adhesives, but grant them in inferior quantities to other items. You will likely find better sources of both in any given run, until the much later days.

Egg Timer

A great source of Nuts and Bolts and nothing else. Not often worth picking up due to many other items containing a lot of Nuts and Bolts as well as other resources.

Worn Photo

Contains some Wood Scrap and a bit of Nuts and Bolts, maybe some fond memories for somebody other than you. If you’re starved for wood this may be worth it, but probably not.

Soda/Beer

A source of Sugar, Workable Metal, and Water in small quantities. Only worth taking when starved for Sugar and unable to find anything better.

Lighter

Somehow contains a fair quantity of antiseptic. Not to mention a shaft. For this it may be worth it should you really need to craft some medical supplies. They are also extremely common in kitchens if you’re starved for shafts.

F Tier

Other Junk

Telephones, Radios, Pillows, medical tape, pillows, cigarettes, etc. There are a lot of junk items in The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners and a lot of them are not worth taking. Some give only two to three resources apiece, and those not even particularly rare resources. It’s safe to assume that if an item is not in one of the tiers above, it’s never worth taking. Unless we’ve missed something! If we have then leave a comment.

Glue

A special mention here since glue seems like it should be a good item, containing a fair bit of adhesive, but adhesive is extremely common in other items which grant other resources as well. Don’t fall into the trap, leave the glue.

Progression and Upgrades

Now that you know what junk items are good for what materials, you’ll also want to know what you should spend them on. There are three workbenches, Survival, Firearms, and Gear. At first most of the good items and upgrades are locked and require a lot of resources to unlock them. Even with an abundant haul it is important to prioritize.

Most important of all is the Backpack Upgrade, which is the first upgrade on the second level of the gear workbench. This one is a no brainer as it grants an additional page of backpack slots as well as a two handed weapon storage slot. This allows you to carry 36 items in your backpack as well as two two handed weapons. Not to count your two hip slots and back slot.

That’s a lot of loot! Keep an eye on what resources you need next and rush to complete this upgrade. You will need a lot of Wood Scraps, Workable Metal, and Nuts and Bolts. Also ten Adhesives and ten Bindings. Here’s the complete list to get that far.

Level 1: 12 Nuts and Bolts and 24 Workable Metal

Level 2: 12 Nuts and Bolts and 24 Wood Scraps

Level 3: 24 Wood Scraps and 30 Workable Metal

Level 4: 24 Workable Metal and 24 Nuts and Bolts

Level 5: 30 Wood Scraps, 10 Adhesives and 10 Bindings

This can take as little as a couple of days if you optimize your looting. Not to mention you will gain several other very useful upgrades along the way.

Once the backpack upgrade maximizes your looting potential, what is next is up to your preference. Should you have a lot of gunpowder and firearms frames and desire to quickly blast away enemy bandits and zombies alike, going to the firearms workbench might be the next best idea. If you really want a Katana, which is arguably the best melee weapon in The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, then continuing to upgrade the Gear Workbench is for you.

For the most conservative player the Survival Workbench is the best pick. Not only does it grant an upgrade to health, but also the best medicines in the game. At least upgrading it as far as the health upgrade is a choice that will increase your survivability considerably. You can’t bring back loot if you’re dead.

Whichever way you choose to go, prioritizing the backpack upgrade and looting properly will get you to fully upgraded Workbenches in a few days. Not to mention an abundance of resources afterwards in order to craft whatever goodies you could want. Happy looting, stay safe out there in the apocalypse.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is available on Steam for 39.99$. It is also available on the Oculus Store for 39.99$. This is one of the best Virtual Reality experiences out there right now, with extremely polished survival gameplay and a compelling story. Not to mention an unmatched melee combat system, focusing on piercing the skull of course, because zombies.

If you like zombie games then this is one you should not miss. Even if you aren’t a huge zombie culture fan, this is a game that is well worth its price tag for even a single playthrough. There’s even an Arena Survival Mode, and a free end game DLC.

Having trouble sweating through your headset’s face cover? Try out new ones from VR Cover that repel sweat and are easy to swap in.

Thrill Of The Fight: Opponent Breakdown

For a video version of this article check it out here on our youtube channel.

Here we break down every opponent available to go toe to toe with in Thrill Of the Fight by Sealost Interactive on the Oculus Quest 2 (and PCVR). With the exception of the special opponents like the ghost and zombie. We’ll save those for another time. Each opponent in Thrill Of the Fight has different characteristics and methods of fighting. If you’re interested in the Halloween fighters in the “Extra” menu then be sure to check out our article about them.

Don’t be fooled by the intensity of the game, it isn’t a question of physical fitness alone, some strategy is also involved. Some hit hard, some less so. Some are easy to knock out, others more so. Whether you’re struggling to defeat one of them, or just starting out and wondering what is in store, there’ll be something here for you. If you’d like a more beginner focused guide check out our article on the basics, like how to hit hard and win fights. Now let’s get into it.

Choose Your Character

Sparring Partner

Sparring Partner is a nameless, overweight older guy with a bunch of pads on and a funky shirt tucked into some funky shorts. The fight against him lasts only a single round. All in all he’s really easy. He can take a few good punches, but swings the most slowly and weakly of all opponents. He makes for a good single round warm up and not much else.

“Melky" - Alexei Petrov

After a warm up with the sparring partner the first true opponent is Melky. He’s a skinny, yet still shredded, guy with a short haircut and almost complete lack of emotion. He won’t feel much like a true opponent though. He’s really just a slightly better version of the sparring partner. He’s a little harder to take down, punches a little more quickly, and punches a little harder. His strategy is pretty straightforward. Block for a little while and then throw a few punches, almost like he’s on a timer.

“Ugly Joe” - Joe Nasato

Ugly Joe looks like Rocky Balboa if he kept boxing, but never made it off the streets of Philadelphia. He’s got a lazy eye and a face that took a million punches and could probably take a little more. A classic old school boxer still in the ring. His match goes on for three rounds, and here those rounds might be necessary. Ugly Joe is much harder to take down than previous opponents, requiring a lot of powerful hits on weak points in order to bring him down. If you’re not much in practice, you may have a very hard time with him. His blocking is pretty good, and his punches are fast and fairly hard. While he does not throw insane combos like later fighters, a couple of solid hits from Ugly Joe can knock a you down pretty quickly.

Despite this, Ugly Joe has his weaknesses. He’s not particularly fast on his feet, and sidestepping him in order to get a punch on his liver or the side of his head can be very effective. His strategy is very defensive, taking hits and waiting for you to tire yourself out before counter attacking when he has an opening. He is the first real challenge of the game, so watch out.

Want to see how to knockout Ugly Joe? Well check out the video of it here with commentary.

“The Raging Reverend” - Gene Priest

The Raging Reverend, just “The Reverend” from here on, is a short angry looking guy with a head that could generate enough power for a small village if you put solar panels on it. He is the polar opposite of Ugly Joe. Depending on your strengths and weaknesses he can be easier or harder than Joe. That’s because he is fast on his feet and fights offensively. He will take swings at you before even defending himself. Where Joe is a test of careful, slow offense, The Reverend is a test of patient defense and quick attacks. Unlike Joe, The Reverend goes down very easily with a hit or two to the jaw. However, he has a counter for this, and that is this very annoying defensive block that he uses.

He holds his elbow up over one side of his head, and his other hand over the other side of his head. Normally in this situation a jab to the face is called for, but that elbow easily gets in the way, making a solid hit on the face or chin very difficult. Doing this does leave his side open, so a couple of blows to his ribcage will cause him to drop his guard and leave his head open for a killing blow. All in all The Reverend will fold to a quick and precise offense launched before he has a chance to throw any combos. When The Reverend has taken hits he is very slow to counter attack before he recovers. Having an offense that is more overwhelming than his own will lead to victory.

“Luis The Lightning” - Luis Felix

The Lightning has all of the attributes of The Reverend, but more. He’s shorter and angrier. He’s fast, and hits quickly and hard. Though he has an even glassier jaw than The Reverend. He goes down very easily. The only problem is actually landing a solid hit on him. The Lightning is the first opponent who will actively dodge punches, and he does so pretty well. Especially after recently taking a hit, he will move his head out of the way of subsequent punches. This makes landing subsequent hits to get a knock down very difficult. Still, after wearing him down a bit it’s easy to bring him down with a single, glorious hook. The same strategy for the Reverend works here as well. Hit him hard and fast. Though he will actually counter attack fairly quickly, so watch out.

“The Spider” - Charong Kitsuwan

The Spider is tall and second only to Ugly Joe in ugliness. He looks like somebody told him you personally insulted his tiny hands right before the match, and now he has a personal vendetta against you. Though despite his intimidating appearance and height he is extremely easy to take down. He has has a jaw as glassy as The Lightning’s, and he doesn’t dodge. The trick is to land solid hooks on his broad chin, but it’s a bit more difficult due to that chin being so high up. Attacking fast is really the only easy way to win. While The Spider’s defense is terrible, his offence is almost unrivaled. His hands are small but they hit incredibly hard and fast. A single hit can quickly knock you down. Attack him fast and precisely. He’s practically a stationary target, though he will counter attack if the pressure lets up. His fight can last for four rounds, but good luck getting that far without him knocking you out.

“The Artist” - Hojo Mizushima

The Artist is an extremely focused looking guy with a receding hairline and a sweet moustache. Of all the fighters he is the most interesting to have a long, artful duel with through each of the four rounds of his fight. His style of fighting is extremely defensive. The Artist relies on being fast on his feet and quick to dodge punches. Rather than attack you outright he will wait for an almost absurd length of time for you to attack him, and then very rapidly counter attack. Even when wounded his counter attacks are fast and often very strong. Should his counter succeed The Artist will not hesitate to press his advantage and commence with a fierce flurry of blows.

Fighting the Artist should be done carefully. The previously best strategy of all out offense will not work nearly as well against him. Rather whittling him down is the best way to go. Carefully maneuver into the engagement and bait him into counter attacking. Block or dodge the attack, and counter the counter while his face is unguarded. Even then pressing the advantage can be dangerous unless The Artist is on the verge of keeling over. Attacking him can be very tiring, as he is extremely good at dodging, more so than any other opponent.

An alternative strategy for a very aggressively inclined player is to do the same, but go all out on the attack when The Artist’s defenses are down. This will require either very quick blocking of his counter attacks or simply absorbing the blows and resetting the attack. This strategy requires a lot of skill at seeing The Artist’s dodges coming, and adjusting aim in order to still land a blow. Therefore it is only recommended for more advanced players.

“The Duke” - Duke Bell

The Duke is a thick dude built like a pile of bricks and just enough corn rows to not be bald. He wears a very stylish purple outfit, though maybe he would look better in red. Where The Artist is a master of evasive defense, The Duke is a master of static defense. He blocks quickly, and his big hands block a wide area. More so he is just extremely tough. Knocking out The Duke is very difficult, even with many successive, devastating hits he does not go down easily. He does not strike extremely quickly, but he does hit very hard, and can knock you down easily. That being said he takes his time with counter attacks, though he will counter attack. If left alone he will go on the offense, though again he generally takes a few slower but heavy blows rather than quick attacks or a flurry of punches.

The best strategy against The Duke is slow pressure. Keep attacking him, but not so quickly that the exhaustion becomes too much before The Duke falls down. Punch him in the face so that he changes his guard and then hit him with a hook before backing off and coming in for another run. Otherwise hit him with a hook and then follow up with a solid face hit or an uppercut. Changing the location of attacks quickly will work just as well against The Duke as any other fighter, but those hits need to be on weak points and be very strong to be worth the energy. Score enough hits and a couple of very well placed blows will knock him down in later rounds.

“Matty” - Mateo Vega

Matty is the most stylish of all fighters with a red and blue glove combo and the most tight fitting shorts of all. He’s fast and can dodge, though not as well as The Artist, and he can take a few hits, though not as well as The Duke. If he has an appropriate opening his attacks can be very fast and strong, and he will push you. His style is fairly aggressive, though he will certainly give some room to breathe. He throws combos more than any previous fighter, and failing to defend from one of them can lead to a quick knock down. All in all he is quick and combines the traits of all previous fighters, though he does none of them the best.

Due to his balanced nature a variety of tactics can work against Matty. Whatever you are most proficient at will likely be the best option here. All out offense works against him, though his dodges can make this a very tiring strategy. Careful defense is another good strategy, though a single uppercut from Matty can put you on the floor. A mixture of the two is likely the best, since he is not overly hard to knock down like The Duke. Wait for Matty to attack and then counter attack fiercely with a few strong hits to weak points. Let him dodge and then strike again when he stands straight, or back off and prepare for another attack. Letting Matty strike first can also work as this will leave him exposed for a hook to the jaw.

“Moneymaker” - Edward Price

Here he is, Moneymaker. The big boss with the tacky golden gloves, deceptively skinny arms, and what looks like a glass jaw but certainly isn’t. Don’t be mistaken, Moneymaker is as tough as they come in Thrill Of The Fight. He hits the hardest and is the most difficult to knock down. His speed and dodging ability rivals even that of The Artist. He’s the last fighter and he’s the hardest. Most of all he has no weaknesses. If you’re going to fight Moneymaker prepare for one hell of a workout and a challenge. You’ll likely need to go for most if not all of the five rounds of the fight.

Since Moneymaker has no weaknesses, just like Matty, no particular strategy is strong against him. He will dodge, he blocks quickly, and he hits the hardest of all. Most of all he is extremely aggressive. Rarely will he simply stand by and block, unless he has taken a lot of damage and needs to recover. Instead he will constantly pressure you, attacking both with single hits and combo attacks. Those combos are lethal, and come from a variety of angles, forcing an extremely dynamic defense in order to stop them. Generally you’re better off just side stepping out of the way.

Just as with Matty whatever strategy you feel you are best at is likely to be the way to go. All out offense is possible, but will require extreme endurance and the ability to quickly dodge counter attacks to work. That is likely the least viable strategy. Just like with Matty a more careful approach is the best, though with Moneymaker the slightest slip up can end up with you out for the count. Defend carefully and counter attack quickly.

Once you defeat Moneymaker, congratulations! He’s the hardest fighter in the game. If you’re a real enthusiast try them all again on the next highest difficulty, or play with the settings. Setting the force multipliers to 1x each can make for a much more stable feeling fight. Additionally turning on drift protection can keep your hooks from drifting behind your opponent’s head. These both offer a little more realism and a little more challenge. That is, if the most intense workout in Virtual Reality isn’t intense enough for you.

Having trouble sweating through your headset’s face cover? Try out new ones from VR Cover that repel sweat and are easy to swap in.

If you’re interested in Thrill Of The Fight but haven’t purchased it yet, it can be found on Steam for 9.99$ or on the Oculus store for either the Meta Quest 2 or PCVR for 9.99$. Happy Boxing!

Thrill Of The Fight is VR’s Most Intense Workout

For those that prefer an Audio/Visual experience. This article is also on Youtube.

That is a very bold statement, sure. There are a lot of VR games on the Oculus Quest 2 suitable for exercise out there. Some are crafted specifically for the purpose of exercise. Those tend to be the more boring games. Others are entertainment that just so happen to make your sweat glands cry furiously and your muscles ache. Often without even realizing it. Those are the great VR workout games.

They are the antithesis of Peloton instructors and follow-along Youtube workout videos. They are fitness that doesn’t feel like fitness. They are the future of exercise. Simply put, they are fun and don’t feel like a chore necessary for health and a long life. Thrill Of The Fight is chief among these games, if your goal is to get sweaty and sore.

Build your Body and a Skill

As Kenny Powers of Eastbound and Down once said “I’m not trying to be the best at exercising.” While the wisdom of anything Kenny says in that show is dubious at best, there is some truth to this statement. Sure feats of endurance and strength are fantastic. If a great cyclist can go 10 kilometers without breaking a sweat and in record time, well that’s both impressive and an accomplishment. If they do that purely for the sake of being able to do it better the next time, then at the end of the day there is little point to it.

Well, it’s good for your health and maybe will grant better quality and length of life. That is the implicit tagline that is filling gyms across the country. Muscles are impressive and make you feel good. Exercise causes the brain to make, and this is a point everyone should know, free drugs that make you feel good. You don’t even need to smoke or inject them. Move a little, sweat a little, free drugs locally sourced from your grey matter. A pretty good deal.

Though as with so many things VR makes this arrangement even better. Thrill Of The Fight is fun on the Quest 2 and feels like an actual fight. You get better at it, as with a cyclist or a runner, but here you also build a skill. Those skills are fighting skills. Never boxed before? Well enough Thrill of the Fight will upgrade you from being a complete amateur. You can see your progression as a fighter in every dodged punch and well placed hook. It’s easy to get into because it’s interesting, and the better you get the more you win. Just like any game that doesn’t involve exercise.

The excitement of combat is reflected here as it is in many VR titles like Battle Talent, Gladius, Gorn, and so many more. Close Quarters fighting is done better in Virtual Reality than in any other medium. It may be obvious, but this is because Virtual Reality is the closest quarters simulated reality that humans have invented. Translating a mouse click to swinging virtual hands requires some cognitive dissonance to take satisfaction out of. Swinging a real arm to cause a virtual arm to swing into an opponent’s jaw removes several levels of abstraction from the equation.

Then there is the fact that you are actually accomplishing a task. Other titles like Beat Saber and OhShape come close to this, but their goals are abstracted. Follow the rhythm, move your arms in order to chop blocks or fit yourself into a hole. These are not tasks related to anything found in real life. They are abstract and gamified in the utmost sense. In Thrill Of The Fight the goal is to win a boxing match. That’s it. Beat up your virtual opponent with your fists before he beats you up. Full Stop.

There’s technique to it as well as skill, and physical fitness plays a primary role in players’ ability to win, but the goal itself is simple and human and relatable. It is real, and everybody on Earth has at least imagined themselves in a fight if they haven’t been in one. Thrill Of The Fight does not advertise itself as a boxing trainer, but the developers do state that existing boxing skills do help achieve success in the game, and that is an extremely true statement. While the developers may not be willing to say it, here at Reality Remake we definitely are.

If you’ve never boxed a match in your life, continual playing of Thrill Of The Fight will make you a better boxer. Footwork, agility, proper form, all the things that make a good boxer will reflect in success at this game. Constant practice leads to refinement. At the very least Thrill Of The Fight will teach how to throw a stronger punch, because stronger punches are required for victory. So is strategy, thinking about how to hit and when. So is speed, and the ability to quickly dodge a punch.

These qualities are why The Thrill Of The Fight is the most intense VR workout. That is the power of an entertaining, goal oriented Virtual Reality game that requires so much physical movement. As with any other game the want to get better and to defeat challenges encourages more investment of energy and time.

Getting better at a game is satisfying, and so is winning. The Thrill Of The Fight combines this with an intense boxing match. A physical skill will show improvement, and if you’re lucky you’ll never need to dodge a punch, but enough Thrill Of The Fight will definitely help with that. Whether you intend to or not, you will end up sweating and your arms will end up sore, and you’ll love it. The desire to win, to beat the next fighter, or to climb through them to the next highest difficulty, is so strong that it pushes the player physically in ways they may never push themselves when running a treadmill or lifting a dumbbell.

Even when panting, drenched in sweat, and praying that it will be over soon, it is very hard to not go that last round and finally prove that you can knock out The Duke three times in a row and cross the hurdle to the next fighter. That power has pushed players through games since games were invented. Challenges invite creativity and a drive to win, and in Thrill Of The Fight that challenge involves moving powerfully and quickly in a way that will burn fat and calories much faster than any other Virtual Reality experience.

Science Agrees

That is an easy thing to just state and then skip over as though that proves the point of this article. Simply saying that Thrill Of The Fight is the most intense VR workout does not mean that it is, especially to anyone that has not tried it as well as all of the other intense VR games out there. There are many other Virtual Reality experiences that will give a great workout. Pistol Whip, Supernatural, and FitXR.

The aforementioned Beat Saber and OhShape. Objectively it can be said that those games generally rely on waiting for something to happen before the player responds with physical action, and so do not encourage physicality as much, but that is leaning into abstract and conceptual territory. With the proper settings Pistol Whip can be extremely intense, or a few simple arm movements and a couple of squats.

Luckily the folks over at the VR Health Institute have already asked these questions, and compiled a list of Virtual Reality games and their workout equivalents here. Thrill Of The Fight’s rating comes in at 8 to 10 calories per minute, the equivalent of rowing. It has an MET (or Metabolic Equivalent) of 9.28. Basically, the game gets you breathing really hard. While not measured by the VR Health Institute, it also gets your arms sore.

The only game to come in higher is Audioshield Modded. Unfortunately modding Audioshield is not as easy as just installing Thrill Of The Fight. Even for those willing to do so, Audioshield falls into the same trap as Beat Saber and OhShape. Players will only push themselves as hard as the game tells them to.

Thrill Of the Fight’s mechanics promote physicality, unlike those games. To win a fight early, before the last round is up, you must knock your opponent down three times in a single round. Pushing yourself to achieve this, when you have knocked them down twice and the timer is at thirty seconds, comes naturally.

Compounding the physical exertion of boxing itself is the drive to win, the desire to move higher. No stamina bar tells you when you are unable to throw another punch. Only being physically unable to throw one would stop it. In fact it is important to be careful not to overcommit to a punch and throw out a muscle. It isn’t unheard of to pull a shoulder, but still try to win the fight only using a single arm.

That is the drive provided by being faced with an opponent and a challenge. A rowing machine is easy to walk away from when you’re tired. A match you have yet to win is not.

Even though this study does not take the psychology of the game into account, second best still isn’t bad, if mods count.

But What Do The People Think?

Of course, despite these benefits, Thrill Of The Fight has not reached the popularity of something like Beat Saber, though Beat Saber is often lauded for its fitness capabilities. It is practically a meme that hours long sessions with that game will leave a player’s arms feeling like noodles. Maybe it is because Beat Saber has existing popularity, and the hardcore VR fitness community is one that is still growing. Maybe it is because Beat Saber’s integration of music and visual style is simply so much more advanced than Thrill Of The Fight. So Reality Remake took to Reddit to see if players consider Thrill Of The Fight to the be the most intense VR workout.

One thread was in r/vrfit found here.

The other was in r/ThrillOfTheFight, found here.

Here are some of the best responses. Most inspirational of all was u/Urhoal_Mygole’s reply:

This is the power of making entertainment exercise. Sure people get into fitness all of the time and turn their lives around, but with games like Thrill Of The Fight it’s so much easier to get into it. Take this reply by u/EggMcFlurry:

This comment hits the nail on the head exactly. The power of competition is so great that this game inspires exercise without even meaning to.

u/tarsus1983 feels the same way.

The response, as in any public forum, was not uniform. Though in both threads it seems that agreement with Thrill Of The Fight being the most intense was higher than disagreement. Especially, of course, in r/ThrillOfTheFight. Though the thread in r/vrfit definitely had some good recommendations for other games with high energy expenditure. Chief among which was a recommendation for Pistol Whip. As a side note, as far as exercising the legs with a similar intensity to Thrill Of The Fight, Pistol Whip is great, and so is Blaston. Even A Township Tale can make you sweat.

Conclusion

The science says that of the available games, only a modded verison of AudioShield is more intense than Thrill Of The Fight. Though AudioShield’s gameplay does not encourage pushing yourself to the limit nearly as much. Average reddit users tend to agree. The evidence of people’s lives' being changed by this boxing experience is enough. Thrill Of The Fight is chief among fitness games for its intensity. Look deeply enough into the VR fitness community and many stories similar u/Urhoal_Mygoal’s can be found. Maybe another contender will come along and take the title of “Most intense” from this boxing bonanza. Maybe not. In the meantime there’s no better place to burn a few calories, knock down a few opponents, and most importantly have some fun.

The Thrill Of The Fight by Seaslost Interactive can be purchased on the Oculus Store for the Meta Quest 2 or PCVR for 9.99$, or on Steam for 9.99$. If you like punching and want a workout it’s more than worth the price.

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.

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.

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.