Yourself Fitness
Score: 98% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: responDESIGN Developer: responDESIGN Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Health and Exercise/ Simulation/ Sports
Graphics & Sound: NOTICE: THIS IS NOT A GAME... I wanted to state that at the very beginning. What yourself fitness actually is lies somewhere between a customizable workout tape and a digital personal trainer in a box. The graphics are excellent in yourself fitness, with the environments bordering on serene. Your "instructor" is a female computer generated model who is pleasing to the eyes, but doesn't suffer from Lara Croft Proportion syndrome. One of my favorite locales is an asian-looking "dojo" that obviously was inspired by the Matrix ("Whoa - I know Judo!"). I thought this when I first saw it and then later, the instructor said something to that effect without mentioning any names... too funny. As for the sound, the music is nice and you have some selection, from jazzy pieces to techno pieces. Some of the locations and music are unlockable - and you unlock them by showing some dedication to your workouts. This is a nice touch, as it gives you something to work towards. I was somewhat surprised that yourself fitness took itself so seriously. I think back to BMX XXX and even Tomb Raider and the interesting camera angles you can get on the female models; yourself fitness offers no such juvenile hi-jinks. In the yoga relaxation mode, you can move the camera anywhere you like to better view the movements in the training mode, but when you go into training mode, the graphics drop to a stick figure representation - and you have to be fairly depraved to get kicks out of risque camera angles on that.
Gameplay: Again, this is not a game, per se. You can keep track of your progress, but that's the only "score" to be had. There are unlockables meant to reward dedication to your workout. However, there is no input that lets the system know that you are actually working out. For this reason, it's not so much a video game as it is a workout video tape. However, being Xbox-based, it is able to offer more interaction, taking your reported physical condition into consideration, as well as how you're performing as you go along (by asking you), how dedicated you are being to your workout and your specific short-term and long-term goals. With the built in clock, Maya (your digital instructor) even says things like "Come back on Thursday for your next workout" or "How was your workout yesterday?". This makes for a more personal feeling experience than simply watching a tape or DVD that's going to be the same for everyone and every time you watch it.
Difficulty: The way that your fitness level is determined in yourself fitness is via a test that builds a "profile" of your physical condition. This test alone will push you pretty hard and get your heart rate elevated. You'll be doing jumping jacks, pushups, situps... and answering questions. From this information, Maya will determine your physical condition and design your workouts partially based on this information. The thing to remember is that this is not a game. It's a tool. It's a key to better physical conditioning and better health. There's no reason to push yourself beyond your limits. Just try to do your profile and set up a schedule of workouts. If you find the workouts too hard, let Maya know when she asks and she'll adjust the routine for you. Also, try out the Yoga relaxation workout as well. Any part of the workout that you can't just pick up real quickly by watching can be practiced and explained to you in the tutorial mode from inside the workout. Once you understand the exercise, you can return to the workout and continue. The difficulty of the exercises depends very much on your physical abilities, but the tutorial mode explains how to perform the exercises.
Game Mechanics: yourself fitness is an interesting product that, truthfully, introduces a new genre - it's not a game at all, but rather an interactive fitness tool - a digital personal trainer in a(n X)box. I am pleased with the polish and shine of this product and recommend it anyone who is serious about fitness and would like to be able to monitor their progress. yourself fitness even supports some equipment, such as dumbells and a heart rate monitor. You can indicate that you have these items and the software incorporates them into the workout. I think that yourself fitness is a glimpse of things to come. Someday non-game applications such as this will be common for consoles.
-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins
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