ICAROS GAMES – Predator Prey – High-intensity workout for the whole family with motivating gamification!

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Using core strength and targeted muscle groups to take the form of a cheetah hunting its prey in virtual worlds

If you’ve never wanted to embody one of the world’s apex predators, then you’re one of few. Thankfully, if you’re taken in by this, then the total immersion ICAROS provides is here for you.

The power that virtual worlds can bring to our homes is incredible, and being able to control a cheetah on desert plains is the exact kind of experience I want from virtual entertainment. It feels so far off and impossible, and to harness a world that feels real isn’t just good for a smile or two… it’s good for my health too.

Let me explain.

With ICAROS releasing some amazing gear for ICAROS users everywhere, from the Cloud to the Home Pro, you can now mold the physical world around you to bring the virtual world to your hands. With head tracking technology (VR headsets) and machines that respond to weight and movement, you’re not just controlling a knight in a dragon game or exploring underwater worlds, you’re increasing core strength, targeting hard to utilise muscle groups, improving overall flexibility, and burning calories at the same time.

So how does Predator Prey work, and it is really all that it’s hyped up to be?

Well, with this brand new and innovative game, you slip into the role of a gazelle-hunting cheetah. In highly intense training sessions, you try to hunt down a gazelle that´s trying to get away from you. It sounds a little obvious in premise, but when you’re plunged into the world of this complete exercise software, you realise just how powerful games and fitness can be and just how motivating an experience like this can be for your fitness future.

Without getting into the nitty gritty here, let’s run through why Predator Prey is worth talking about and how it could be the game that brings your ICAROS hardware to life.

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Pros and Cons

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Overall Verdict:

After trying this one out for myself, I have to say that it feels amazing to be working out in this way. While I’m unsure of how many times I’d use it a day, I do love the creative approach here. In essence, you mount your ICAROS Cloud, open up the experience, and sprawl your body, moving as though you have four legs (cheetah movements) to catch the prey. You have an allotted time to catch the prey and really have to engage your brain and harness your body’s endurance levels to win here.

I loved the way this experience demands all of my body. I mean, think about how a cheetah moves – while we’re a little less majestic than our four-legged friends, you really are trying to imitate the movement on the balance board, and if I said I wasn’t both sore and out of breath, I’d be lying.

There’s a catch, however…

If you don’t have the optional PICO VR headset then you’re stuck with the less-than-ideal tablet holder. Usually, this isn’t a problem, but this isn’t a fascinating under water world with a relaxed movement style or a breathtaking alpine scenery exploration – you’re moving rigorously and outputting a lot of energy. Why is this bad for the tablet holder? It moves, a lot. It almost renders the tablet holder version of this experience redundant as you can’t see what your body movements are amounting to. All in all? I’d recommend getting the Pico VR headset any day of the week.

My overall verdict is that this is a great game but with so much more potential. It’s got a brilliant rewarding feel, but I’m unsure of how long I’d be doing this in a day. That said, it’s not just about me. My family, or perhaps friends in your case, are all eager to have a go. With more and more games being released for ICAROS products, it’s not just about one game it’s about the whole bunch, and with that bunch being comprised of experiences like this, well, I have to say that I’m happy with my Predator Prey purchase.

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What I Liked About This VR Software

The most obvious thing I loved about this experience is how it targeted my body in really interesting ways. From shifting my whole body, imitating a cheetah’s running movements, I was using my core, my glutes, and even my forearms. It has an overall bodily impact and one that I felt after a few goes. But of course, it wouldn’t be a fun experience without the fun bit.

The age itself was really well put together. With a focus on animation, game speed and feel, and that tense yet rewarding, I’d encourage it to anyone who has the ICAROS Cloud. While I love the more sombre and relaxed feeling when I explore real landscapes in other VR experiences, this one reminded me that I was burning calories every second. And with a potentially minute-long overall length, I can assure you it feels like your fitness time is well spent.

I also really liked how it utilised the ICAROS Cloud to its full potential. This game really stretches the balance board to its entirety and helped remind me why this hardware is so good in the first place. Being able to accurately track my movement with a great response time to essentially render me a part of the machine felt amazing. Gamification of fitness really rings true here.

Things That Could Have Been Better

The lack of variation is a little limiting. While the experience is fun, just like the dragon game takes a while to get into, I didn’t feel the benefits of this experience straight away. With entertaining active VR experiences, you want a sense of varied reward from the get-go, not the impression that a linear experience with a limited win feels is occurring. While the game was great, I do wish that this ICAROS game includes more modes, different terrain, and a few more parameters to bring it to life. Even two gaming modes, multiplayer races, or maybe even various VR headset differences. Gaming modes provide variation, added value, life span, and so on, and I think given the simplicity of this experience, it wouldn’t have taken much to creatively expand on it, especially when it doesn’t sound as immediately fun as ”fight aerial pirates” for example.

Unlike the spectacular vertical free fall or the breathtaking virtual world of some of the other ICAROS experiences, this one felt a little dry. However, it isn’t the point to reflect on sprawling landscapes or to explore photo realisitc environments – you want to clearly see that the dangerous cheetah you’re embodying is catching up to its well-designed prey, and that core mechanic certainly feels good.

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FAQ’s

How do you know if a game trains core stability?

Always think about the hardware it’s being used on and the body movements it demands. In most cases, ICAROS require core strength movements, so most games will provide improvements there. If you want to focus more so on core strength, then make sure to do the research and look at the games’ specs.

Can you really achieve the perfect body control?

There will always be areas for improvement and therefore, the answer is no. While you can have brilliant control overall, and perhaps even the best of any human that exists… if it can be improved, then it isn’t perfect. Perfect body control is a great thing to aim for as you’ll expand on your current abilities with great effect.

See full range Icaros VR Fitness Equipment

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