It’s late January, which means that by now, some people may have already broken their New Year’s resolutions. And what’s generally the most popular resolution to break? The “I’m going to work out more/get in better shape/go on a diet” resolution of course. This writer’s fairly familiar with that lost cause himself. So that’s why this year he decided to try something different: EA Sports Active 2.
Now sure, we know what most of our readers are probably thinking. They’re thinking that “playing games” hardly constitutes “exercising.” But it turns out that if players are willing to give it a serious effort and follow along with the game’s programs (and ignore a few glitches along the way), they will break a sweat and see results. Let us explain:
When one first opens up EA Sports Active 2, they’ll find some unusual stuff inside the game’s slightly over-sized box. There’s a right leg and left arm sensor to be used regardless of which version of the game the player has acquired (we’re using the Wii version). These are to help the game register the player’s movements to ascertain if the player is doing the exercises correctly. The left arm band also functions as a heart rate monitor so that the player can keep an eye on their exertion level. There’s also a resistance band to be used with some of the strength exercises. For more advanced workout enthusiasts who are in better shape, the game allows players to edit in weights in place of the resistance bands.
You too can stand in an empty room staring at your television set
Before slapping on all of the peripherals, players will want to create a profile and choose a trainer. When creating a profile, players will also have to create an avatar to represent themselves on screen during many of the exercises. There’s not a lot of choice here for customization (many of the male choices will look like boy band rejects), but that’s not really the point of the game so it’s best to just suck it up and deal with it. There are two trainers to choose from, Nikki and Devon. Honestly, there’s not much difference between the two trainers other than the voice of the person that will constantly be pushing the player for more effort, so this isn’t a decision that has great effect on the workouts. Players should just go with which ever trainer that they’ll feel most comfortable yelling at (they get called some awful things in this writer’s house). Don’t worry, players can switch trainers at any time without effecting any other details of the game.
After putting all of the peripherals on, players can choose to start working through a preset program, use individual preset workouts, or create their own workouts by selecting from a list of exercises. There are two preset workout programs to choose from, the Three Week Cardio Kickstart and the Nine Week Challenge, so let’s review them first.
The Three Week Cardio Kickstart program is the best option for those who are just starting off or are not accustomed to setting their own workout routines. The game will set a routine for the player, including setting a workout schedule of four days a week with three rest days, as well as choosing each day’s routines. most of the exercises rotate around squats, lunges, strength training or running in place. However there are also a number of sports related activities that will keep thing interesting. These activities include basketball, soccer and boxing. What’s hidden in these activities is that players will still be doing squats, lunges, etc. But by putting these regular exercises in a different context, it masks them and gives the appearance of something more “fun.” Players will also find that the difficulty ramps up a bit in the third week as the game adds repetitions and more complex exercises that combine two easier motions.
Learn to love lunges (and not feeling your legs)
The Nine Week Challenge is a more advanced program that is broken down into three phases, each three weeks in length. The nine week program is more advanced than the three week program as right off the bat players will find they’re doing more exercises than in the three week program. As the player moves through each phase of the program, the difficulty will ramp up to push the player harder, the idea being that over the first phases of the program that the player will have built up their endurance for a harder workout.
Players can also choose from a number of preset routines that work different areas of the body or combine a number of like activities. Some of the routines are focused squarely on either the upper or lower body, while others focus on activities from the different sports featured in the game. There’s also a Limber Up routine which focuses purely on stretches, which is a good routine to do on a rest day if a player’s muscles are feeling a bit tight. Players who want something more personalized can create their own routines to do as well.
Some exercises like running can overlap with sports activities like soccer
Our recommendation to players who aren’t used to exercising is to start with the Three Week Cardio Kickstart. This is as much about learning the ropes as it is learning one’s limits. The most important thing about exercising is knowing just how far to push one’s self. The old saying of “no pain, no gain” doesn’t mean much if the person working out hurts themselves. We all know that even a minor injury is a perfect excuse for that weak willed workout buddy to wimp out and stop exercising. So players should not be afraid to skip a difficult exercise so long as they’re not skipping it out of laziness, but because they cannot physically do it. After working out for some time, players may find that the previously impossible becomes doable.
While overall we found that EA Sports Active is a great tool for shedding those unwanted pounds, we do have a few issues with the game. For one, at times the game will have difficulty registering movements and accurately counting reps. This is not a big problem on the Wii or PS3, but it does exist there. However, due to the Kinect sensors limitations, this issue is more significant on the XBOX 360 version of the game. But for those on the Wii and PS3 versions a different problem can crop up from time to time, which is the awkwardness of trying to use the resistance bands and the Wii Mote/Move Controller at the same time, which some exercises do require. We haven’t tried these particular exercises with weights added in, but we can’t imagine that would be any better a situation. In all, none of these issues are game breaking, but players may find themselves screaming at their televisions instead of at their trainers. We also recommend having AAA batteries at hand or invest in rechargeables, as the constant use of the left arm and right leg sensors will have you blowing through them. Nothing is more annoying than being in the middle of a routine and then having to go searching around the house while streaming with sweat looking for batteries.
We’re very pleased with EA Sports Active 2. This writer has kept his New Year’s resolution so far (with exception of that three day trip to Vegas…..) and was down twelve pounds in the first two weeks of using EA Sports Active 2. As with any exercise routine, using video games like EA Sports Active 2 requires a commitment from the player to see results. So stick with it! There’s no reason that anyone can’t succeed with games like EA Sports Active 2 making working out more fun. Besides, unlike going to the gym there’s no uncomfortable group showers with strangers when you work out at home. That’s always a good thing.
Overall Score: 8/10
