Your Shape Fitness Evolved

Overview

Your Shape Fitness Evolved is an Xbox 360 Kinect-exclusive fitness game developed by Ubisoft. The game was first announced at E3 2010 when it was demonstrated on stage during Microsoft's Kinect unveiling. The game was developed with help from Men's Health and Women's Health magazines and contains workout routines and classes from celebrity trainers Michael George and Michelle Bridges.

Gameplay

Though Your Shape contains mini-games and gameplay elements, it is, at its heart, an interactive workout instructor. Once a profile has been set up (including body scanning, answering questions, a brief fitness test), the game keeps track of all calories burned across every game type, even tracking calories burned during any movement in menus or in between rounds of games.

At the main menu, the player can choose to create or continue a Personalized Training program, engage in Fitness Classes (including Zen Yoga and Cardio Boxing), or play Gym Games.

Personalized Training

After first going through a fitness test to determine one's level of fitness and skill, the player can choose from a variety of different Personalized Training modules, including cardio, toning, losing baby weight and more. Each of these programs are tailored specifically to the player's needs and fitness level. Calorie burning goals can be set in the game or on the game's website.

Fitness Classes

Fitness Classes include Zen Yoga and Cardio Boxing training modules.

Gym Games

Gym games function as arguably the most "game-like" part of Your Shape, with four mini-games playable by up to four players (though not simultaneously). Virtual Smash, featured prominently at the E3 unveiling, requires players to punch and kick breakable blocks as fast as possible. Light Race is akin to playing Simon or Dance Dance Revolution, with a player needing to use their feet to touch certain colors on the ground at certain times. Loop-a-Hoop simulates hula hooping, with more points being awarded the longer and faster the player moves their hips. And Stack 'em Up is a balance-focused game of Tetris, with the player catching falling blocks on a virtual board they have to hold and balance. Blocks need to be dumped into bins that open to the left and right of the player to score points.

Design

Your Shape is set in a Matrix-esque, abstract, infinite white space. Player movement in menus and during activity usually stirs up virtual leaves, blocks, or other shapes which float off into space. The player is represented in the virtual world, with minimal lag, as a relatively monochromatic body shape (though, if one looks closely enough, they can clearly make our their face, clothes, or other features). The avatar's skin is changeable in game from the color shape to a more realistic camera-based version of themselves in full color. If a player exits the ideal playing space required by Kinect and the game, the player's avatar will being to dissolve and dissipate into the air.

The game uses Kinect to track height, arm length, hip width, chest size, and more, and the trainer in game gives specific, auditory feedback during workouts to help the player improve their posture, movement, accuracy, rhythm, or more.

DLC

Ubisoft has said that they expect to release a total of 12 different DLC workouts during the first half of 2011. The first two were released entitled "New Years New You" and the "Bolywood Dance Workout". New Years New You focuses on losing the weight that most people put on during the holiday period while Bolywood is similar to Zumba, but features Indian music.

Requirements

Your Shape requires an Xbox 360 and a Kinect sensor. Ample playing space is recommended, though not as much is required for games like Kinect Adventures where two players play simultaneously next to each other. The game does not accept Kinect voice commands.

Xbox 360 Installation

The amount of memory it takes to install this game is 2.8 GB. Load times are significantly reduced when this is done.