At first glance, Ninja Warrior VR sounds like a difficult concept to pull off. The original TV show is built around massive obstacle courses that demand extreme athleticism—running, leaping, swinging, and diving through challenges that most people could never attempt in real life. Translating that kind of experience into virtual reality raises obvious questions about space, movement, and practicality.
But Ninja Warrior VR finds a clever solution by rethinking how players move through its world.
Instead of relying on traditional locomotion like analog sticks or running in place, the game is entirely hand-driven. You don’t move with your feet at all. Every inch of forward momentum comes from your arms. To move, you reach out with your hand, plant it in space, and physically pull yourself forward. Use one hand or alternate between both to build speed—but wherever your hand lands, it stays locked in place until the other hand takes over.
It feels strange at first, almost counterintuitive. But after a short adjustment period, the system starts to make sense. This hand-over-hand movement becomes the core mechanic for everything: advancing, climbing, jumping, and launching yourself across gaps. Want to jump? You push off using your hands. Want to clear narrow platforms with spinning obstacles? You’ll need speed, precision, and timing—especially since the game enforces a fairly strict time limit.
Buttons are kept to a minimum. The grip button is mainly used to grab hanging obstacles like bars, including iconic challenges inspired by the show where you swing and leap between moving handles. These sections are demanding and require coordination, strength, and quick decision-making—and that’s only the first round.
While some players might find the difficulty intimidating, it actually fits the Ninja Warrior theme perfectly. The real show isn’t meant to be easy, and simplifying the experience too much would strip away its identity. The hand-based locomotion, similar to games like Gorilla Tag, reinforces that sense of effort and achievement. Every success feels earned.
The experience becomes even more enjoyable with spectators around. Hearing commentators in your ear and friends cheering you on adds to the pressure and excitement. It’s also unintentionally entertaining to watch—though players should be mindful of their surroundings, as the intensity can easily lead to accidental swings and punches.
Once you get past the learning curve, Ninja Warrior VR becomes surprisingly addictive. It’s physically tiring, but deeply rewarding. Carefully positioning yourself before each obstacle, planning your movements, and finally clearing a tough section delivers a genuine rush. The moment you succeed, especially in front of others, feels triumphant.
Visually, the game adopts a cartoon-like style rather than aiming for realism. While unexpected at first, this artistic direction works in its favor. It allows the developers to preserve the spirit of the TV show while making the experience accessible, fun, and safe in VR.
Ninja Warrior VR isn’t a one-to-one recreation of the real-world competition—and it doesn’t try to be. Instead, it captures the challenge, excitement, and communal joy of the show in a format that works beautifully in virtual reality. With multiple rounds per match and plans for future updates and new obstacles, it has the potential to become a standout VR party and fitness game.
If the developers continue to expand the content while maintaining this level of creativity and challenge, Ninja Warrior VR could easily earn a place as a go-to multiplayer experience for friends looking to sweat, laugh, and compete together in VR.
