J BRODIE SHIREY
Inspired by real-life martial artists, TaoLu is a fun spin on the fitness genre that gives players a virtual practice dummy on which to unleash their moves.
Plenty of old martial arts movie fans have wanted to act out their favorite fight scenes, and developer The Game Forger (Aliens Attack VR, Danger Room VR) is letting them do just that with TaoLu. This virtual dojo simulator allows players to practice punches, chops, and combat combos while a cartoonish sensei guides your workout.
The basic controls are similar to those of most standard boxing simulators: you move your motion controller and the game reacts. By either holding the controllers with your fingers open or squeezing down on the triggers, you can switch between an open chop and a closed fist.
The Facts
What is it?: A VR martial arts simulator inspired by real-life styles like Wing Chun, which lets you practice moves and sequences on a wooden dummy.
Platforms: Meta Quest, Steam (played on Quest 3)
Release Date: Jul 23, 2026 (Meta Quest), Jul 24, 2026 (Steam)
Developer: The Game Forger
Price: $6.99 (Meta Quest), $5.99 (Steam)
Quick mind, quicker moves
During gameplay, onscreen commands prompt you to strike with your left or right hand, and with a fist or chop, while glowing green targets tell you where to smack the dummy. If you perform the action correctly, you gain points. If you mess up, you may fail the mission (depending on what mode you’re playing). And it’s not all offense. At times, a red tiger symbol will appear, prompting you to either duck or back away from a spinning blade. It can be quite easy to hit a target with the wrong hand or gesture in the heat of a session, especially while playing one of the timed modes.
TaoLu’s gameplay is split into several different modes. The first is Wing Chun Mode, which lets you practice sequences from the real-life fighting styles used by legendary martial artists like Ip Man, Bruce Lee, and Donnie Yen, among others. Wing Chun is one of the hardest modes to play through, but a fun nod to the actual martial arts disciplines that inspired the game.
Accuracy Mode tests your ability to match your instructor’s prompts, while Time Mode requires you to perform a set of movements within an allotted time limit. Survival Mode has you perform moves until you miss a prompt. There is also a Free Play Mode that lets you practice moves to your heart’s content without having to worry about prompts or a time limit.
Rank up among the best.
For Accuracy Mode, your performance is ranked in three categories that can earn you a golden Buddha statue. Earn at least two, and you can advance to the next round. In the latter two modes, your performance at the end of each round is tallied and compared to other players in an online leaderboard, and in Time Mode you have to reach a certain goal to move on to the next wave.
TaoLu’s visuals are solid, featuring different Asian-themed environments for each gameplay mode such as old temples and walkways surrounded by cherry trees. There is also a mixed reality mode that lets you switch these locations out for your actual play area to bring your training session closer to home.
TaoLu’s sound design surrounds you with a fittingly Zen atmosphere, with the game’s minimal music consisting of subtle drum beats and guitar chords.
The game isn’t without its technical issues, though. For example, sometimes you will spawn out of the center of the hub when starting up, requiring you to restart if you don’t have the playroom space to move toward the dummy. Also, the menu options (which are pulled up by clicking on the nearby sensei) often clip through the environment in Accuracy Mode.
All things considered, while playing TaoLu probably won’t make you a Wing Chun master, it’s a fun and affordable way to spice up your VR workout. This is especially true if you’re a fan of martial arts, martial arts media, or games like Street Fighter or Double Dragon.
, also the training is fun, except its all boxing.
Amituofo
