Dirty Bomb

Don’t bring Dirty Bomb to a treadmill workout where you’re trying to hold a precise pace, because the whole match is built around reacting to other people who are actively trying to make your team’s day worse. On an easy ride, though, all that objective pushing and frantic defending could keep your attention better than staring at the wall.

Gameplay

I like that Dirty Bomb gets straight to the team fight instead of making you sit through a lot of story before you can play. You’re working with a team to complete objectives in London, and the other team is trying to stop you, so there’s usually something happening that matters. That’s a good fit for exercise, where I want the game to occupy my brain without asking me to read a conversation while my legs keep moving.

The different mercs and their abilities give you choices beyond pointing at somebody and firing, which is cool, but it also means there’s a fair amount to learn before you feel useful. You’re trying to understand your role, keep track of the objective, and deal with opposing players who aren’t going to politely wait while you figure out what your ability does. I’d probably choose one merc and stick with them for a while instead of opening every menu and trying to build the perfect setup. I have enough trouble making decisions when I’m sitting down.

Objective matches are the part I’d be most interested in. Attacking or defending a sequence of goals gives the match a clear direction, and there’s less dead time than in a shooter that spends a lot of the round making everyone search for each other. Still, when the fight reaches a narrow route or a key objective, you can get pulled into watching every corner and waiting for a chance to move. That’s where my workout would become a little less of a workout.

Stopwatch adds another layer of pressure because the teams take turns trying to complete objectives against the clock. I can see that being exciting when you’re focused on the match, and also the sort of mode where I’d forget I was running and start leaning toward the screen like the game could hear me. The team structure makes a loss feel shared, which I like, but it also means your choices can affect people who are trying to win. I’d keep this one for when the game is the main event.

Category Score: 2 out of 3

Treadmill and Bike Compatibility

The aiming is what makes this awkward. Dirty Bomb asks you to track moving players, turn quickly, and respond to a fight that can change direction while you’re already doing something else, and your hands aren’t going to be especially steady if you’re jogging. On a bike, you can probably keep your body steadier, but I’d still expect aiming to take more concentration than the workout deserves.

I don’t know whether your particular setup will offer a straightforward controller experience, so I’d check that before buying it for this purpose. Even with a controller mapped the way you want, quick aiming is still the kind of work that makes your thumbs feel like they have a separate job from your legs. Dirty Bomb is not built to wait while you catch your breath or sort out where the enemy went.

I’d save it for a slow walk or an easy bike ride, and I wouldn’t use it for intervals. There’s no comfortable way to pause a live team match when your breathing picks up, and you can’t just stop paying attention for a few seconds without giving the other team an opening. I’d also skip the more competitive matches during a workout, because even a friendly match can get surprisingly serious when the objective is close and everyone is yelling through their actions.

If you want a shooter that asks for your full attention, that pressure is part of the appeal. For exercise, it means I’d pick a gentle pace and accept that some matches are going to be more about the game than the workout. That’s fine sometimes. It’s just not a relaxed jog.

Category Score: 1 out of 3

Computer Requirements

The minimum requirements point to an older computer, not a new gaming machine, and the graphics card requirement is modest by current standards. I’d check the graphics card first, but this shouldn’t need a powerful setup just to get started.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Conclusion and Score

Dirty Bomb makes sense for you if you want a fast team shooter and can give it your attention while exercising. I’d choose an easy bike ride or walk, and I’d leave it alone when the workout needs to be the priority.

Overall Score: 2 out of 3