POLYGON: Multiplayer Shooter

I’d keep POLYGON: Multiplayer Shooter off the treadmill during a proper match, because large team fights and careful aiming are a lot to juggle while your body is moving. On a bike, I’d only give it a try if I could stay steady and wasn’t attached to winning.

Gameplay

The large maps and teams of up to 32 players sound like a good fit if you want action that keeps demanding your attention, and the tactical side gives each fight more to think about than just pointing at the nearest person. I like the idea of having to manage weapons and skills while working with a team, but that also means this isn’t a game I’d put on when I want my brain to coast along while my legs do the work.

A big multiplayer match can keep you busy for the whole time you’re playing, which is useful for exercise, and there’s no long story sequence in the description to suggest you’ll be sitting still watching a scene. The tradeoff is that “busy” here means tracking opponents, choosing how to use your equipment, and trying to contribute to a team, so I think it could turn a relaxed workout into a lot of leaning toward the screen.

I don’t know how much the different weapons and skills change the feel of a match, and I wouldn’t pretend that a list of gear automatically makes every fight interesting. Still, there’s a clear reason to try it if you enjoy team shooters and want something free to play, and large maps give the action room to breathe rather than making every moment feel like a tiny room full of noise.

The early access label would make me keep my expectations modest. That doesn’t mean it can’t be fun right now, but I’d go in looking for a multiplayer shooter I can enjoy as it is, not a finished package that already has every rough edge sorted out. The nice part is that trying a free game doesn’t require a committee meeting.

I think the team element is both the useful part and the part that makes this awkward for exercise. When your team is relying on you, it’s hard to decide that the treadmill deserves more attention than the match, and I suspect I’d start treating a casual game like a job interview with more rifles.

Category Score: 2 out of 3

Treadmill and Bike Compatibility

On a treadmill, the large maps don’t make the aiming any less fiddly, and moving while you’re trying to follow a fight sounds like a reliable way to aim at a wall with real confidence. I’d skip playing it while running, especially if you’re trying to keep pace, because quick corrections and careful targeting are a poor match for a bouncing controller hand.

I can’t confirm full controller support from the details here, so I wouldn’t buy it assuming you can plug in a controller and be ready to go. If you already have it, check that first while you’re sitting down, and don’t make your first attempt a moving workout. That’s a very small amount of preparation compared with trying to figure out controls mid match.

The bike is a little more realistic if you can ride without much upper body movement, but I still think the combination of team pressure and aiming could pull your attention away from pedaling. You may get a more comfortable workout than on a treadmill, but you’ll also be asked to make decisions while people are shooting at you, which is not exactly a quiet spin through the neighborhood.

I don’t know whether the game has a low pressure mode where you can learn without worrying about teammates, so I wouldn’t count on that as a workaround. I’d play seated first, get a sense of the controls and the pace, and only try a stationary bike if you can keep your hands steady and are fine with the match getting most of your attention. There’s no shame in keeping the workout separate.

Category Score: 1 out of 3

Computer Requirements

The minimum graphics card is old enough that you probably don’t need a new gaming machine just to try this, though I’d check your graphics card before anything else. The listed requirements are modest, and the game only asks for 2 GB of storage, so your hard drive should survive the installation.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Conclusion and Score

POLYGON: Multiplayer Shooter sounds worth trying if you want a free team shooter and can play it seated, but I wouldn’t choose it for a treadmill workout. A careful cyclist might make it work, though I’d still start with a stationary test.

Overall Score: 2 out of 3