RAGER can, at first look, be described as yet one more Beat Saber-inspired rhythm-action title. The similarities are apparent: incoming targets, dual-wielded weapons, slashing, blocking, and dodging to the beat. Nevertheless, when you spend a while with it, it turns into clear that RAGER does try so as to add its personal twist to the established components.
Past the core mechanics of slicing and avoiding obstacles lies one of many sport’s extra attention-grabbing options: its evolving arsenal system. Relatively than sticking with a single weapon kind all through, RAGER step by step introduces new instruments of destruction throughout its 12 ranges. Gamers unlock quite a lot of weapons, together with swords, fists, sledgehammers, and extra, every providing a barely totally different really feel and rhythm in fight.
12 Ranges, Tons Of Weapons…
This development system provides a welcome layer of selection and retains the expertise from feeling too repetitive. My private favourite is the ultimate weapon you unlock. With out spoiling the shock, I’ll say that it genuinely made me really feel way more highly effective than something that got here earlier than — to the purpose the place, for a quick second, I felt like a correct Jedi.
That stated, the sport does introduce one design selection that I personally discovered irritating. After unlocking new weapons, RAGER sometimes swaps them between your left and proper fingers in some ranges.
Simply after I had grown comfy wielding a sledgehammer in my left hand and a sword in my proper, the sport intentionally reversed the setup once more…
Whereas this will have been meant to problem muscle reminiscence and enhance issue, it felt unnecessarily disruptive — notably for gamers nonetheless getting used to the mechanics.
A Actually Brief Expertise, However…
Content material-wise, the sport is structured into three worlds, every containing 4 ranges. One stage per world culminates in a boss combat, providing a slight escalation in depth. Regardless of this construction, I used to be capable of full the sport comparatively rapidly — in underneath an hour — and that’s coming from somebody who doesn’t sometimes excel at rhythm-based VR titles. This can be a optimistic for some gamers searching for a compact expertise, however others could discover the general size considerably restricted.
FEATURES…
By way of consolation and accessibility, RAGER does a stable job. The sport doesn’t function clean turning, however that is hardly ever a difficulty since gameplay retains you centred. Gamers can use snap turning with the fitting stick or just flip their head and physique naturally. It helps each seated and standing play and doesn’t require a big play space, making it accessible to most VR setups.
General, whereas RAGER doesn’t fully reinvent the style, it distinguishes itself by way of its weapon development system and accessible design. It might not dethrone the giants of the rhythm-action VR house, however it provides sufficient selection and vitality to face by itself.
Polished, Native 90, DFR, Haptics…
There’s little or no jank to be discovered right here. The sport feels polished, responsive, and genuinely enjoyable to play.
Whereas it’s a comparatively small expertise — each by way of file dimension and total content material — the inclusion of leaderboards will nearly definitely assist lengthen its lifespan. That stated, on the time of writing, the leaderboards are usually not cross-platform.
The soundtrack leans closely into aggressive, high-tempo tracks. Don’t anticipate pop music — that is intense, energetic materials designed to maintain your adrenaline ranges excessive all through.
THE VERDICT…
There’s a little bit of noticeable haptic within the precise visor/PS VR2. The Sense controller bought stable haptics. No use of adaptive triggers, which is smart provided that the gameplay doesn’t depend on button inputs throughout motion sequences. Visually, nevertheless, the sport is impressively crisp, due to dynamic foviated rendering (DFR) and at native 90hz.
Efficiency is clean and steady all through, including to the sport’s total polished presentation. It performs very properly, with sturdy immersion and a stable soundtrack that retains the vitality up.
Nevertheless, the quick marketing campaign finally pulls the rating down. Whereas Freestyle and Mods modes do add some replay worth, at a value level of $19.99 it nonetheless feels barely underwhelming by way of total content material.
Launch day trailer beneath:
