Pulsing beats and endless droids combine in RAGER, an enjoyable cyberpunk rhythm fighting game entering early access today on Meta Quest 3 and SteamVR.One of the best things about VR is fighting games. I love just about every type of immersive game out there, but brandishing a katana to slice a cyber death knight is one of my favorite things to do with a headset on. I initially took an early look at RAGER's Steam demo to see what it can offer as a rhythm game, but I've come away pleasantly surprised at what else is in store with the early access release. 0:00 /0:54 1× Gameplay captured on Steam In your first playthrough, RAGER measures the user's height and heads right into a tutorial. There you are given red swords for both hands and an explanation on how to strike each target. Sample cyber-henchmen slowly advance towards you with targets outlined on how to swing at them or block the advance. Either hold up your sword to block as directed or swing when prompted to score. A third obstacle for ducking and sidestepping is provided by a bulky robot with arrows pointing in which direction to move. The tutorial highlights these aspects well, then giving you a chance to imitate the action to get the hang of it.A “test what you know”-style level loads after, and you're treated to some pulsing synthwave music to match against battling henchmen. Targets will pile up as the music gets more intense. You'll find yourself ducking and swinging at multiple enemies simultaneously when things get busy enough. The test level doesn't go too fast to overwhelm you on your first time out but provides enough speed to push the limits just enough. Once the test is over, you'll have the option to return to the main menu or advance to the next stage.RAGER's main menuThe main menu is a sleek, minimal design that encases the user in a gray tower with glowing gold outlines. There are hardly any comfort settings to speak of presently; it needs more comfort options, so I'd like to see that arrive with a future update. A calibration feature sets the height, while the scoring button explains how movements are graded. Freestyle mode is currently locked while a main campaign mode is available to play.Each level adds more difficulty as you are thrust into this journey, defeating varied enemies in a glitchy cyberpunk world. Weapons alternate for every stage, sometimes returning with a switched hand configuration. When you fail to block an attack, the enemy “crashes” into you as your screen briefly flashes with red. One boss battle involves fighting a large, nightmarish drone with tentacles that snake towards me with an indication of how I should hit or block the attack. Dubstep pulses through the boss fight as I fend off this behemoth to finish the campaign.Speaking of music, there's a difference between RAGER's enthusiastic dubstep-glitchy-rock and more muted rock tracks often found in immersive fitness apps. This won't bring the house down with too nasty of a drop, but it's engineered well enough for a good time with a powerful swing of a sword or mace. Dubstep and synth don't have to be the end, though. I'd love to see RAGER pair up with various artists to bring in different music genres and keep the fun going.The drone boss of the first campaignThere is no lack of quality in RAGER's production value, offering a major improvement from the original demo. The game runs well while keeping the UI design efficient and tasteful. Often times while fighting, I sometimes admire the armor of each cyber henchman approaching me. Even when I'm preoccupied with a flurry of enemies, I still notice the reactive lights flickering to the music.There are times when I almost feel overwhelmed by the enemies, and instead of fearing a Game Over screen, I simply think, “oh, sh*t.” But it's the good version of that feeling, the kind where you feel your heart beat faster not just out of physical exertion, but out of a tiny yet thrilling bit of fear. That's what makes a fight in RAGER enjoyable. You can feel the failure on the other side of the blade, and you're barely skirting past it to launch the next attack.Beyond a lack of content in Early Access, I can't fault much else with this title. This version of RAGER features three different sets of stages to fight through, each containing four levels of increasing difficulty with one boss fight at the end. My first run didn't yield the highest score, so I'm eager to get back into the game and improve.With a full pace of strikes, blocks, and ducks, RAGER makes me feel like I'm engaging with an immersive fitness routine that's straight out of a movie. The gamified approach to what's essentially a cardio workout keeps your heart pumping without thinking too much about it. All you know is you're an action hero in a cyberpunk world, and you've got plenty of enemies to cut down.RAGER is out now on Steam and the Meta Quest 3 family.