Her family are trying to raise the money so she can get treatment in Germany

An artist from Ely is currently trying to raise £250,000 for multiple life-saving operations after her condition deteriorated while undergoing medical assessments in Germany for a rare chronic illness. Emma Taylor, 31, lives with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), a rare and complex connective tissue disorder that affects multiple systems in the body.

Emma had been struggling to get diagnosed in the UK after her situation had been “deteriorating”. Bridget Taylor, Emma’s mum, said: “We were really drawing blanks in the UK and there didn’t seem to be much more help for us, which sadly seems to be the situation with hEDS patients. We couldn’t get scans in the UK because at the time, she’d had a couple of seizures. They couldn’t help her in case she had another seizure, so we were in this crazy catch-22 situation.”

Mrs Taylor found there was a place in Germany that could get the scans to determine how to help Emma. When she was in a good position to travel, they went to Germany on February 23 before Emma’s situation rapidly declined.

Mrs Taylor continued: “On arrival, she was fine. The next day, she was having multiple seizures. They managed to stabilise her condition enough to do the scans and found out she has multiple vascular compressions, which basically compromise the blood flow within the body and then the actual organ function.”

Due to her condition, Emma’s joints and limbs often pop in and out and she can no longer hold up her head on her own. Emma also struggles with walking, tyres easily, and can’t eat very much.

Mrs Taylor has described the experience as “quite overwhelming”. She said: “I think anyone will understand this if they are a mother. If your daughter’s life is threatened or compromised to this extent, you will do anything to try and save them and make life better.

“At the moment, I’m not really processing it. I don’t think it’s something I’ll be able to process until I get home. Currently, it’s a matter of staying strong for Emma and getting her through the surgeries because we are stranded here and can’t get her home in the situation she’s in now.”

Emma is now waiting to have “numerous operations” to help stabilise her situation with her family trying to raise the money to afford the pioneering treatments. Mrs Taylor said the donations they have already received have been “so uplifting”.

She continued: “I can’t believe people are getting behind us. It’s amazing and it’s keeping us going, particularly Emma. When you see names popping up like people from school, workplaces, and even people we don’t know, you just can’t believe how much kindness and generosity there is out there.

“We desperately need money to raise the money. It’s potentially going to cost something like £250,000. It’s a lot of surgery and care. So we need to raise as much money as possible to help us. So we’re so indebted to people.”

Emma is an artist who makes sculptures out of books and is particularly interested in nature. She had created a book that contains images of her work in it and has opened up about her feelings and struggles with hEDS, which is available online for people to buy and will go towards the surgery costs.

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There is also a series of small book sculptures she has made that can be bought through the Woolff Gallery. Mrs Taylor described her daughter as “the sweetest person” who “absolutely lives for art”.

She said: “It makes you want to cry. It is just so cruel, this horrible chronic illness, because she really is the sweetest person and she never complains. She loves making. Art is everything to her and that’s one of the challenges at the moment. She’s struggling to carry on with her work because of the instability in her shoulders.”

Emma is set to start surgery next week and it will be carried out “bit by bit” according to the money the family is able to raise. They are hoping the surgeries will give Emma the “opportunity to have some kind of life”.

Mrs Taylor added: “Emma’s never going to be perfect in her health. No one is when they’ve got such a severe case of hEDS. But it means that she’ll be able to carry on doing art, which is what she lives for. She’ll be able to get out and about because, at the moment, she’s spending the majority of the time at home lying on her bed just as she is here. So, it’s not practical. You can’t carry on in that situation.”

You can donate to Emma’s GoFundMe page here. You can also find Emma’s work including her book on her website.

A woman was arrested on Sunday afternoon after allegedly firing multiple shots toward Rihanna’s Beverly Hills home, with the singer at home at the time but unharmed

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Rihanna’s Beverly Hills residence was the target of a shooting, according to reports

A woman has been detained after reportedly firing multiple shots from her vehicle towards the singer’s home, as per TMZ.

The outlet reports that a law enforcement source informed them that the suspect, described as a female around 30 years old, drove up near the Los Angeles property and fired several shots in the direction of the house, though the motive behind the incident remains unclear, reports the Mirror..

The source also confirmed that Rihanna, 38, was at home during the shooting but is unscathed. It’s uncertain whether her partner A$AP Rocky and their three young children, RZA, three, Riot, two, and five-month-old Rocki, were present.

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In the aftermath of the incident, photographs surfaced showing yellow tape cordoning off Rihanna’s property as two men, seemingly security personnel, stood outside next to a white vehicle.

The LA Times cites Police Sgt. Jonathan de Vera, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department, stating that no injuries were reported in the incident.

The publication also reports that the LAPD radio dispatch for the incident indicated that “approximately 10 shots” were fired at the property from a vehicle positioned across the street from the residence’s gate. The vehicle, a white Tesla, then sped off south on Coldwater Canyon Drive, according to the dispatch audio.

The reason behind the shooting remains unclear. Authorities are now endeavouring to establish the motive.

The chart-topper bought the £14 million five-bedroom house in 2021. It is situated on a secluded cul-de-sac in the mountains on a 21,958-square-foot plot.

The Mirror has contacted Rihanna’s representatives and the Beverly Hills Police Department for comment but has yet to receive a response.

A number of supporters were injured during the shameful scenes at Ibrox after the full time whistle.

Dramatic footage of a supporter being kicked to the ground has emerged following the shameful scenes at Ibrox.

Supporters of both Rangers and Celtic invaded the pitch after the Scottish Cup quarter-final tie as disgraceful clashes unfolded leaving police and stewards injured.

Several arrests have been made and Police Scotland are investigating. Footage shared on social media has shown how some of the ugly scenes unfolded with one supporter kicking another in head in a shocking assault.

In the image, a supporter in a light coloured top runs towards a supporter clad in black before jumping and stretching out a leg to kick their victim.

The first support appears to catch the second on the head before the they fall to the ground.

In a damning statement, Chief Superintendent Kate Stephen slammed the “extreme hostility and violence” which officers faced after the final whistle at the Old Firm cup game.

Investigations are already underway and police have said they will work with both clubs and the Scottish Football Association as they track down the people responsible.

After a goalless 120 minutes, Celtic won 4-2 on penalties to reach the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.

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The Monday letters page tries to predict what will be announced on Mario Day, as one reader has some ideas for how Ubisoft could revive Prince Of Persia.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Next gen distraction
Interesting to see the new Xbox boss is going all out already with the Project Helix idea. I realise they haven’t shown anything yet but I don’t see how they can get way from the fact that it’s going to be super expensive. That’s the only detail they’ve given so far and it’s kind of one you can’t get way from.

I’m going to say that right now, considering everything that’s going on in the world, and the certainty that things are only going to get more expensive in the short term, nobody is in the mood for spending hundreds and hundreds of pounds on a next gen Xbox.

If I were them I’d just give up all hope of making consoles and concentrate on being a third party publisher. They’ve got plenty of big names, many of which have not been treated well in recent years, and I actually think being distracted by Project Helix could be a big problem for them.

Microsoft want a comeback for Xbox but I just think it’s too late. They’ve messed up too many times and I think the Xbox One was their last real chance, which the failure of the Xbox Series X – which wasn’t a bad console – kind of proves.
Winston

Resident gamer
RE: Resident Evil Requiem attracting older gamers. I think we’ve known for a while now that the audience for single-player games is skewing older but there’s two alternatives here and one of them is not a bad thing at all. Either only old people like ‘proper’ games and when they die off there is no audience left (which is obviously bad) or people just get into traditional games as they get older, which is fine.

You’re not likely to be too interested in fishing or gardening or loads of other things when you’re a teenager but that doesn’t mean you won’t get into them later. Video games have long ago stopped being a thing that only young kids like and there’s now different types for all kinds of different people, at different points in their life.

Your taste in music changes over the years so maybe your taste in games does too. I know mine has, although when I was a teenager you didn’t have nearly the variety in gaming you do today.
Scooter

Lucky number seven
Nintendo has got to be trolling us with the Directs now. Six in 2026 and not one of them is a proper one or has announced anything of any real interest? I checked the list from last year and there’s already nearly more this year than the whole of 2025, and we’ve only just started March!

Please, Nintendo, just put us all out of our miseries and do something. Or at least don’t call a new trailer for a movie, and two minutes of blather from some Hollywood mouthpieces, a Direct. It’s not a Direct, none of the things you’ve had this year so far have been, as far as I’m concerned. It’s put up or shut up at this point.
Korbie

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Yearly schedule
I’m not sure I remember Nintendo announcing or releasing anything in particular on MAR10 Day before. It’s usually just sales and merch and littler things like that. A Mario Kart World update would be interesting, but that only means Nintendo is getting even more unpredictable.

Even with another not-Direct announced I still think there’s a good chance of the big one this month. Unless… the Switch 2 reveal was in April so maybe they’re going to make that an annual thing? That could be their main time for unveiling things now. It’s only a guess but I think we’ve got to realise that as weird as unpredictable as Nintendo seems to us, to them what they’re doing always makes perfect sense.
Zeiss

Prince’s Creed
The thing I don’t understand about the Prince Of Persia reboot and bringing it back, is how is it supposed to be different to Assassin’s Creed? Assassin’s Creed evolved out of an unreleased Prince Of Persia game and I don’t know how different a new game would be, except probably having no stealth.

It could be done though, if you put the emphasis on sword-fighting and platforming. That would make it more like the original games and also different from Assassin’s Creed. I’d also make it more light-hearted and try and make the characters likeable rather than ‘badass’. This is what people liked about Sands Of Time but I don’t think Ubisoft really understands that, especially after that Metroidvania spin-off, where everyone was angry again for no reason.

But I’ve got to be honest, if I was a money guy at Ubisoft, and I knew the company was on the rocks, it’s not something I’d be pushing for in a hurry. Whatever chance Prince Of Persia had for a revival I think it’s gone now.
Stennar

Out of stock
Pokémon Pokopia wasn’t initially a game that was on my radar. However, I’ve got a few games to trade in and have been tempted after the rave reviews, and it seems to be popping up on my social media feeds.

After some back and forth I thought I’d take the plunge. But I simply cannot find it in stock anywhere. Argos, Smyths, and Currys are all sold out. Likewise, ShopTo and Amazon. Even CeX don’t have any copies.

Recently, I tried and failed to get the Resident Evil Generation Pack and resigned to getting Requiem as a standalone. And getting Assassin’s Creed Shadows also provided slightly tricky.

It seemed an odd choice for a Nintendo exclusive to be a Game Card title to begin with and then to produce seemingly limited physical copies feels like a slightly underhanded and sneaky way of pushing consumers towards digital only.

Personally, I’m loathe to buy any digital-only title at full price, especially when I’m somewhat on the fence already.
matc7884

GC: In this case, it just seems to be unexpected demand, as it’s also sold out in the US in a very similar manner. However, as we type this it is in stock at Argos, Amazon, and ShopTo.

Gamer Boi
I recently game across a great song that I am sure everyone here will like and enjoy having a listen to. I came across this song which was posted and linked by Sarah Wingfield, who is also a gamer and disability advocate who does phenomenal work.

Here’s the link to her video which links the song and song title and I recommend everyone show her their love and support.
gaz be rotten (gamertag)

The motherlode
I’m in the process of moving house, big change as I’ve lived in south west London all my life, but we have decided to relocate to Cornwall (I work from home these days, so not tied to an area other than for family reasons). As a result my wife and I have been clearing stuff from the loft for the last few days.

Thought readers might like to see some of what was up there.

PlayStation 1, 2, and 3, GameCube, N64, Xbox (first one), Wii U, Nintendo DSes, PS Vita, Atari Lynx, Switch 1 and 2, Xbox Series X, Sega Dreamcast, Game & Watch. I have a lightgun for the Dreamcast, multiple controllers for each…. oh, and loads of games. Maybe a couple of hundred (e.g. Shenmue, Power Stone, GoldenEye 007, Grand Turismo, Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, Klax, etc.).

It’s put a massive smile on my face while wading through junk we’ve hoarded for no real reason…. Equally sad that I got rid of things like my imported Japanese Super Famicom a fair while ago (although maybe a family member has that, I’ll have to ask them).

I’ll be taking it all with me of course and might try and set up a gaming space in the new house. Wish me luck.
Birdmanrob

Inbox also-rans
It’s a shame there’s never really be a definitive Star Trek game. There are a bunch of good ones but no great ones, I would say. Bridge Commander is probably my favourite but it was only combat based with not much else.
Kaon

Just want to add another recommendation for Minishoot’ Adventures. Zelda in a spaceship does sum it up pretty well and while that’s an odd idea I’m really enjoying it.
Johnson

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: Is Pokémon Pokopia really worth getting?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will Resident Evil Requiem get a Mercenaries mode?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is it worth buying a PS5 in 2026?

Andrew and Margaret Chesney were the last people to work at the historic location off the Royal Mile, which has been preserved as a popular tourist attraction.

The “hardworking” final residents of a historic Edinburgh alleyway have been honoured with a marker for their graves, almost a century after they died. Andrew and Margaret Chesney were the last people to work on Mary King’s Close, a historic location off the Royal Mile which has been preserved as a popular tourist attraction.

The Chesneys were buried in an unmarked grave, but research has revealed the location of the burial site. Those who run the tourist attraction, The Real Mary King’s Close, have now unveiled a grave marker for them.

Andrew Chesney was a sawmaker who had a family business in the area, operating beneath the Royal Mile for years. The central thoroughfare of Edinburgh is surrounded by very narrow alleyways – known as closes – which were densely populated.

Chesney and Son Sawmakers was one of the last businesses to operate on the close before commercial activity ceased at the start of the 20th century. The Chesneys moved to the south of Edinburgh later in their lives.

Andrew died in 1906 aged 74 and Margaret died in 1918 aged 88. Members of the team at the tourist attraction carried out research to identify where they were buried, tracing them to Morningside Cemetery.

They share a burial plot with nephew Andrew Marshall, who died in 1892 aged 19. Characters portraying the Chesneys feature as part of The Real Mary King’s Close’s tours.

The team, who were supported by local historian Robbie MacRae, hope the new grave marker will restore a sense of dignity and remembrance to their final resting place.

Paul Nixon, general manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said: “The Chesneys were hardworking Edinburgh residents whose lives are woven into the story we share with visitors every day.

“Recognising their final resting place felt important. It connects our historical interpretation with the real people behind it and ensures they are honoured not only at the close, but also within the wider story of the city.

“We take great pride in preserving Edinburgh’s social history, and placing this marker was a respectful and meaningful way to continue that work.”

Ashleigh More, one of the researchers involved, said: “We talk about the Chesneys every day on our tours and it didn’t sit right with me that they were in an unmarked grave.

“It’s nice to know I’ve been part of keeping their memory alive. A quiet little family that were everyday members of the close, but no less a part of our history.”

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York Magistrate’s Court’s £300 fines handed down to each offender compared to penalties of £600 and £1,000 from York Council were among cases highlighted by the Local Government Association (LGA).

Cllr Arooj Shah, the LGA’s Neighbourhoods Committee chair, said they and others showed the current system was failing to deter offenders, with changes needed to make punishments fit the crime.

City of York Council’s communities lead Pauline Stuchfield said people who did not pay penalties would be prosecuted, named, get a criminal record and face costs and surcharges on top of fines.

A Government spokesperson said they were giving councils the tools to tackle waste crime, closing legal loopholes exploited by offenders and bringing in tougher powers to enforce laws.

It comes as the LGA called for a sentencing guidelines review after figures showing court fines handed to offenders were often less than penalties given out by councils.

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LGA analysis of the latest data showed the average court fine of £539 was £87 lower than the £626 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) councils were issuing for the same offence.

Councils can issue FPNs of up to £1,000 to offenders which are discounted to £500 if paid off early.

Cases highlighted by the LGA included 28-year-old Jake Calam who was fined earlier this year after pleading guilty to dumping waste on a footpath from July 2024 to July 2025.

Lianne Hodkinson, 43, admitted to paying an unlicensed waste remover she found online who took her rubbish and dumped it on land off Clifton Road Park, in Rawcliffe.

York Magistrates Court fined both offenders £300 each and ordered Calam, of Foxwood Lane, to pay a £120 victim surcharge and £750 in prosecution costs.

Hodkinson, formerly of Riverside Gardens, Nether Poppleton, was also ordered to pay a £120 victim surcharge and £600 in costs.

The LGA said court sentences were now out of step with the real impact fly-tipping is having on communities.

The Local Government Association has called for tougher penalties to tackle fly-tipping (Image: Contributed)

The body, which represents local authorities, added it was undermining deterrence, weakening enforcement and leaving councils out of pocket for pursuing time-consuming and costly prosecutions.

Cases taken to court often require lengthy investigations and have to meet high evidence thresholds which takes up a large amount of time for council staff.

Fly-tipping costs councils more than £19.3 million-a-year to clean up, with 1.26 million cases recorded in England in the year up to March 2025.

The LGA’s Neighbourhood Committee Chair Cllr Shah said changes were needed so penalties reflect the harm caused by fly-tipping and enforcement work.

Cllr Shah said: “Fly-tipping is criminal activity that blights communities and costs taxpayers millions of pounds every year.

“Sentencing guidelines must be reviewed so that the punishment fits the crime.”

York Council’s Communities Director Ms Stuchfield said Calam and Hodskinson had to pay £1,170 and £1,020 respectively after being prosecuted.

The director said: “As these cases show, we will take action against people who illegally dump waste.

“Our average FPN is £1,000 and is reduced to £500 if paid within 10 days.

“When it is paid, the matter is closed, when it is not paid, the person risks being taken to court.

“We encourage people to pay any fines as soon as they are incurred and to dispose of waste legally.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said their new guidance including on-the-spot littering fines of up to £500 would help councils tackle waste crime.

The spokesperson said: “We are giving authorities the tools they need to fight back against waste crime.

“Digital waste tracking will close the loopholes criminals exploit, drones are catching offenders in the act, and councils have the power to crush their vans, making it more and more difficult for criminals to hide.”

A Sentencing Council spokesperson said they would be happy to consider any evidence regarding the effective operation of its guidelines.

Mr Swinney also said: “I think the SNP government responded to the concerns of members of the public by the establishment of a public inquiry which was preceded also by individual case reviews of the circumstances and the treatment of individuals and then in the here and now, where issues arise, where there are problems, the Scottish government, through NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is addressing those issues.”

Demolition works are continuing to progress after one of the site’s main buildings was recently knocked down

Works to transform Wales’ last coal fired power station has taken a major step forward. Aberthaw Power Station in the Vale of Glamorgan is currently being demolished to make way for a renewable energy park.

Cardiff Capital Region Energy (CCR Energy), the company leading the project, recently announced a progress update on works and said that they had finished demolishing the turbine hall and deaerator bays at the huge site. The turbine hall was one of the largest and most complex remaining structures on the Aberthaw site, measuring more than 230m in length.

Constructed from reinforced concrete and structural steel, the building historically housed the main turbine and auxiliary plant used in electricity generation. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here.

CCR Energy said the scale and density of the building required extensive analysis and months of preparatory works before it could be demolished.

The demolition marks a significant step in the future of the Aberthaw site, which first started operating in the 1960s and closed in 2020.

Plans for a renewable energy park were revealed years ago and Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) committed itself to purchasing Aberthaw Power Station from previous owner RWE in 2022 for £8m.

However, it still isn’t clear yet exactly what kind of renewable energy production will eventually take place on site.

In their most recent update on demolition works, CCR Energy said the scale and location of Aberthaw by the coast provide “opportunities to support a range of innovative sustainable energy, industrial, advanced manufacturing and innovation-led uses”.

The firm went on to add that this would be “subject to technical feasibility, market demand and planning considerations”.

CCR Energy’s demolition contractor for the current phase of the project is Erith Contractors.

An investigation into the the handling of the procurement process that led to CCR Energy awarding a £30m contract to demolish Aberthaw Power Station recently highlighted a number of failings.

After receiving several bids, the contract for the demolition works was awarded to Erith in 2023. However, the demolition firm’s bid arrived minutes after the April 28, 2023 deadline.

Losing bidder Brown and Mason launched legal action, raising concerns about how the procurement process was overseen.

The legal action eventually led to CCR abandoning its defence and agreeing to pay a settlement of about £5.25m to Brown and Mason.

In total, the financial hit added up to about £6.5m after legal costs of more than £900,000 and the independent investigation report carried out by professional advisory firm Deloitte.

Their report concluded that there was no deliberate wrongdoing or misconduct on the part of those involved, but it did identify errors in the procurement process.

Chair of CCR and leader of Monmouthshire County Council, Mary Ann Brocklesby, said at the time of the report’s findings that CCR commissioned an independent review into the procurement process to maintain transparency.

She added: “Plainly, there are many lessons to be learned, and I am confident that every effort will be made to fully implement the recommendations of the review.”

On the current demolition works, CCR Energy said they have been carried out “safely and precisely” by Erith and explosive engineering specialists Precision Demolition Company (PDC).

Chair of CCR Energy Board, Paul Matthews, said the recent demolition work “represents a major milestone in the transformation of Aberthaw”.

He added: “The turbine hall was a significant industrial structure, and safely delivering its controlled demolition required extensive planning, technical expertise and close collaboration across specialist teams.

“This marks the beginning of a new chapter for Aberthaw as we continue to prepare the site for a future focused on renewable energy, environmental resilience and long-term community benefit.”

Following the successful demolition of the turbine hall, works at Aberthaw will continue to focus on completion of the wider demolition programme, ongoing site remediation, planning, and engagement with potential future partners.

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Millers Fish and Chips in Haxby is celebrating being recognised as amongst the best in the industry at the National Fish and Chip Awards – a ceremony held on Wednesday, February 25, which aims to celebrate fish friers across the nation.

At the event, owner David Miller was presented with the Outstanding Contribution prize and fish fryer Abigail Barker was highly commended – a category created just for her – as Young Fish Fryer of the Year.

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David said: “We went to London for the awards and it was just really just to support Abby, because she’s got through to the finals again for the second year – which is really good going, especially because she’d only been with us six months when she went for it last time.

“The award for Young Fish Fryer is really in depth – there’s written programmes, then they go through online interviews with all technical questions. After that, they’re in the shop with the judges for about six hours – they show them around, then they’ve got to cook five lots of fish and chips and each one has to be exactly the same.

“There’s a lot of pressure there for somebody who’s under 25, so we wanted to be there to support her. It’s the award before the takeaway of the year, which is the big one, so there’s a lot of tension building in the room.  It’s just as important in my opinion as it celebrates the new talent coming through.”

David explained that, as well as going for the award, the family had decided to make Abby back of house manager at 21 – a role which she had thrived in so far.

He said: “She’s an absolute grafter. She’s taken this role by the scruff of the neck and really made it her own – she’s taken her own course, made training plans for the staff, as well as going for this award.

“Her review came back for the fish fryer of the year and you could see she’s only just missed out – most of the stuff she got 100% on – and that’s why they decided to do a runner up. She’s going to go for it again next year too and she’ll be hot favourite.”

In the tradition of Beat Saber comes a new PSVR2 game that turns first person combat into a fitness regime, as you fight the bulge with swords and maces.

The intersection between virtual reality and fitness comes with its own contradictions. On one hand, the fact that VR’s good at making you feel physically transported into a different space, with your arm and head movements tracked and reproduced in-game, immediately makes it a more kinetic medium than conventional gaming, where you normally slump on a sofa or office chair, your thumbs the only part of you getting even a modest workout.

On the other hand, VR has you wearing a bulky display on your head, which encases your face in plastic. Even without having to move around, that invites a degree of stickiness. Games designed with fitness in mind then go out of their way to encourage rapid, vigorous motion. It’s no doubt something that will improve as headset design gets slimmer and lighter but, as it stands, games like Rager are a recipe for sweat.

Like Beat Saber and Pistol Whip before it, Rager’s a VR rhythm combat game, which has you smashing digital attackers using various weapons in time to pounding music. Standing in a circular, neon lit arena, muscular looking humanoid robots walk, then run, towards you, unleashing flying kicks, punches, and melee weapons, their blows and your ripostes timed to coincide with the big beats of its EDM soundtrack.

Separated into three zones, each comprising three levels and a boss battle, you’re introduced to the game’s weaponry, which includes swords, maces, claws, and longer two-handed weapons, all of which crackle with electricity, their haptic feedback registering blocks and blows to enemies, as well as moments when your weapons touch each other or scrape the floor. It really is a feast for the senses.

As robotic assailants leap at you, symbols appear in front of them telling you what angle you need to parry or attack them, and which weapon you need to use. In many levels you dual wield, so you need to use combinations of melee weapons to attack and defend yourself, having to adapt to each combatant’s assaults and vulnerabilities as they come at you.

Originally released on the wireless Meta Quest, you’ll find enemies charging at you from all directions, and to prevent yourself getting tangled up in the PlayStation VR2’s cable, when fighting those coming from behind you, you can use an analogue stick to flick your viewpoint around to meet those attacks, rather than physically pivoting in their direction. Although for some reason the angle you turn seems to vary, rendering it oddly unreliable. You can, of course, simply turn around but if you do you’ll invariably end up with the cable wrapped around your legs at the end of each level.

An additional logistical challenge is that you’ll be swinging both arms wildly in every direction. It would be inadvisable to stand anywhere near your TV, and you’ll also need to be aware of low-hanging light fixtures. We managed to graze a knuckle savagely pummelling a lampshade, resulting in light bruising and a swift tactical relocation of the play area before resuming hostilities.

It is a good workout though, from using both arms to slash, punch and block, to ducking out of the way of forcefields that glide towards you from both sides or above. It only takes one area and a boss fight to find yourself starting to feel as though you’d just warmed up for an aerobics class. Rager’s a game that demands to be played standing up, its physicality fundamentally unsuited to seated play.

Its battles are hugely satisfying, the act of shattering aggressive attackers with elegantly timed slashes and parries, in time to loud dance music feels cool, even if you won’t necessarily look that way to neutral observers. It’s a dichotomy all too familiar to VR players, and at least in this case you can console yourself with the fact that you’re also getting slightly fitter, to help patch up any wounded dignity.

On easy mode Rager’s nine levels and three boss battles will slip by in an hour, although there are leaderboards to compete in, and two higher difficulty levels to take on. There’s also significant replay value just because it’s fun to play, although it remains a slim volume of content for its price, and there’s certainly way less to get your teeth into here than in Beat Saber, even before all its many DLC packs.

Rager is largely bug free though, our only crash occurring after the PlayStation 5 went into power saving mode after one of the game’s training sessions, when we briefly had to take care of stuff in the real world. It’s also come in for criticism online for using an AI voiceover. In its defence, the AI is voicing the character of an AI in the game, its gravelly robotic tones and peculiar intonation suiting its role as a rogue computer, even if it does mispronounce bass – as in the lower frequencies of its musical accompaniment – as if it were talking about sea bass.

There may not be much to it, and if you have a pathological hatred of dance music this won’t be for you, but its engaging rhythm action violence and dedication to getting you moving are a winning combination.

Formats: PlayStation VR2 (reviewed), PC VR, and Meta Quest
Price: £13.99
Publisher: Impact Inked
Developer: Insane Prey
Release Date: 5th March 2026
Age Rating: 7

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