Hi-Fi Rush

Everything about this game just clicked to me. All the mechanics mixed well with each other, the animation (2D and especially 3D) is absolutely stunning, the art direction is fantastic, and the music kicks ass the whole way through. The only thing that gave me a bit of a hassle was the 2D platforming sections and the air dash not feeling as fast or as long distance as I thought it should, but they didn't give me too much trouble. Tl;dr: I love video games.

We're starting to see the return of old Mikami.




This is a total asshole nitpick on my end, but I am pretty disappointed that this game stays in 4/4 time signature most of the game. Mechanically, it's the best way to introduce the core Stylish Action (or Character Action, if you prefer, but I'll take my nomenclature from the people who actually made the genre) combo systems, 4/4 measure of a two quarter notes, quarter rest, then another quarter note doing the classic "X, X, nothing, X" styles of combos. Not having any penalty for getting off the beat ensures that it's not too demanding, there's no chance of failure and only rewards via an increase in damage.

But by the fifth or so mission the novelty was wearing off and all I was left with was an above average Stylish Action game that's gimmick isn't as defining to the game as it wants you to think. How cool would it be to have a stealth mission in a 2/2 time signature where you need to use slower and more deliberately placed presses for dashing, or a hectic boss fight in 6/8? It feels like a major missed opportunity for a game that's whole identity is rhythm.

At the start of the year, Xbox held their developer direct conference to showcase many of the upcoming titles that would release within the first half of the year. We'd see many classics get some limelight, like Redfall...you guys remember Redfall? But more importantly, Xbox and Tango Gameworks would casually drop their latest new game, HiFi Rush.

So what is HiFi Rush? Well, HiFi Rush is the latest instalment from Tango Gameworks that takes a massive departure from the gruesome horrors of The Evil Within for a more vibrant hack-and-slash rhythm game oozing with style through its comic-book-like art style. HiFi Rush is a stylish game with a ton of heart and substance.

The Verge had an interesting interview with HiFi Rush's director John Johana regarding the development and inspirations for Hifi Rush. Some of the musical influences stemming from the director's love for jamming out to Radiohead covers with his school friends. He described the visceral feeling that comes from playing in sync with a group of people and how this level of syncopation would be a core influence for HiFi Rush.

The state of Rhythm games these days is quite an interesting situation seeing a lot of different games meld the core tenants of a Rhythm game with another genre. Some examples in more recent years are games such as BPM or Metal Hellsinger which take a doom-inspired doom ascetic and revolve the fps combat around timing and coordinating your shots to the bear. What we have here with HiFi Rush is a similar evolution that melds the foundations of a Rhythm game and laces them neatly into a hack-and-slash action game. HiFi Rush isn't shy of hiding what it is, from its early 2000s rock-inspired soundtrack to its cartoony visuals and presentation. Overall HiFi Rush pulls influences from many directions whilst also feeling like something refreshing and new. So let's dive into the gameplay for HiFi Rush.

HiFi Rush's rhythmic combat is conveyed through auditory means with the music and visually through your floating companion 808, who will flicker on the beat. But it isn't just your companion in sync with the beat. Everything is playing to the rhythm of the music. The environments pop to the tune of the music making HiFi Rush's combat work well. It allows the player a unique variety of abilities. It doesn't punish the player for not hitting on the beat, but instead rewards people who can continuously do so, incentivizing you to want to improve and perfect HiFi Rushes combat and do it in sync.

Hifi Rush, to me, tells a really charming story, a quirky story centred around Chai, who, after applying for a new arm to pursue his aspirations of becoming a rockstar, is registered a defect. At this moment, he becomes the most wanted by the Vandelay corporation, who have sought to capture the defects of their most recent schemes. To avoid termination, he begins working with your hacker partner Peppermint to end their evil ploys and set out on a rebellious adventure.

Chai and his friends are all so charming. The witty writing, musical choices and pieces all mold and make the overall aesthetic of HiFi Rush and henceforth, what I love about it. If you still need to get around to this one, it is worth your time, and if you don't own an Xbox, this is available on both Steam and Xbox Game Pass. I really loved HiFi Rush, and 2023 has been such an incredible year, and despite many great games released back-to-back, Hifi Rush really is one that I still think about regularly and one that, if you give it a chance, I feel will stick with you too.

Tango Gameworks is a team that has primarily worked on a batch of horror games; namely The Evil Within, and Ghostwire Tokyo. So to see a shadow drop announcement for a cartoon character action game featuring somewhat high tempo 2000s alt rock music was definitely a surprise.

Hi-Fi Rush is sold as a dream project from director John Johanas who once described the game as a “Long Shot.” And I truly think that it really is a great descriptor for this game, one which lacks many of the modern design tropes that we see from major studios’ releases. No content based DLC, no battlepasses, no pre-order bonuses, no $70 price tag, just an old school action game with an original coat of paint, One that is a complete, polished, and thrilling experience.

Combat for Hi-Fi rush blends the foundations of a character-action game like Devil May Cry, with added implementations of rhythm mechanics. Similar to games like BPM: Bullets Per Minute, and Metal Hellsinger, the rhythm mechanics work by chaining attacks to the beat of the song playing in the level. While this doesn’t have the fluidity of a DMC game, it allows for more methodically planned out strategies as you work with the many combos and attacks at your disposal. This simple mechanic is easy to get a hang of but comes with a ton of depth that can complexify the combat to the point where someone who isn’t even big into rhythm games could fully enjoy. I would say the star of the show here is the boss fights, which generally feature licensed music from the 2000s. Bands like Nine Inch Nails, The Black Keys, and The Flaming Lips (amongst many others) are deconstructed and built into a system where sections of the music are in sync with the bosses AI, leading to attacks that are not only read visually, but audibly as well. It is so brilliantly done and unlike any other game I have ever played. Combat with normal enemies showcases additional mechanics throughout the game such as a standoff with a samurai-like robot who competes in a showdown style against your character, or a bird that comes flying at you with specific audio queues. Combat is separated by longer segments of platforming, which I think can be hit or miss (usually the latter), but acts as a way to prepare for the next encounter. While I think the visuals mainly drive these parts, I feel like the more serious platforming areas don’t add a ton of challenge, and can come off as a little tedious, though sometimes it does work well.

As for the visuals, I really love the art style here. The game has a “comic” style with loads of color and detail all the way down to the Ben-Day dots used to fill in textures. What drew me in the most however was the INSANE amount of detail given to the animations of the faces of the characters, that give them so much expression. Which is great because these characters are really enjoyable to be around. Personalities shine in the short cutscenes between missions, and after a few hours, they really stick with you enough to garner a reaction to some of the relatively emotionally heavier cutscenes scattered throughout. The world is no less interesting, with vibrant, colorful landscapes that stretch out well beyond the levels. I think the coolest touch is how everything moves to the beat of the music, much like the player does in combat. It is something that needs to be seen to understand, but watching everything work in perfect sync to the music is a really cool feature, even the games multiple cutscenes will play out to the songs playing.

I think the soundtrack is a huge seller for this game. Though the musical choices can be subjective, I think the implementation is spot on. Hi Fi Rush might be the first of many to come that plays on the nostalgia of the 2000’s, a decade that many of us would say feels like yesterday. What I find interesting is that many of these songs might not make the highlight list of a “most popular 2000’s rock songs” playlist, instead they seem to have been selected to perfectly capture the mood of the game. My favorite stage, “The Needle Drop” is the perfect example of this, by using a great song, “Whirring” whilst showcasing the build up to the fantastic conclusion of the game.

Hi Fi Rush is a breath of fresh air in a gaming landscape that can tend to play it safe with game releases. I think this is a must play for anyone looking for a great all around experience that feels original in a sea of AAA action games that lack charm.

8

Hi-Fi Rush is one of those games that I wanted to love a lot more than I actually did. The concept is clever; the world is lively; the art is vibrant. Just as importantly, it serves to begin plugging the Japan-sized hole in Microsoft’s first-party lineup. The shadow-drop release created instant hype and I was as eager as anyone to ride the wave.

But the game itself didn’t connect with me as strongly as I’d hoped it would. The first issue is the story. Though the character designs are excellent, the writing supporting them is not. The clichéd plot is forgettable but forgivable; the bigger problem is that the writing itself reads like what happens when a writer with a word count to hit churns out streams of pointless banter to meet it. The worst offenders in this regard are the corporate emails scattered throughout the game and the between-stage conversations between Chai and his pals.

The next issue is pacing. The levels in this game feel like they go on forever. While I appreciate that you can save anywhere, I still wish there were a greater number of natural breaks in the level design. The game also struggles to find the right balance between cutscenes, exploration, and combat. Combat sequences tend to be brief, and are usually surrounded on both sides by heavy servings of platforming and exploration. Though the game’s environments overflow with visual creativity and look downright stunning, traversing doesn’t feel as thrilling as it could. Chai’s movement speed is on the slower end, more of a saunter than a jog, and feels at odds with the pulsating energy of the graphics and soundtrack. Sure, there are grapple points to hook onto and rails to ride on, but these actions are handled semi-automatically rather than being fully integrated into the standard platforming flow. Jet Set Radio [ジェットセットラジオ] this is not.

Then there’s the combat, which I’d rate somewhere between good and excellent. When you internalize the beat and get in the zone, it feels amazing. Swinging between enemies and summoning your buddies to extend combos is pure controlled chaos and a hell of a lot of fun. I did struggle with the timing in a few of the forced parry sections, however, and I was frustrated with how the final boss forced me to abruptly abandon my free-wheeling playstyle in favor of a more conservative strategy. Making me change up my tactics is fine, but couldn’t the developers have done this in other late-game battles instead of springing it on me at the very end?

One more sour note before I sign off: It’s the music. It never felt as visceral as I hoped it would. Compared to other rhythm games like Crypt of the NecroDancer, or even non-rhythm action games like Doom and its 2020 sequel, Hi-Fi Rush doesn’t quite hit the mark. The beat is always there but it was something I heard more than felt, an element I had to keep track of rather than one that I felt immersed in.

When it comes down to it, Hi-Fi Rush is a good game. Maybe even a great one. But the hype wave it’s been riding on is immense, and though I really wish I could let it sweep me away, I find myself gently pushing back against it instead. That being said, the foundation of an incredible game is here. If Hi-Fi Rush 2 comes along with stronger writing and nimbler platforming, it could absolutely be an all-time classic.

The protagonist of the game Chai has an overload of confidence, but so did Tango/Bethesda/Xbox with this surprise shadow drop. A pretty big project (apparently 5 years in the making) and none of it was ever revealed, no review codes or anything like that. Just boom here's the game and by the way it's available today. Pretty wild in today's gaming landscape where we have to wait for years for stuff to actually come out, but they pulled it here and the critics and fans are both loving the product too.

The concept of the game is not too complicated, it's just an action brawler but with a rhythm game concept where you have to hit "on beat" to get the proper combos rolling. Pair this was a comic book artstyle and a pretty over the top story, and you've got a winning formula. While I don't think this is the greatest game ever, I did enjoy my time with it and it's a fun linear experience... the stages are well designed and it's pretty entertaining to go through the story. The characters are memorable and already people are considering Chai and 808 (the cat) to be iconic.

I think this does hit people with nostalgia cause aside from the rhythm mechanic, it just feels like games I've already played before. However the combination of these elements is so well structured, that it makes for a very good experience. It's not mindblowing but at the same time it doesn't really have any flaws, although I did find the mandatory parrying mechanic to be quite annoying sometimes but eventually I got the hang of it. I don't consider myself very good at the game so I think normal difficulty was enough for me, but the game does offer you hard, very hard and even a 5th difficulty level once you finish it... definitely not in my intentions to tackle those, but it's nice to have for people that are really fans of the game and the mechanics.

Overall a fun title and a nice start for Game Pass in 2023, definitely something you'd want to play if you are a subscriber as Day One titles from AAA studios is pretty much as good as it gets. This was my first game from Tango, but now I'm definitely interesting in trying their other ones even if I know this one is radically different.