![]() However, the experience is carried by ridiculously fantastic writing, amazing music, incredibly rewarding fighting, and a cast of adorable characters who wouldn’t seem out of place in a Persona game. From beginning to end, it’s likewise quite linear, with almost little open-world exploring. Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm-action adventure with likable protagonists at its core. Hi-Fi Rush plays well and separates itself from the rest because of its innovative and engaging gameplay. It’s one of the most visually stunning and humorous shocks. While both games include platforming inspired by Jet Set Radio, Hi-Fi Rush is primarily a single-player experience reminiscent of Ratchet & Clank due to its cell-shaded and dithering visual aesthetic. There are enough jokes and allusions to carry a coming-of-age plot against a fortified megacorporation you eventually take down. The action is synced-up to the rhythm of the music, aided by mostly good soundtracks. You might compare Hi-Fi Rush to No Straight Roads, a rhythm platformer released not too long ago. A refreshing change of pace with a likable main character and several references to video games and movies the observant players will recognize. You’ll be giggling at the game’s crazy comedy, rocking out to fantastic music, and digging your teeth into an unexpectedly involved and fascinating fighting system thanks to the game’s excellent ambiance, action, and silly banter, all of which mesh together well. Tango Gameworks has transitioned from developing two mediocre horror games to developing an action rhythm game that didn’t need to try hard to impress, unlike The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo. The most beautiful and entertaining game comes from one of the least expected developers. ![]() At around 10 hours, Hi-Fi Rush is much closer to its ideal length than many a 60+ hour epic indeed, its brevity is a key part of the appeal.Hi-Fi Rush plays well and separates itself from the rest because of its innovative and engaging gameplay. Boss battles are a highlight, but even as the game adds in elements like rhythm duels and support characters it’s clear the idea can only be stretched so far. A bit of fiddly platforming is invariably followed by you getting locked in a small area until you’ve defeated all the nearby robots. Beyond the cel-shaded visuals the inevitable comparisons to Jet Set Radio are unwarranted, except in the fact that the game’s experimental nature and lack of seriousness feels exactly like something that would have been at home on the Dreamcast or PlayStation 2.Īs such, its flaws are fairly predictable, with too little variation in the level design and progression structure. The story behind Hi-Fi Rush is, by necessity, nonsense (something about an evil corporation turning people into cyborgs) which only adds to the feeling that this is a game out of time. ![]() Hi-Fi Rush – a very welcome surprise (pic: Microsoft) Visually, the game is fantastic, with the only presentational sticking point being the script, which is trying desperately hard to be sassy and irreverent but, while not as obnoxious as Forspoken, is never actively funny. Although the backdrops quickly get a bit repetitive the characters are all oozing personality and really do look like cartoons come to life. If you had a bingo card guessing which of its newly purchased studios Microsoft was going to shut down first your hand would be hovering ominously over Tango Gameworks and yet Hi-Fi Rush excludes such confidence and technical expertise it’s hard to believe the same people are responsible.Īpart from anything else, this is one of the best-looking cel-shaded games ever made, with only Arc System Works’ fighting games even being in the running. Developer Tango Gameworks is best known for The Evil Within horror games, which we were never fans of, and Ghostwire: Tokyo, which we considered to be one of the worst games of 2022. There are other optional visual cues you can add but no matter what song is playing (including a number of licensed tracks) the basic timing concepts are always the same, and something that quickly becomes second nature.Ĭombining the relative simplicity of a rhythm action game with a fully formed 3D action adventure is no easy task but what’s so impressive about Hi-Fi Rush is the sheer panache with which it’s been pulled off. If you want to do real damage though you have to attack in time with the rhythm, which is indicated not just by the music but by the whole game world bouncing along in synch, via background details like blinking computer lights and jumping floor panels. ![]()
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