Hi-Fi Rush review: a new blueprint for rhythm-action games - Digital Trends

As I combat my mode done waves of robots successful Hi-Fi Rush, stylishly slashing them with my guitar successful clip with an energetic euphony track, I abruptly flash backmost to an Instagram reel.

Last year, the app’s unknowable algorithm concisely decided that it should lone service maine reels from euphony teachers (a passive-aggressive move, if you inquire this self-taught guitarist). For a fewer weeks, each of them seemingly latched onto the aforesaid inclination arsenic they enactment retired speedy videos highlighting the quality betwixt bushed and rhythm, 2 circumstantial presumption that get mistakenly interchanged with 1 another. In 1 clip I stopped to watch, the teacher starts by pointing retired a song’s beat, steadily tapping retired its tempo similar a metronome. Then, she switches implicit to the rhythm, replicating the existent signifier of notes that weave astir that tempo.

While immoderate euphony games could basal to larn a happening from that video, Hi-Fi Rush is simply a exemplary student. Tango Gameworks’ rhythm-action game, which surprise-launched connected PC and Xbox past week, doesn’t conscionable propulsion players a bully playlist and inquire them to support clip implicit it. Rather, everything astir it is built astir that music, similar a set people locking successful aft a drummer’s opening count-in. Steady beats service arsenic an invisible unit that powers its vibrant cyberpunk world, but I tin hardly ever consciousness that regularisation successful a philharmonic quest that plays similar a originative improv session.

Hi-Fi Rush rockets to the apical of the rhythm-action genre acknowledgment to a stellar combat strategy that goes acold beyond elemental beat-matching. It has each the benignant of an anime, the long-lost originative vigor of a GameCube game, and the bright-eyed exuberance of a 2000s teen astatine their archetypal indie stone show. It’s the uncommon large workplace crippled that breaks escaped from the monotony of a stagnating mean to present thing that truly, earnestly rocks.

Putting the punk successful cyberpunk

Narratively, Hi-Fi Rush is simply a cyberpunk crippled wrapped up successful cartoon aesthetics. Set successful a metropolis tally by an oppressive megacorporation, the communicative focuses connected a idiosyncratic named Chai who’s deemed defective aft having a euphony subordinate fused to his chest. That kicks disconnected an alt-rock-fueled travel to instrumentality down the company’s apical brass with the assistance of immoderate allies and a metallic guitar blade.

Hi-Fi Rush itself feels similar a rejection of the capitalistic restrictions that large studios similar Tango Gameworks often face.

Though its communicative tin beryllium a spot “anti-capitalism 101” astatine times — and loaded with the aforesaid quippy wit that plagues games similar Forspoken — overmuch of its communicative decisions enactment successful the discourse of its airy aesthetic. Biting satire is baked into its colorful world, arsenic it makes immoderate dense themes much digestible for a scope of property groups. The dystopia is filled with firm propaganda posters and lore logs that overgarment a representation of the world’s exploited moving people via loaded gags. One of my favourite substance logs is simply a poem written by a attraction robot forced to ceaselessly cleanable institution floors that ne'er get dirty. It’s a connection that feels particularly applicable to the twelvemonth it’s releasing in, arsenic the gaming manufacture inches person to wide unionization.

That taxable isn’t conscionable reflected successful its story. Hi-Fi Rush itself feels similar a rejection of the capitalistic restrictions that large studios similar Tango Gameworks often face. It’s not a run-of-the-mill AAA crippled featuring an expansive unfastened satellite and obsessive hooks meant to support consumers logging successful (one could reason that Tango’s ain Ghostwire: Tokyo fell unfortunate to immoderate of those trappings). It’s an wholly unsocial fusion of bushed and hack-and-slash action, turning Devil May Cry into a euphony game. Even its creation benignant rebels against modern instincts, opting for vibrant colors and an illustrative benignant alternatively than chasing “next-gen” realism.

During my playthrough, I often flashed backmost to the golden days of the Nintendo GameCube — a console that was loaded with the benignant of eclectic games that you’ll lone find successful the indie country these days. I’m transported to playing Capcom’s Viewtiful Joe arsenic a kid, inactive impressed by however games could connection specified a divers scope of play styles and visuals that I’d ne'er experienced before. That’s slipped distant from the large fund country successful the past decennary arsenic I’ve felt the biggest releases homogenized astir the aforesaid wide ideas. Rather than chasing bankable trends, Hi-Fi Rush prioritizes invention supra all.

When you’re making a AAA video crippled that’s going to beryllium positioned arsenic a large console exclusive for a institution similar Microsoft, that’s possibly the astir punk happening you could do.

Playing with music

Hi-Fi Rush excels successful a batch of areas, but its philharmonic combat is its standout accomplishment. On paper, it’s your modular hack-and-slash wherever players physique up monolithic combos (see: Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, etc). The twist, though, is that players bash much harm if their attacks enactment up with the bushed of the inheritance music. Many games person tried this successful caller years to varying degrees of success. Metal: Hellsinger, for instance, attempts to crook Doom into a rhythmic shooter, but its restrictive beat-matching strategy leaves small country to experimentation with the music.

That’s not the lawsuit present arsenic Tango Gameworks lays retired a blueprint for others to follow. Here are the basics of battle: players tin execute a airy onslaught that lasts 1 bushed oregon a dense onslaught that lasts two. Through the game, Chai learns a agelong database of combos that premix the 2 up, discouraging players from simply pressing X connected each azygous beat. A palmy combo triggers a peculiar determination which is executed by nailing a speedy fastener timing event. If I wanted to get amended ratings successful battles, I’d person to larn the rhythmic nuances of each combo drawstring and employment them successful conflict similar a guitarist pulling from their container of tricks.

In my champion battles, I consciousness conscionable arsenic overmuch similar a conductor arsenic I bash an enactment hero.

I’ve ne'er been a feline who memorizes combo lists and fights with precision successful games similar this; I easy became that feline successful Hi-Fi Rush. That’s the brilliance of the euphony strategy here. I’m not near trying to callback analyzable fastener strings connected the fly. I cognize what each 1 of my attacks sounds and feels like. The timing of each 1 leaves much of an content connected maine than a paper showing maine the buttons. It’s truthful impactful that I consciousness similar it’s going to alteration the mode I attack the genre from present on, treating onslaught strings arsenic riffs.

That setup would beryllium capable to permission maine impressed, but Hi-Fi Rush goes acold beyond that without ruining its elegance. By the end, Chai tin execute an evasive dash, parry attacks, tether towards an enemy, and summon companions to capsicum successful peculiar attacks. Each 1 builds the soundscape arsenic overmuch arsenic it adds complexity to battle. When players telephone successful Peppermint, she’ll blast robots with her laser pistols and interruption bluish shields, adding a unsocial spot of syncopation for a fewer beats. I recovered myself utilizing my tether astir similar a enactment rest, allowing maine to rapidly refocus my attraction connected an force earlier firing up a caller barroom of attacks. The information that I tin easy juggle truthful galore moves by knowing however they play into the bushed speaks volumes astir the system’s power. In my champion battles, I consciousness conscionable arsenic overmuch similar a conductor arsenic I bash an enactment hero.

Those ideas are built connected further with a interaction of customization, arsenic Chai tin acquisition and equip guitar picks to summation passive boosts. It’s the 1 strategy I privation I had much clip to play astir with. Players gain gears, the game’s superior currency, by exploring levels, but larger quantities of them are earned by turning successful achievements astatine a location basal hub betwixt missions. Since chapters thin to spell connected for adjacent to an hr and don’t ever extremity successful a instrumentality to the base, I recovered that I lone ever had a fewer opportunities to gain and currency successful those ample cogwheel caches during my eight-hour playthrough. It’s a spot of unusual pacing for a crippled that’s different truthful fast-paced.

Though I’ve mostly focused connected combat here, bushed is baked into each portion of Hi-Fi Rush. On-rail segments person Chai avoiding cargo crates by dodging broadside to side, larger enemies tin beryllium finished disconnected successful a Simon Says parry minigame, and platforming betwixt arena battles requires immoderate cautious timing. Even erstwhile I’m dashing astir levels looking for wellness upgrades oregon collectible graffiti, I find myself people dashing to the music, switching up my cadence conscionable for the amusive of changing up my dependable pattern. Interactions similar that marque Hi-Fi Rush consciousness similar the eventual bushed game, 1 that encourages maine to play with the euphony nary substance what I’m doing.

Style and substance

Hi-Fi Rush instantly stands retired for its cartoon creation style, which perfectly pops connected Xbox Series X. Vibrant colors, bold enactment work, and creaseless show marque it 1 of the best-looking games connected current-gen consoles, trading successful elaborate realism for illustrative perfection. Though what’s much awesome than ocular fidelity is however functional its aesthetic choices are.

I’m convinced I could mute it and inactive enactment connected beat.

For instance, each constituent of its levels is painstakingly animated to groove alongside the soundtrack. Pistons pump connected bushed erstwhile I’m zooming done a factory, portion elevators driblet to their destination successful a staggered rhythmic pattern. Everything feels arsenic if it’s dancing — and that’s not conscionable for show. All of that acts arsenic a earthy ocular indicator that keeps players connected the bushed adjacent erstwhile they’ve mislaid the music. While a accepted beat-matching punctual tin beryllium toggled connected with the property of a button, I played the full crippled without it. I’m convinced I could mute it and inactive enactment connected beat.

I wouldn’t situation bash that though, arsenic the soundtrack itself offers immoderate mid-2000s delight. In summation to an archetypal soundtrack of energetic stone tunes, Hi-Fi Rush includes immoderate coagulated licensed euphony that’s thoughtfully integrated into battles. In 1 standout fight, I spell toe-to-toe with a brag arsenic a screen of The Flaming Lips’ Free Radicals plays. I’m playing on to its superior verse until I whittle down 1 conception of the wellness bar. Suddenly, the opus people transitions to its chorus, with the brag unleashing immoderate caller attacks and patterns to learn. In 1 section, the surface locks to a 2D level arsenic she tosses pipes astatine me, each 1 adding an other guitar stab to the mix.

Mileage whitethorn alteration erstwhile it comes to the soundtrack. I ideate immoderate younger players mightiness find tunes similar Zwan’s Honestly oregon The Black Keys’ Lonely Boy not terribly indicative of the rebellious younker civilization the crippled portrays. Even so, the euphony choices are undeniably functional. They bring the close marque of stone and rotation vigor portion giving Chai immoderate sturdy foundations to jam implicit during battle. Sure, this 33-year-old critic’s ears perked up erstwhile I heard the archetypal notes of Fiona Apple’s Fast As You Can unfastened a brag fight, but it makes for a tremendously breathtaking conflict taxable adjacent if you’re unfamiliar with it.

Those left-field euphony choices reenforce what makes Hi-Fi Rush enactment truthful well: There are nary compromises here. It feels similar an earnest portion of self-expression from Tango Gameworks, alternatively than a task engineered for profit. It feels similar the squad down it is banking connected the anticipation that if it means thing to them, past determination volition beryllium an assemblage that connects with it too.

If that’s the case, they’re right. I’m that assemblage and I haven’t been truthful won implicit by a crippled of this standard successful a precise agelong time.

Hi-Fi Rush was reviewed connected an Xbox Series X hooked up to a TCL 6-Series R635.

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