Hi-Fi Rush came out of nowhere with not only a stunning reveal trailer, but a surprise release as well. You won’t want to miss this one.
Many times we have seen studios take chances on new game styles, but those games have fallen short of their marks. Shinji Mikami has always been known for his influence on horror games, helping create games like Resident Evil. Most recently, Tango Gameworks released the horrifying Evil Within Series and the newest horror action-adventure GhostWire Tokyo.
Hi-Fi Rush
Developer: Tango Gameworks, Bethesda Softworks
Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Xbox GamePass
Genre: Action game
Release Date: January 25, 2023
These games all had one thing in common, horror…but out of nowhere, we were surprised with the announcement of their newest project, Hi-Fi Rush. This game is something completely different from what the studio has ever done, can this be the newest flop? Or will this be the musical mash-up we need? Let’s find out…
The Perfect Remix of Gameplay and Story
In Hi-fi Rush, you play as Chai, a wannabe rock star who becomes a test subject for Vandelay Industries. During the testing, a freak accident fuses his music player into his body; becoming a “power source.” After learning that Vandelay Industries plans on enslaving all humanity, Chai decides to use his new power to bring them down.
After meeting 808, a robotic cat that talks, you find out the voice of the cat is actually Peppermint, an underground hacker who wants to stop Vandelay as badly as you do. As the story continues you find more joining the cause; including Macaron (a disgruntled employee) and his robotic assistant CNMN (cinnamon). This is when the story picks up and hits that perfect spot for me.
Not only does the story have a great plot and likeable characters, but it is a great mesh of comedy, drama, and action. The art style in the game makes you feel like you’re watching the latest anime play out before your eyes and with the great voice cast Tango Gameworks chose…I have to say I kinda need this animated show to happen now.
That’s the best way to describe the story, it is just straight-up anime-quality storytelling at its best. Everything about the story had me wanting to learn more about these characters, their backstories, and every fine-tuned detail about the world we were presented with.
The story is great, but the biggest highlight of this game is the wonderful music based combat. We saw the success of this style of game with the release of MetalHellsinger last year and since it’s release I have wanted another game that kept me on my toes the way it did. Instead of the goal be based around making sure you match the beat to succeed, the whole world is alive with the musical beat.
Yes, to have a great score when fighting enemies, you need to make sure to match the beat as much as you can, but having the beat come to life in the world around you as you play make this much more natural in the gameplay. Not only do see Chai moving to the beat, you see the whole environment come to life before your eyes. Even the enemies are moving to the beat, which for me made mastering the combat system that much easier.
That’s honestly what’s great about this game, ever aspect from beginning to end was just pure fun. Even after beating the game, you are given the ability of playing back through the levels, unlocking secret doors, and a cool Rythem tower to challenge the best players. It’s seems to me that Tango Gameworks really had gamers in-mind when making this game, what would be fun, what could keep gamers coming back, and what the future for this game will me.
Among The Best Games on GamePass
When the game was announced it was a huge surprise to everyone watching. Since Tango Gameworks has mainly focused on horror titles, this Devil May Cry/Jet Set Radio-style game coming from this studio had me a bit worried…Until I remembered many of the developers at Tango Gameworks have backgrounds in with these styles of games.
Shinji Mikami previously worked at Capcom but also worked at Platinum Games and helped with Bayonetta‘s development. Everything about Hi-Fi Rush speaks to the style and culture built around this game. The game brings not just the music alive, but the story, characters, and overall world as well. As i was playing I couldn’t get enough of this crazy world.
Its a straight mix of vibrant anime and gaming, a love letter to fans, a funny robotic future that we would all love to live in. Honestly, I feel like Tango Gameworks just made one of the best games in their portfolio and by far one of the best games available on Xbox GamePass.
