Hi-Fi Rush gets the rhythm in your blood. It's hard to be skeptical about a game with Tango Gameworks' pedigree, especially given the studio's overall mission statement. As the gaming industry embarks on endless sequels and near-constant remakes, since 2014 Tango has created three new, immersive worlds - The Evil Within, Ghostwire Tokyo, and now Hi-Fi Rush. In general, the studio is known for its beautiful aesthetic, but they tend to sway in the way they feel, giving them a niche and iconic quality. Hi-Fi Rush is a refreshing departure from the studio's penchant for horror and pleasantly breaks that curse.
The fight against a giant robot
Hi-Fi Rush throws up some tantalizing perspectives. You fight a giant robot to the beat of a Nine Inch Nails song in a pristine cel-shaded cyberpunk world. The funny thing is that this promise is actually delivered. This special sequence comes at the end of the game's tutorial level, after you've met Chai, the self-stylized "future rock star" protagonist with a broken arm.
The robotic arm
Chai is labeled "defective" by the money-hungry Vandelay Corporation, so they give him a robotic arm to pick up their trash. Unfortunately, during the surgery, Chai's trusty iPod falls into the machine and is fused to his chest, allowing him to immerse himself in the rhythmic undercurrent of this mechanized world. Your robotic arm is now a wrecked Flying V, and you destroy droids with combo attacks that deal more damage if you can tap with speed.
The sound of the music
Suddenly the walls are filled with the sound of music, and the environment design team has mastered this demanding task with flying colors. For a game set in a massive factory, which is well-known territory for the medium, the setting is never boring. Take the production zone, where you'll find slalom ski lifts made from shipping containers, sprawling pickers, tricky tubes, and throbbing machines, all responding to the music to your ears. Hi-Fi Rush borders on synesthesia at times with its audiovisual harmony. There's this awesome shading effect that follows Chai and other characters, as well as a fun mix of comic book storyboards, static scenes and 3D Spider-Verse motion with tongue-in-cheek transitions into game time that emphasize the "wow factor". You have to see it to believe it.
A musical world
If you stand still for a moment, you'll also notice one of the thousands of subtle tango elements in Hi-Fi Rush, such as B. Metal doors that Chai can jump through and which close with a time delay, synchronizing the backbeat. It's amazing how they managed to implement something like this. These minute details abound as you explore the game's combat system. Rest and juggling attacks are marked by a step and clapping system on the offbeat, with visual cues helping to learn the rhythm. Various instruments serve as accents for the soundtrack, which you use to complete your combos.
New skills
As the game progresses, new abilities are introduced, such as: B. a magnetic attraction that allows you to move towards enemies and reduce the time you spend on the ground. Eventually, the enemies will slow you down for a rapid-fire memory game that requires Chai to block to a beat, shaking up the pace of the fight when you think you've got it covered. A rich upgrade system is available during missions and in the hideout between levels, allowing you to tweak your special attacks, find your best arsenal, and improve your stats. That's a boon for replayability - I'll definitely be back to get those coveted S ranks.
808
Chai is aided in battle by his trusty feline companion, 808, and finally by a cast of support characters that you summon in battle to smash shields and catch your breath. Incredibly, her attacks are also synced to the rhythm, regardless of when you activate her powers.
the songs
The great licensed songs from Nine Inch Nails and The Prodigy make for some truly memorable moments, but kudos also go to the house band, who sing along to every verse. Great songs can be discovered in the midst of the battle. When you first step into that perfect flow state of musical battle, you can't wait to reach it again.
A cyberpunk story
Hi-Fi Rush is the kind of modern cyberpunk tale that goes awry without a smart writing team, but it sidesteps those pitfalls with its candid voice actors and believable anti-corruption story. There are plenty of understated but scathing jokes about the dangers of artificial intelligence, widespread automation and not reading the EULA, and a "lefty shark" gag that thoroughly nails the joke. It helps that the protagonist is voiced by Robbie Daymond, who has the kind of endearing voice that can take a scene from hilarious to emotional in five seconds. Chai's open, talkative verve is also translated into movement. If you idle the game, he snaps his fingers to the beat, complete with onomatopoeia from the comic, his guitar straps and bandana swaying in the wind.
The antagonists
The antagonists from the league of evil middle managers are all flawed and interesting enough to dominate their own levels, so Hi-Fi Rush deserves its cheesy one-liners when Chai delivers the killing blow. Thankfully, the game rounds out its larger story arcs with an epic final act that leaves you feeling queasy. It's also the perfect length for a hack 'n' slash, with a running time of around 10 hours and plenty of room for repeatability after the fact.
Pure joie de vivre
Honestly, the only negative feeling you have about this game is a vicarious sadness at how experimental it feels in the modern gaming industry climate. Hi-Fi Rush is a feat of joie de vivre. A brand new tongue-in-cheek world of fantasy from a AAA studio at a massive publisher. And Xbox launched it out of nowhere. It's an incredibly bold move that has paid off. It's a rare feeling these days to leave a game with an inspiring urge to do something creative, and that's why Hi-Fi Rush deserves to have as many eyes on it as possible. It's reminiscent of the golden days of Xbox exclusives.
Conclusion
Hi-Fi Rush is the perfect surprise for Xbox. A creatively invigorating adventure that blows like a breath of fresh air amidst the multitude of licensed lures, remakes and sequels. It's Tango Gameworks' most coherent project to date, and a much-needed, top-quality Xbox Exclusive. Few games can match a game as stylistically groundbreaking as Jet Set Radio, but Hi-Fi Rush easily fits into the ranks thanks to its intuitive, full-fledged combat system, masterful art direction, and anti-capitalist story. The only thing to say here is: grab it.
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