With Hi-Fi Rush, you’ll experience a pulsating soundtrack that syncs with your attacks, creating a delightful audiovisual experience. Animation is great, with manga-inspired sequences. There’s no doubt that music is the star here, and you’re the one making it.
Hi-Fi Rush is more Ratchet & Clank than Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, despite its billing as a rhythm action game. You can boost Chai’s attacks and abilities by aligning your hits to the beat of the game. In a funny origin story at the start of the game, his music player is fused to his chest, which explains how he can feel the beat. If you miss the beat, there’s no penalty. My timing usually gets a C. You can also adjust the difficulty level – Easy, for example, is forgiving. Having said that, there are certain rhythm sections in fights and puzzles where you have to get your timing down pat.
Light and heavy attacks can be chained into combo moves to increase your Reverb gauge. You can execute special attacks once this gauge is full. In-game loot lets you buy combos and special attacks. There’s a parry/counter mechanism, a grappling hook for closing the distance (and some basic traversal), and you can jump, dodge, and use a grappling hook. The more you play, the more upgrades you unlock, and the more companions you get. There’s also platforming and puzzles (often rhythm-based) to keep things interesting.
Tango Gameworks, known for horror games like The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo, has hit a home run here. Hi-Fi Rush looks and sounds awesome. Rocks and trees in the game environment complement the great soundtrack, which features some well-known bands. You’ll love the visuals, and the gameplay will keep you entertained. It has a light-hearted, silly humour. There’s a lot of style in this game, especially with its comic book/manga-inspired sequences. It’s visually stunning, the tempo goes up, and the gameplay changes a bit, but it’s still heavily rhythm-based. My only complaint is that you fight robots mostly indoors.
