HI-FI Rush surprised me in the best way possible! It is a GOTY contender for me already! This is a must play for everyone that owns a series X/S or PC! It is the most refreshing game I’ve played in a long time! A game with tons of style and personality! A rocking time! I have not done the side missions but I have completed the main game which took me 9 hours! So for completeness it’ll probably take you in the 10 hour range!

Gameplay: The gameplay is a blast with guitar music playing which this game has an amazing OST! Hi-FI rush is like if Devil May Cry and Metal Hellsinger had a baby! You attack with a guitar and you are graded based on time, beat timing, and score. I love this system because it will push the player to replay these levels to get the best grade possible. You have heavy attacks and light attacks with being able to dodge, and parry. There are new moves that you can unlock by getting currency found in the levels. You can unlock new chips, and combos! I like this because it adds an incentive to explore how there is also an incentive to explore the world is that you can have collectibles that increase your health or a graffiti for your personal hideout! You are not required to stay on beat which I love because it makes it more accessible and helps me because I suck at staying on beat! You can also make the beat show at the bottom of the screen to help with your timing again with making it accessible! Then you will need to use buddies like Peppermint, Maceron and Korisca for different things. Peppermint you use for shooting shields, Maceron you use for smashing shields and breaking doors, Korsica for powering down generators and putting out fires. Macaron you need to time the punch and Korisca you need to press the button when the pointer is in the green area or else you’ll need to redo the minigame. I like this because it adds to the gameplay rather than just fighting bad guys. Enemies will require you to use those characters for breaking shields, smashing enemy barriers and putting out fire. This again adds to the gameplay which I like but can feel a bit button mashy incase if people do not like button mashy games. This game does have a lot of platforming which I like because it adds variety to the gameplay and is welcome! HI-FI rush also has grappling hook sections which these are a blast! The bosses in HI-FI rush are a spectacle with each one being different in style. I won’t spoil these because you should get to experience them! The last boss has incredible music and is just gorgeous! Overall the gameplay is gold for me with different types of enemies and always new things being unlocked to change up the gameplay! Just gets tedious sometimes with the minigames if you mess them up but on easier difficulties this isn’t much of a problem!

Story: The story is about Chai, a boy who wants to become a future rockstar but ends up being a defect and has to defeat all the villains in order to not be controlled by PROJECT spectra, a technology that controls minds. When you defeat the villains you get their passkey, You need all the villains passkeys to stop PROJECT spectra! I really like this premise with technology involved since I’m a tech guy so It made it relatable! You have buddies like 808 which is a cute robotic cat! Peppermint who is skeptical about you at first but ends up trusting you, Macaron is a big guy that didn’t want to fight but had to! And Korsica which you had to end up fighting but is on your side. You also have a robot. All the characters I like but CHAI I ended up liking so much due to his I get it done my way personality! The cast has many very solid choices like Roger Craig Smith being the main villain Kale Vandelay! The story has its moments and is really good for this type of game. It isn’t a masterpiece but that’s not what I expect out of a rhythm game! The story does its job very well and is good for what it is and the tone it is trying to achieve which isn’t serious!

Hideout: This is a cool feature where you have a little hub. You can do stuff like pet the cat, talk to your crew, decorate it with graffiti that you find. Once you beat the game you unlock side missions about SPECTRA possibly coming back. This is a really smart feature and is very welcome! The side missions I have not played yet but probably are worth a check out! You can also do rhythm tower!

Conclusion: Tango Gameworks took a risk with this and they NAILED it! This is an amazing start to 2023! We don't usually see many games in January! One of the most refreshing games I have played in a while and is a GOTY contender for me already and wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up in my top 5 games for 2023! It might even be my GOTY! This is a strong recommendation for anyone who loves rhythm games! Kudos to the team for making an amazing title! I don’t have many flaws for this at all! I give HI-FI rush a 10/10! Incredible job Tango! Keep on taking bold risks like this and keep innovating! A MUST PLAY!

Reviewed on Jan 30, 2023


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