#HIFI RUSH OPENCRITIC PC#

Hi-Fi Rush is available now on Xbox consoles and PC via Steam or the Microsoft Store. It’s a game that’s easy to love, difficult to put down, and just an utter delight to spend time with. Whatever the reason, the existence of Hi-Fi Rush is a blessing.

Maybe it was just nice to get a really good surprise to kick off the year. Maybe games have been long overdue for a title from a major publisher that feels so carefree and exuberant. Maybe it’s because it’s the right time for 2000s nostalgia. In fact, Shinji Mikami served as the Executive Producer on some of the best character action titles of that era, like Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, and God Hand – though that’s not to discount the obvious work of director John Johannes, and the rest of the team that brought the game to life. Some of the licensed music choices initially raised some eyebrows – like Zwan, the short-lived supergroup from Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan – but they’re also from that era, so that kinda makes sense too, I think?Įven the style of game it is – character action and rhythm action – went through a golden age during this time. The vibrant art style and attitude are in-line with games of the time like Jet Set Radio. Many people on social media have remarked that it feels like a video game from the late 1990s and early 2000s that’s somehow made its way to the modern age, something that would have felt right at home on the Sega Dreamcast or Nintendo GameCube – and they’re absolutely right.

But for those who aren’t as rhythmically inclined, the game also features a number of difficulty and accessibility options, such as clearer beat indicators or even automated combat functions that seemingly make it possible to enjoy the game as a colourful, button-mashing brawler. Image: Tango Gameworks / Bethesdaįor someone who’s a big fan of both rhythm action and character action games, Hi-Fi Rush is an utter joy – a perfect synergy of satisfying, skill-based systems. Just a few stages in, fighting a group of enemies in Hi-Fi Rush is a highly entertaining exercise in methodically keeping the beat by using your controller as a percussion instrument as you continuously string movement and attacks together – one, two, three, four, attack, attack, pause, attack, jump, slam, grapple, dodge, parry, parry, counter, finisher. It can be satisfyingly complex, if you want it to be. All of these things are tied to the same beat. Like the many other character action games that have come before it, strings of continuous light or heavy attacks form combos, but making sure each button you press is on the beat of the soundtrack (every beat for light attacks, and every second beat for heavy attacks) will give the attack extra oomph, as well as come with visual and audio feedback that gives you a small endorphin hit every time.Īs the game progresses, Hi-Fi Rush gradually introduces mechanics like combo finishers, dodges, different assist characters that bring their own weapons into the fray, special abilities, a grappling hook, and a parry and counter system.

There is a lot of love, artistry, and attention to detail here.īut the rhythm-infused melee combat is, of course, the main star of the show – a dynamic and flashy system that is satisfying to play with, even in its most basic form. The Saturday morning cartoon-style animation, where characters move at a lower framerate to mimic a hand-animated cel style, looks fantastic.

#HIFI RUSH OPENCRITIC FULL#

It makes a very strong impression in its opening hours – the art direction is bright and eye-popping, and the characters are full of life, endearing and self-aware. Image: Tango Gameworks / BethesdaĪ half-dozen hours with Hi-Fi Rush so far, and I can’t stop smiling. In the same interview, he teased the existence of what would become Hi-Fi Rush: ‘John Johanas, who directed the DLC for The Evil Within and The Evil Within 2, is working on a completely new title that is the complete opposite of horror… It’s a really good game, so keep your eyes peeled.’

Read: Hi-Fi Rush director talks Xenogears references, Okami influences In a 2022 interview with Japanese games publication Famitsu(as translated by VGC), Tango Gameworks CEO Shinji Mikami ( Resident Evil, Resident Evil 4, God Hand) mentioned that the company did not want to become synonymous with survival horror games, in spite of his legacy as one of the creators of Resident Evil – one of the earliest examples of the genre.

Hifi rush opencritic