Is Hi-Fi Rush Good?

Hi-Fi Rush came as a shock to many when it was shadow-dropped earlier this year, and this out-of-nowhere gem quickly overshadowed many long-awaited games. Having played it recently I can say that while it is not without its faults, this rhythm action game is clever and oozes charm. In a gaming landscape that’s growing increasingly stagnant, this was a very refreshing change of pace. 

10. Graphics

MC Chai jamming with a cat

Hi-Fi Rush is, as you can clearly see, very stylized with its animated art style. It has the vibe of a Saturday morning cartoon that looks a bit more anime, and I’m here for it. 

This is a very silly game, so bringing to mind childhood mornings is a very good call right from the start. It's smooth and clean, never missing a beat. Which is exactly what it should do given the game it's for.

9. Updates

Oh joy, costumes, what fun new content

There’s been…. some new content for this game. We’ve gotten a harder difficulty mode for those who really want a challenge. There’s an arcade mode I’ll address later, and the skins shown above.

Unless I forgot/missed something, that’s all the new content. Not a lot for sure, but definitely better than nothing. And it does assist in the replay value considerably, which I will get to in a bit.

8. Story

Main villain Kale being as hammy as possible

The main plot of Hi-Fi Rush is Vandelay Technologies, led by Kale, using its overworked army of robots to try for world domination. If that doesn’t sound like a cartoon setup I don’t know what does.

Throughout the story, you will face Kale and the members of his team, all of which are over the top in one way or another. Most memorable for me was the one named Wolfgang, who turned into a giant wolf and was battled to a rock remix of Wolfgang's music. Yes, this game goes there and it's all the better for it.

7. Combat

An intro to the rhythmic combat, with totally not Star Wars battle droids

Comparing this game’s combat to the likes of DMC would not be far off. It's fast-paced and combo-heavy, and enemies are aggressive. You have to keep moving or you will get hit. 

Where it departs from that is its use of music. I’ll get more into this in a bit, but every moment of combat is synced to the rhythm. Your strikes, the enemies’ blows, dodging, I could go on. 

You do not have to have a perfect sense of rhythm to do well in this game, but it definitely helps. You may have to lower the difficulty, but on easier levels, it isn’t that bad even for people with little to no sense of rhythm. Except for the parrying… just spam guard for that.

6. Music

Chai dorkily jamming to the music

As for the actual music, it's pretty good. Not the kind of stuff I’d likely listen to outside the game, but it suits its world rather well. Here’s a few samples.

Hi-Fi Rush OST The Rush

Hi-Fi Rush OST The Beacon

There are some rather standout tracks near the very end of the game, but I will leave those unspoiled. 

5. Sound Design

Tony Stark got Iron Man, Chai got rhythm 

Touching a bit more on the rhythmic nature of the world, this does extend to more than just the combat. Its everything.

This means that even movement can be synced to the rhythm, making this living world feel like it's part of a music track in an odd way. This is explained by Chai ending up with his music player embedded in his chest, much like how Tony Stark became Iron Man. Chai… sort of became a superhero? A lame one, but I guess it counts. 

4. Characters

The main crew trying and failing to look cool

The main crew of Hi-Fi Rush is a bunch of dorks. But in a very good way. They’re the sort of group that constantly bickers with each other (aside from the more collected members at least), but yet still manages to get the job done in the end. And if movies like Guardians of the Galaxy are anything to go by, it's a successful dynamic. 

You have the snarky and annoying but capable leader, his cat buddy who isn’t actually his, and the mechanic girl who may or may not be into him. Throw in a gentle giant, a rather British robot, and an executive of the villains who defects. That is your squad here, and while you only really play as Chai, the others are very present. Just don’t let the banter throw off your rhythm. 

3. Balance

Difficulty is a tricky matter here

Evaluating the difficulty of a rhythm game is not a simple task. For those with a good sense of rhythm, much of this game likely won’t pose much of an issue. But for the rest of us, this game gets hard and fast. 

Couple of notes on this front though. Lowering the difficulty has thankfully become a common practice and is an option here. I feel I am decent at rhythm games and didn’t have too much trouble once I lowered the difficulty, but experiences may vary. 

And for those who seek the challenge, the higher difficulties are there. With the updates even adding in an extra hard mode that only those who really know what they’re doing should attempt. I’ve seen enough of the hardest levels of rhythm games to know what to expect there, and very much pass. 

2. Replayability 

Hi-Fi Rush is a very arcadey game at its heart

When you finish it, Hi-Fi Rush doesn’t want to let you go. You are immediately notified that the mysterious locked doors in some levels are now open, providing access to secret and more challenging areas. In addition, the way levels are scored when you clear them provides an incentive to go back and improve your performance.

And that’s to say nothing of the very arcadey features added. Special challenges, both in and out of the main levels, are waiting here. This type of thing is very much not for everyone, and I had my fill of the game after the final boss. But more content is hardly ever a bad thing, so why not. Arcade away if you so desire. 

1. Fun Factor

A totally normal-looking cast of characters having a totally normal conversation 

When the difficulty wasn’t annoyingly hard, I was having a blast with Hi-Fi Rush. The quirky world and characters, beautiful art style, and most of all its use of music made this game feel incredibly alive.

For a shadow drop no one saw coming, Hi-Fi Rush has cemented itself as one of the most addicting (and affordable at only $30) games to come out this year. It's far from perfect, but it does a lot right and is a visual and audial treat. So come spend some time with ripoff Iron Man if you like, there’s even still a Brit. 

Score: 8.5

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https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/top-10-rhythm-games-play-2017

https://www.gamersdecide.com/pc-game-news/top-10-most-anticipated-adventure-games-coming-2017

https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/dmc-5-best-difficulty