Announced during a Microsoft presentation, the game Hi-Fi Rush is a real breath of fresh air. This title is good for the Xbox ecosystem, which needs games that can make an impression.
Microsoft held its first speech of 2023 on Wednesday January 25, after a very disappointing 2022. The menu was announced in advance, driven in particular by the new Forza Motorsport (and its dizzying graphics). But, there was still a surprise, the extent of which we could not guess after the first images broadcast. During this Developer_Direct, we discovered Hi-Fi Rushavailable immediately on Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X and PC (as well as in the Xbox Game Pass).
Hi-Fi Rush is developed by Tango Gameworks, a studio created by Shinji Mikami – the father of the first Resident Evil – specialist in the horror genre. Hi-Fi Rush is far from having been thought to scare. It’s even quite the opposite: in an ultra-colorful futuristic universe, in a cel-shaded aesthetic (visualize a cartoon), we embody Chai, a young hero who must rise up against a Machiavellian enterprise. The boosted soundtrack is an integral part of the gameplay – which moves well. Good news: the success of Hi-Fi Rushwell deserved, was immediate.
Hi-Fi Rush is not just a short-lived hit
Tango Gameworks is trying something else entirely with Hi-Fi Rush. After making fear an argument in his first three projects, he raises music to the rank of pillar to transform an action experience into a rhythmic test. In Hi-Fi Rush, the deal is simple: the more we hit following the tempo of the soundtrack, the more our attacks are powerful and the style note high. Developers materialize the idea that a beat them all can be compared to a spectacular ballet. Evidenced by the way the heroine Bayonetta seems to dance when she fights. Another example is the status of rockstar icon that Dante, the face of Devil May Cry, can boast of. Music is part of the DNA of beat them allAnd Hi-Fi Rush derives a posture. You don’t think you have the rhythm in your skin? Do not panic. In the menus, you can activate a visual aid so as not to rely solely on your ears.
Hi-Fi Rush is based on a very clever concept to restore color – literally and figuratively – to a very popular category of games. He also takes the opportunity to roll out, level after level, a myriad of ideas that constantly renew the gameplay and offer real room for improvement. Chai will eventually pick up a grappling hook to make his job easier, then he’ll get help from other characters to defend himself against a horde of cute-looking robots. Hi-Fi Rush impresses with his generosity. Some might even find the levels a little too long, as they have so much to offer (new mechanics, secret places, resources to pick up, bosses, etc.). It sometimes takes about forty minutes before moving on to the next chapter, which is quite confusing when you feel like everything is going fast.
In addition to a know-how worthy of a real conductor, Hi-Fi Rush assumes everything with a prodigious artistic direction and full of details. First there’s the soundtrack, which features artists like Prodigy, Nine Inch Nails and The Black Kheys (there’s even a Beethoven remix!). The music is so intoxicating that everything moves at its own pace — even certain elements of the decor. You’re going to want to gesticulate on your sofa while playing Hi-Fi Rush. There is no better proof to highlight the catchy character of a game partly dedicated to acoustic pleasure.
Then there is this visual part which enchants from start to finish, underlined by a technical solidity to be shown in schools (it’s always fluid). The rendering is sparkling and inspired, with a playful overall design. The look of the bad guys won’t scare many people, as if Tango Gameworks wanted to exorcise its demons from the past and forget about this quest for the filthy in both The Evil Within. There’s even a cute robot cat in Hi-Fi Rush (which we can of course fart when the opportunity arises). The developers have gone so far as to embed references more or less obvious (of Twin PeaksDavid Lynch’s cult series), even self-quotation (the hero of The Evil Within participates in a running gag).
Finally, Tango Gameworks opts for a resolutely light tone, with touches of humor. Throughout the adventure, it is possible to come across newspapers to read. These are often funny anecdotes, providing information on the sometimes painful daily life of the many robots that inhabit the surroundings. The whole allows to draw a tasty universe, fruit of a remarkable work of writing. All these arguments make Hi-Fi Rush endearing, knowing that they summon values dear to the world of manga (courage and mutual aid in mind). There is nothing fundamentally original in these themes, but the game, harmless, is based on a sincerity that feels good. The fact that Hi-Fi Rush has not been the subject of a premature announcement, nor has it been the victim of a leak, is a blessing: the notion of discovery is permanent and we let ourselves be carried away by Chai and his band. From the first to the last note.
The verdict
We liked
- A terribly clever concept
- A real margin of progress
- Art direction to die for
We liked less
- Long levels
- Some hiccups in the platform phases
- You have to like children’s worlds
After three more or less successful horror games, we thought that Tango Gameworks would lock itself into a genre difficult to renew. With Hi-Fi Rush, a landmark shadow-drop, Shinji Mikami’s studio takes everyone by surprise. The success is all the more total.
The idea behind Hi-Fi Rush is of obvious intelligence: transforming a simple beat them all into a rhythm-based experience. The result is a game of overflowing generosity, animated as a bonus by a well-presented and terribly catchy universe. Music, master.
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