Now Playing: Hi-Fi Rush

Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm-based action game in which you play as Chai, a young, wannabe rock star. When his cybernetic surgery goes wrong, Chai is labelled a defect and hunted by the evil Vandelay Technologies. In terms of gameplay – with its combos, parries and special attacks – Hi-Fi Rush is very reminiscent of games like Bayonetta or Devil May Cry.

But if, like me, you start trying to play it like one of those games, you might struggle. Because Hi-Fi Rush is very much a rhythm-based action game. You don’t just have to hit the right combos – you have to hit them in line with the beat. Your overall grade for each combat encounter is determined by three values – Score, Clear Time and, most importantly, Just Timing – how in tune with the beat you were. And everything is in tune with the beat, not just your attacks – jumps, dodges and parries also align and can help you boost your attack and chain together your beat combo from one enemy to the next.

Hi-Fi Rush is the kind of game that has you tapping your foot in tune with the music, not just because the music is a perfect fit for the action, but because it helps you get into the flow of the underlying beat. Whilst playing Hi-Fi Rush I developed an unconscious habit of tapping my fingers in tune to the beat even when I wasn’t playing it.

Combat can feel a little messy whilst you try to get ‘in tune’, but there is a helpful beat guide that you can put on the screen to learn. Once you do get the hang of it, however, you’ll discover that Hi-Fi Rush has a very fun, creative and stylish combat system. It does not, I admit, have as much depth or variety as the aforementioned Bayonetta or DmC games, but there’s enough here to keep you engaged throughout the entire game and the extensive post-game content.

You won’t just be fighting throughout each level, as Hi-Fi Rush also has a fair amount of platforming. Like the combat though, the world also moves in beat to the music, so timing jumps from one platform to the next, or ascending in an elevator isn’t just about going from A to B, it’s also about keeping the rhythm going.

You may play as Chai, but you won’t be on this adventure alone. You’ll encounter some new friends as you go who you can call upon to join you in battle, and each partner has a special skill that will be useful for dealing with specific foes. They can also join you for partner combos and parries as well as some wonderfully animated special attacks.

There are several boss fights in the game, all of which offer a varied experience. There’s also special enemies that can initiate ‘rhythm attacks’ in which the action is temporarily paused as you have to parry or dodge several attacks in timing to the unique beat of the attack. It might sound a little strange, but it makes perfect sense once you’ve done it a few times and it’s another reminder that Hi-Fi Rush is as much a music rhythm game, as it is an action game.

Visually, the world and characters of Hi-Fi Rush are absolutely gorgeous and exceptionally animated. It really does feel like you’re playing through a Saturday morning cartoon. The game is fun, and it feels like a labour of fun – it’s the kind of game that you can tell the developers had a real blast putting together.

The main story will probably take you about 12 hours or so but there’s good replay value in the form of collectibles to find (but not a ridiculous amount) and secret areas you can only unlock on your second run. There’s also plenty of post-game content and challenges to undertake. These can, admittedly, feel a little bit of a grind though, so I didn’t finish them all.

Hi-Fi Rush is the kind of game I want to see more of. It’s a smaller scale and (presumably) smaller budgeted original title that doesn’t outstay its welcome. It may be fun and intentionally tongue-in-cheek, but that doesn’t stop it from hitting a few emotional beats too. It mixes up the levels and environments and has a decent selection of enemy types.

Overall, I really don’t have much, if anything, to criticise about Hi-Fi Rush. The visuals, animations and sound are all excellent. The gameplay is fun, clever and engaging. If I were to criticise something it would be that the combat options are somewhat limited as you’ll likely unlock all of your combos and most of your special attacks long before you reach the end, so there’s nothing really new to explore on a replay or in the post-game challenges.

But aside from that, Hi-Fi Rush is easily one of the most fun and refreshing games I’ve played in years. If you love video games – and particularly the arcade style games of say, the Dreamcast era, then it’s the kind of game you really have to check out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

9/10