Hi-Fi Rush

Microsoft is good at making bad decisions. This game and the dev team are S-tier. The gameplay is somewhat similar to Devil May Cry but it is also a rhythm game. The Steam achievements are no joke either. More importantly, the music is good and the characters are well-written. If there is one complaint I have, it is about Steam achievements: Why do I need to beat the game five times on each difficulty instead of completing it at the highest difficulty and automatically complete the lower difficulties? The achievements could be streamlined like this.

A few years after [b]Hi-Fi Rush[/b] took the scene by storm, as it was kept under wraps and then released on the same day it was announced, does it deserve the hype? Absolutely. The amazing cel-shaded graphics, which are also quite light on the hardware, are a textbook demonstration of how art direction stands over visual fidelity any day; they will still be great to look at 20 years from now. The sound doesn't disappoint either, important as it is for a game centered on music and rhythm, with a great selection of licensed tracks to go along with music composed for the occasion. The animations are constantly synchronized to the beat, making for an audio-visual delight. Praise also goes to how seamlessly the cutscenes are integrated within the gameplay parts. For all its over-the-top silliness and many moments of great comedy, the story of the game also has a strong message against corporate mentality, which is even more valid in 2026, and is darkly ironic given the vicissitudes of the developer (to be fair, the fact they have been revived is a lot compared to many others that just went down the drain). So far it was just the style, but the substance is just as much, and just as tasty. Things start simple enough, and new mechanics are introduced gradually. It takes about half the game for all of them to be introduced, and from then on you have to manage dodging, parrying, and using the companions to break specific enemies (by the way, with the mouse and keyboard setup, the mouse wheel works greatly to switch between them), but it never gets overwhelming in that respect; getting a series of parries right is especially satisfying. Of course, players who can keep the beat are going to take the most advantage, but the developers made clear efforts to make things enjoyable for everyone, across skill levels and facilitations listed under the Accessibility options. A few elements put a slight brake on the game. I'm talking primarily about the character upgrade system, where even new moves must be bought, and so even with excellent play, more than a few playthroughs are likely required just to get a wider moveset; as a few collectibles merely unlock the ability to buy moves, I wonder if there couldn't instead be a gradual unlock or reward for exploration, rather than what has become a typical facet of modern game design. Related to that, the necessity to collect as many gears as possible likely caused the developers to design entire sections that merely exist to, well, collect as many gears as possible. Now and then, there is a strong feeling of padding, and of levels being longer than they need to be. For all the humor that lands, there's sometimes an insistence on fourth-wall-breaking commentary on things that are absurd and make sense only in a video game. It fell flat for me most of the time. While noticeable in my experience, the above flaws are little compared to the overall quality, and are almost forgotten when it's time to face a boss, or to confront a bunch of enemies with "Invaders Must Die" playing. It's not just a game full of energy, it's been designed to be one, and it's sure to "infect" the player. Despite some controversies surrounding their new home at Krafton, the hope is that the second chance Tango Gameworks has been afforded will mean the same for the [b]Hi-Fi Rush[/b] IP in the future.

[h1]Hi-Fi RUSH Review[/h1] Going into [b]Hi-Fi RUSH[/b], I honestly didn't expect to enjoy it. It's made by Tango Gameworks, the same studio behind [b]Ghostwire: Tokyo[/b], a game that unfortunately didn't click with me. I had a feeling this wouldn't either. I couldn't have been more wrong. I had an absolute blast from start to finish. The world is incredibly vibrant and full of personality, with almost every object dancing to the rhythm of the music. The environments are beautifully crafted, packed with hidden areas, and feature doors that become accessible after completing the game, giving you a reason to come back. The boss fights are genuinely memorable. Every phase introduces new mechanics that keep things fresh, and the cutscenes that follow each boss are incredibly stylish and satisfying to watch. I never completely mastered the combat, so I didn't attempt the higher difficulties, but I still had a great time. The parry system feels rewarding, and there's a good variety of combos and abilities to experiment with. The story may be fairly straightforward, but it's charming, entertaining, and filled with lovable characters. By the end, I was left with that bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye to a cast I'd grown attached to. You can really tell how much love and care went into making this game. It's an easy recommendation from me. Much love. ❤️ [hr][/hr] [h1]Performance -[/h1] Performance was excellent on both my PC and Steam Deck OLED. I experienced no major issues throughout my playthrough. My only complaint is the anti-aliasing. The default implementation is overly aggressive and doesn't complement the game's cel-shaded art style very well. It tends to blur fine details together to the point where I could barely make out Chai's nose in some scenes. A fix is to update the game's DLSS to the latest version (DLSS 4.5) using the NVIDIA App or another DLSS swapping tool. Besides improving image quality, it also significantly cleans up the anti-aliasing and makes the game look much sharper.