We don’t often see games shadow drop onto the Xbox family of consoles but I now think it’s my absolute favourite way to receive a video game. There is no speculation, no hype, no build-up, nothing. If memory serves me right Apex Legends is possibly the last significant surprise that was kept completely under wraps. Hi-Fi Rush developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks has arrived in style. Not only was this a bombshell announcement at the Xbox Developer Direct showcase on Wednesday 25th January 2023, but the world was also sent into shock as we were told we could play it on the very same day. So not only is it here to stay, it’s available as part of your Xbox Game Pass subscription.

Introduction

You start the story off with Chai, a wannabe rockstar who sees a strange turn of events as he is reeled in by an evil corporation. With a robotic arm and music player attached to his chest, you’ll soon be sent out into the game world to deal with all the bad with your trusty makeshift replica guitar constructed from a pipe and other metal parts. If I had to describe Hi-Fi Rush it would be like Sunset Overdrive and Jet Set Radio walked hand in hand and met up with Devil May Cry en route. I

It blends qualities from classics that have been loved into a well-oiled platformer and brawler into one. The difference is that your attacks are timed to the beat of the music and whilst you don’t have to get everything bang on the money with timing, it can make for thrilling gameplay whatever your ability is. Chai and the cast of characters are a bunch that will grow on you, both on the good and the bad side of the fence.

Gameplay

Platforming takes up the main portion of your actions as you’ll be wading through the levels negotiating jumps, dodging obstacles and then engaging with enemies through several hordes through each mission. As you start you’ll slowly be introduced to how to time your light and heavy attacks alongside your special abilities. Timing is key but it isn’t always essential to get this spot on but if you do, you’ll be rewarded with better scoring as each area has a ranking system. For instance, if your timing is consistently off, then you’ll be lucky to get ranked C at the end of the portion of the level. Pull off constant perfect timings and you’ll fire right up to an A ranking and beyond and the S rank is the optimum scoring point.

Use The Hub Between Missions

Between each mission, you’ll be taken to a central hub area where you can purchase extra combo attacks, special attacks and better abilities. You’ll want to utilise these as the game does become progressively more challenging as you plough further on and learn the parry ability as enemies become tougher. All these purchasable items can be gained with in-game currency that is collected from crates you can smash to smithereens or fallen opponents.

Boss Fights Are The Real Challenge

There are several boss fights to top off each level and each is unique in the way they attack. You’ll come across six villains that you can’t help but love. Rekka, Zanzo, Korsica, Mimosa, Roquefort and Kale make up the six and all have their own personalities and witty humour through the well-narrated dialogue. Each level is spent working up to this final duel with the boss and you’ll need to be mindful of your placement, health and timing of rhythm attacks to defeat them successfully.

Chai & Peppermint Work In Sync

Of course, they had to implement a cute robot cat into the game and without spoiling the story too much, Peppermint is the mind of the robot cat. Sounds confusing but it all makes sense as you uncover the storyline. Peppermint will assist you in very brief moments during battle and you can call her in to assist with completing the light puzzle-solving elements or to shred the shield off enemies with her dual-wielded weapons. You’ll meet up with a couple of other allies along the way but I won’t spoil the rest for you. What I adored though was that the voice acting was on point and whilst the cheesy humour may not be for everyone, they have got it absolutely right for the style of game.

Graphics & Audio

Where do I actually start with how amazing this game displays? The art design across the board throughout Hi-Fi Rush is absolutely stunning and you feel like you’re part of a living and breathing comic book for the entirety. Performance is exceptional and for my entire playthrough, I never experienced a single hiccup or issue. Everything ran as smooth as butter and in glorious 4k 60FPS on the Xbox Series X. I am led to believe that the Xbox Series S version of the game displays brilliantly as well at 1440p 60FPS.

The game world was interesting for the most part and whilst the whole approach to the game is vastly linear, there are some nooks and crannies within levels where you can uncover extra pickups. By far the most impressive portions of the game were the animated cutscenes and boss fights. Whilst I found the first level to be mostly a tutorial introduction to the game when the first boss comes along the action really ramps up and I was open-jawed at the attention to detail. The artistry as a whole would easily slot alongside Cuphead as some of the best game art I’ve ever clapped eyes on.

A Bit Of Rock Always Makes Life Better

The soundtrack is excellent and features some licenced music from the likes of Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy and The Joy Formidable. The opening scenes of the game with The Black Keys ringing out literally gave me goosebumps as I was taking in how awesome this concept was. If you’re planning to record footage or stream to your audience then the development team have filtered in a streamer-friendly mode which will allow you to crack on without getting demonetized. There is some other catchy music thrown in the mix and everything about the music compliments the control scheme and rhythm-based attacks.

In Conclusion

Hi-Fi Rush has become an overnight sensation and already slots into my personal catalogue for game of the year contender of 2023 and we are less than four weeks in. Everything about the game simply oozes quality from start to finish, for a game that was kept so secret, it is staggering how polished and outstanding the presentation really is. The art style is absolutely gorgeous even just to look at, let alone be a part of the well-constructed and animated world. Absorbing the incredible adrenaline-fuelled soundtrack whilst timing everything to the beat just works, and watching your surroundings be part of the timings whilst Chai clicks his fingers just makes the whole package such a joyous time.

From the very moment, I loaded into this brand new IP and its intriguing world with challenging enemies and superbly designed boss fights, I was instantly drawn in. It’s one of those games that you can’t put down and when you go to work or go about your daily life, you’re just thinking about playing it again. Whilst I have smashed through the storyline in around 12 hours in two sittings, I already want to go back and play it again to perfect it and discover anything I have missed.

Final Thoughts

It’s clear that Tango Gameworks took a gamble with a whole new project after Ghostwire Tokyo and The Evil Within, and they have absolutely smashed it out of the park. Hi-Fi Rush is hand on heart one of the most memorable and special adventures I’ve had on Xbox and the surprise element of the shadow drop straight onto Xbox Game Pass has thrust 2023 into a promising year for the brand.