Turn the dial on my words
Playing video games for a long time, you already know the spiel about how the modern AAA video game industry is. It's easy to understand why considering making video games keep getting more expensive the more ambitious they get to the point that taking a risk feels like a waste of money to the corporate entities of the world. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the hobby and whatever new comes out for the most part but it all what makes Hi-Fi Rush even more special in this regard. The comparison to it with titles from the sixth generation has been done ad nauseam and in a completely positive light and for good reason. Out of left field, a pure passion project inspired by the games of almost twenty years ago with unique graphical design and heart.
We're introduced to our less than bright protagonist, Chai at the very start of the game entering a campus in hopes of getting an easy way into accomplishing his dream of being a rockstar. Things somehow go wrong and now labeled as a defect, must fight his way through in hopes of keeping that dream alive and eventually with the help of his friends, find out what's really going on with Project Armstrong. The game does an amazing job bringing into this colorful and vibrant world where you can hear and see the beat of the soundtrack of your life. Trees vibrate, your own steps fall into the beat along even standing feels synchronized to the world. The overall tale that's told is one that doesn't make you think hard but it's one with a lot of meaningful messages and a heartwarming penultimate track that really brings it all together that made me tear up at that point, Hi-Fi Rush truly earned that moment then and there as one of the best games of the year for me but there's so much to unpack. The characters themselves bring something unique and charming to the table not just in the gameplay sense but how the dynamic between them works and how even weak by themselves but together are worth more than the sum of its parts. The writing comes off as something from a very mature Cartoon Network show to a really mild Adult Swim 15 minute run bordering on the TV-PG rating mostly due to the language as it is. It doesn't take itself seriously and ironically that's how I feel I can take the game seriously in everything else, it feels intentional because it was intentional.
Chai by definition is a "loser with nothing going for him" but his true calling is hitting things with a guitar and he's really good at it. The combat will feel immediately recognizable to fans of the character action genre with exploratory segments followed by arenas where it's time to fight it out. The rule of the game, more like rule of the world really is everything is on the beat and they really mean it. Chai attacks on the beat regardless of the timing of the button press and enemies act accordingly to the beat too creating this predictable ebb and flow that makes combat surprisingly more easy to understand compared to a lot more complex character action games. The best thing is you don't even need to attack on the beat to do damage as Chai will just attack when the beat comes but attacking on beat is more of a want than a need here. I think this is great as it makes the game a bit easier to get into and doesn't punish people for not hitting the beat. There is reason to hit on beat though as you'll do more damage and it's one of the requirements for getting a good rank. You can totally beat the game playing it like a regular action game but don't expect to get a high score which I think is a fair compromise. Another facet of combat is the assist system, Chai can go solo but he's nothing with his bandmates. Each one provides a solution and a unique element to Chai's moveset. The only annoying thing is when enemies have armor or shields that are only able to be destroyed with the assists and sometimes you'll need multiple summons to be able to finally attack, these moments can kill the pacing of fighting a bit but it's not that bad. The few moments where the action stops in a 1v1 scenario having to do a mini rhythm minigame in the form of parrying is actually fun too especially just feeling the beat. It took me a bit to get into the literal rhythm but once it clicks, it's like vintage video games at its best. Exploratory segments between the arenas feel right at home with me due to the games from the era in where you can try to find secrets in the level right before a big fight. There's also platforming that I think is just average and you can jump and dash to the beat too if you find yourself in that zone but it's never that huge of a focus despite doing it a fair bit throughout the game. The platforming is okay at best and you can jump and air dash to the beat as well but it's never really required here. I do wish there was a few more fights in the game but I think all things considered, they probably ran out of budget at some point and wanted to make the most polished experience they can and they really succeeded.
Some might find the art style ugly but I think it hits the era perfectly. The art style reminds me of mid 2000's Cartoon Network era cartoon shows bordering on those also found during an early Saturday morning. It gives more credence to the fact it tries to really hone in on that specific time in video game history where people wanted to experiment more and purely thought about how fun an experience is before meeting some quota for content. The intended soundtrack (including the licensed tracks) are extremely amazing and used almost perfectly especially during the penultimate track, I won't even link the music because experiencing it for yourself is the one of the best parts of the game. You gotta earn that shit because Hi-Fi Rush did. Mixing regular rock and fortunately changing things up with a little bit of Jazz, electronic, and even a bit of classical makes you feel surprised what you can do with a guitar.
There's always something seeing someone with self worth issues fixing everyone's and their own problems with a guitar. There's no easy way to achieving your dreams and there's nothing you can't do as long as you got people that care for you in your corner. Hi-Fi Rush is truly a pleasant surprise in every meaning of the word and priced perfectly that it feels much more compelling to try it out for yourself. It's a nice change of pace from seriousness of adult life and going back to when watching cartoons after finishing your math homework was a luxury. I hope the positive reception of the game sends a message that the market for experimental small scale titles in the AAA space never truly left, companies and publishers just felt so risk averse to the point this title should have never came out but it did and I'm grateful for that. You can always go solo and make some decent music but if you team up and make a cool ass band, you can change the world.
Playing video games for a long time, you already know the spiel about how the modern AAA video game industry is. It's easy to understand why considering making video games keep getting more expensive the more ambitious they get to the point that taking a risk feels like a waste of money to the corporate entities of the world. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the hobby and whatever new comes out for the most part but it all what makes Hi-Fi Rush even more special in this regard. The comparison to it with titles from the sixth generation has been done ad nauseam and in a completely positive light and for good reason. Out of left field, a pure passion project inspired by the games of almost twenty years ago with unique graphical design and heart.
We're introduced to our less than bright protagonist, Chai at the very start of the game entering a campus in hopes of getting an easy way into accomplishing his dream of being a rockstar. Things somehow go wrong and now labeled as a defect, must fight his way through in hopes of keeping that dream alive and eventually with the help of his friends, find out what's really going on with Project Armstrong. The game does an amazing job bringing into this colorful and vibrant world where you can hear and see the beat of the soundtrack of your life. Trees vibrate, your own steps fall into the beat along even standing feels synchronized to the world. The overall tale that's told is one that doesn't make you think hard but it's one with a lot of meaningful messages and a heartwarming penultimate track that really brings it all together that made me tear up at that point, Hi-Fi Rush truly earned that moment then and there as one of the best games of the year for me but there's so much to unpack. The characters themselves bring something unique and charming to the table not just in the gameplay sense but how the dynamic between them works and how even weak by themselves but together are worth more than the sum of its parts. The writing comes off as something from a very mature Cartoon Network show to a really mild Adult Swim 15 minute run bordering on the TV-PG rating mostly due to the language as it is. It doesn't take itself seriously and ironically that's how I feel I can take the game seriously in everything else, it feels intentional because it was intentional.
Chai by definition is a "loser with nothing going for him" but his true calling is hitting things with a guitar and he's really good at it. The combat will feel immediately recognizable to fans of the character action genre with exploratory segments followed by arenas where it's time to fight it out. The rule of the game, more like rule of the world really is everything is on the beat and they really mean it. Chai attacks on the beat regardless of the timing of the button press and enemies act accordingly to the beat too creating this predictable ebb and flow that makes combat surprisingly more easy to understand compared to a lot more complex character action games. The best thing is you don't even need to attack on the beat to do damage as Chai will just attack when the beat comes but attacking on beat is more of a want than a need here. I think this is great as it makes the game a bit easier to get into and doesn't punish people for not hitting the beat. There is reason to hit on beat though as you'll do more damage and it's one of the requirements for getting a good rank. You can totally beat the game playing it like a regular action game but don't expect to get a high score which I think is a fair compromise. Another facet of combat is the assist system, Chai can go solo but he's nothing with his bandmates. Each one provides a solution and a unique element to Chai's moveset. The only annoying thing is when enemies have armor or shields that are only able to be destroyed with the assists and sometimes you'll need multiple summons to be able to finally attack, these moments can kill the pacing of fighting a bit but it's not that bad. The few moments where the action stops in a 1v1 scenario having to do a mini rhythm minigame in the form of parrying is actually fun too especially just feeling the beat. It took me a bit to get into the literal rhythm but once it clicks, it's like vintage video games at its best. Exploratory segments between the arenas feel right at home with me due to the games from the era in where you can try to find secrets in the level right before a big fight. There's also platforming that I think is just average and you can jump and dash to the beat too if you find yourself in that zone but it's never that huge of a focus despite doing it a fair bit throughout the game. The platforming is okay at best and you can jump and air dash to the beat as well but it's never really required here. I do wish there was a few more fights in the game but I think all things considered, they probably ran out of budget at some point and wanted to make the most polished experience they can and they really succeeded.
Some might find the art style ugly but I think it hits the era perfectly. The art style reminds me of mid 2000's Cartoon Network era cartoon shows bordering on those also found during an early Saturday morning. It gives more credence to the fact it tries to really hone in on that specific time in video game history where people wanted to experiment more and purely thought about how fun an experience is before meeting some quota for content. The intended soundtrack (including the licensed tracks) are extremely amazing and used almost perfectly especially during the penultimate track, I won't even link the music because experiencing it for yourself is the one of the best parts of the game. You gotta earn that shit because Hi-Fi Rush did. Mixing regular rock and fortunately changing things up with a little bit of Jazz, electronic, and even a bit of classical makes you feel surprised what you can do with a guitar.
There's always something seeing someone with self worth issues fixing everyone's and their own problems with a guitar. There's no easy way to achieving your dreams and there's nothing you can't do as long as you got people that care for you in your corner. Hi-Fi Rush is truly a pleasant surprise in every meaning of the word and priced perfectly that it feels much more compelling to try it out for yourself. It's a nice change of pace from seriousness of adult life and going back to when watching cartoons after finishing your math homework was a luxury. I hope the positive reception of the game sends a message that the market for experimental small scale titles in the AAA space never truly left, companies and publishers just felt so risk averse to the point this title should have never came out but it did and I'm grateful for that. You can always go solo and make some decent music but if you team up and make a cool ass band, you can change the world.
MisterProject
1 year ago