Where to play- Xbox series x/s (Game pass or bought)
Personal rating- 10/10
I’m going to be completely honest here when I say I judge games based on the style, I KNOW IT SOUNDS BAD BUT! That exact criteria is what led me to Hi-Fi Rush.
Hi-Fi Rush starts off by meeting Chai, a wannabe rockstar with a presumably broken arm, who is dropping off his application to be a part of Kale Vandelay, Project Armstrong. Project Armstrong works to infuse humans with technology in order to make the world a better place. Chai, being the impulsive hero with a dream, is one of the first applicants to actually undergo the fusion, the only problem is that the fusion doesn't go as planned. Moments before the fusion happens his MP3 falls onto his chest, then BAM, the fusion is complete. Now blessed with this gift, Chai is selected to be the best edition of Project Armstrong, he is given a robotic arm to become a trash collector! Remember that MP3 that fell into his chest before the fusion? Yeah, that's a problem now. Chai now has to deal with murder robots who label him as a “defect”. But the MP3 infusion didn’t bring only bad into his life, it allowed him to turn scrap metal into a guitar, and it also made everything around him sync up to the beat of his MP3. While trying to get to safety he saves a talking robotic cat, well the cat actually has someone using it as a bluetooth speaker, and that someone needs help bringing SPECTRA down. SPECTRA is a program that can mind control all those who have Armstrong tech in them, but it can only be taken down with a key from each of the Armstrong executives. Will Chai and this mystery person be able to defeat SPECTRA? Or will Chai be unable to control his newfound power while dealing with his massive ego?
With that being said let me go over some of my favorite aspects of this game.
With that being said let me go over some of my favorite aspects of this game.
Game Mechanics
This was one of my first rhythm games besides the piano tile knockoffs, and to be honest it was everything I could’ve asked for and more. There is always music playing in this game, always. Every move you make is following some of the music's rhythm, but if you make a move like running, jumping, or attacking on the exact beat, you get a boost.
This was one of my first rhythm games besides the piano tile knockoffs, and to be honest it was everything I could’ve asked for and more. There is always music playing in this game, always. Every move you make is following some of the music's rhythm, but if you make a move like running, jumping, or attacking on the exact beat, you get a boost.
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~Fighting~
The fighting style in this game is honestly amazing. There are heavy and simple moves, a simple move is quick and can be done every beat, a heavy move on the other hand can only be done every other move. The heavy attack honestly took me quite a while to master because I was so used to basically button mashing on all the other games, but in order to actually play this game correctly you need to really tune in with the beat. Another great thing is that you can mix and match the hits for combos, each combination of heavy and simple moves results in a combo. The only icky thing about this is that you have to purchase combos in order to use them, but it's not that bad since it's very easy to get this game's currency. The currency is basically gold and silver gears which is very fitting in my opinion. |
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~Side Characters Helping~
Hi-Fi Rush has super loving side characters like Peppermint, Macaron, and Korsica that you can call in to do things Chai can’t do. For example, Peppermint can shoot far distance items like buttons or shields covering buttons, she can also break characters' blue shields during battle. Macaron is the bulk fighter, he can break through what are called Z-Shields. Korsica is basically an airbender, when you have fire enemies or a fire wall, she’s your girl. This implementation of characters in quests and boss fights is just really well executed. I love the fact that the creators probably did this because Chai was so used to going solo but he finally realized that he needed the help of others. And that leads me to my next point.
Hi-Fi Rush has super loving side characters like Peppermint, Macaron, and Korsica that you can call in to do things Chai can’t do. For example, Peppermint can shoot far distance items like buttons or shields covering buttons, she can also break characters' blue shields during battle. Macaron is the bulk fighter, he can break through what are called Z-Shields. Korsica is basically an airbender, when you have fire enemies or a fire wall, she’s your girl. This implementation of characters in quests and boss fights is just really well executed. I love the fact that the creators probably did this because Chai was so used to going solo but he finally realized that he needed the help of others. And that leads me to my next point.
~Character Development~
One thing I loved was that the creators didn’t make the entire game based on Chai and his dreams, but they made it based on how he could make a change. The game's main point is to take down SPECTRA, which Peppermint asked Chai to help her as a favor for saving him earlier on. Chai only worried about himself at first and went solo on everything, but as time went on, he realized that he couldn't do this alone. This was one of the most impactful scenes in the game's final level. I won't go too into detail but I will say that Chai finally realizes that in order to succeed, he has to cooperate with others and drop down his ego a few notches.
One thing I loved was that the creators didn’t make the entire game based on Chai and his dreams, but they made it based on how he could make a change. The game's main point is to take down SPECTRA, which Peppermint asked Chai to help her as a favor for saving him earlier on. Chai only worried about himself at first and went solo on everything, but as time went on, he realized that he couldn't do this alone. This was one of the most impactful scenes in the game's final level. I won't go too into detail but I will say that Chai finally realizes that in order to succeed, he has to cooperate with others and drop down his ego a few notches.
Another thing is how well Korsica’s character arc was executed. Korsica was a devoted employee working under Kale Vandelay, the CEO of Project Armstrong. Chai and his team went to defeat Korsica but realized that she didn’t have a key, she memorized her password. So instead of fighting her, Chai tries to convince her to help the cause. Korsica didn’t actually agree until the team saved her from the brink of death. Korsica’s development didn’t feel sudden or forced at all, actually throughout the whole game you can see moments where she questions what she's doing and why she's doing it. Korsica is easily one of my favorite characters.
The Art Style
The vibes this game is giving me is something out of a modern day comic book. The game has the traditional game style scenes but every once in a while it has different cutscenes with traditional comic book styles or even anime styles.
The vibes this game is giving me is something out of a modern day comic book. The game has the traditional game style scenes but every once in a while it has different cutscenes with traditional comic book styles or even anime styles.
Final Thoughts
Hi-Fi Rush was such an enjoyable game for me. The music combined with the characters and story made it impossible for me to put down. If you decide to play this game and feel disappointed once it's over, don't worry, because there's more! After the game is over you get to go back to previous levels for a side mission. I’ll leave it there for now in hopes that you’ll give this game a try yourself!
Hi-Fi Rush was such an enjoyable game for me. The music combined with the characters and story made it impossible for me to put down. If you decide to play this game and feel disappointed once it's over, don't worry, because there's more! After the game is over you get to go back to previous levels for a side mission. I’ll leave it there for now in hopes that you’ll give this game a try yourself!
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Characters Chai Robo-trash picker (rockstar side job) Needed to tone down his ego a bit Optimistic Peppermint Smarty pants Passive Aggressive with love Family issues central Macaron Big Cuddly Bear Pacifist until he remembers how he lost his job Smarty pants pt.2 Korsica Girlboss Pretty Scottish voice Most loyal character Best character Arc (best character) CNMN Phycology robot Sarcastic and doesn't know it(cus hes a robot) Puts a lot of work in his expressions (he draws them on) 808 Robo cat Bonded with Chai 5 minutes after they met Best animal sidekick Saved everyone (in one of the last scenes) |
