Hi-Fi Rush review | PC Gamer

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Hi-Fi Rush screenshot of Chai and 808


Need to know

What is it? A cel-shaded rhythm action game with a mid-2000s rock soundtrack.
Expect to pay: $30
Release date: January 25, 2023
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Reviewed on: RTX 3080, Ryzen 9 3900X, 32GB RAM
Multiplayer? No
Link: Official site (opens in new tab)

For all of its screaming electric guitars and raucous drums, Hi-Fi Rush is surprisingly low-key. Smashing apart killer robots to the beat of licensed rock tracks from artists like Nine Inch Nails, The Black Keys, and The Prodigy is rad as hell. It’s like going for a run and trying to sync each step to the album you’re jamming to. It’s playing Devil May Cry, but every drum hit in Bury the Light (opens in new tab) is an opportunity to continue your combo. But after establishing its hook in a killer opening, Hi-Fi Rush’s high energy starts to wane.

Hi-Fi Rush has a bright, cel-shaded world and top-heavy killer robots, the kind of goofy aesthetic that’d play well on a blurry TV screen in the background of an NCIS episode—it looks extremely like a videogame from the mid-2000s. It’s largely the music, combined with its snappy animation style, that elevates this simple aesthetic. Trees, lampposts, and pipes bounce along to the soundtrack, and main character Chai is constantly snapping his fingers, which causes a tiny comic book spark to appear each time.



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