Hi-Fi Rush: A Rhythm Game that Falls Flat

When I first started playing Hi-Fi Rush, I was excited to dive into a game that promised to bring back the nostalgia of the mid-2000s music era. However, as I progressed through the game's exploration sections, I began to feel like the limited setlist was more of a curse than a blessing.

The song guides you through the obstacles, making it easy to navigate without even looking at the screen. Nailing these parts without dying or breaking your rhythm is like making it through a Mario level on pure reflex. Sometimes, the game even locks the camera and becomes a sidescroller, requiring you to time your jumps and quickly summon a teammate to break through shields and doors before the next beat hits.

Unfortunately, this sense of rhythm only extends to the sections in between each battle arena. Without recognizable music or challenging tempo shifts, everything starts to blend together. The game's combat also fails to push back on button spam, making it feel like an OK character action game where you cycle through your summons and perform simple combos until the score screen comes up.

As I continued playing, I started to notice that the game rarely challenged me to adapt my rhythm or timing. Some attacks can only be dodged, but spamming parry when the song lined up just right almost always kept me safe. Because the enemies only attack on the beat and are telegraphed with lines and circles on the ground, you can easily dodge or parry them back for damage.

By the end of the game, I could grapple towards a robot, launch it into the air, and then call in Peppermint to fire a massive laser beam into it. If that didn't cut it, I had Macaron on standby to smash it into scrap metal. Each character has their own unique abilities, such as Macaron smashes armor apart, and the final character you get is able to douse pockets of fire in the arena.

As you progress and defeat bosses that test your parry timing and sometimes become just literal rhythm games, you can buy additional moves and passive bonuses. Peppermint blasts enemies with her gun and is necessary for knocking out enemy shields. At any moment, or as a finisher, you can pull in a teammate to help you.

Overall, Hi-Fi Rush felt like a game that failed to live up to its potential. While it has some fun moments, it ultimately falls flat due to its limited setlist and lack of challenge in its combat. If you're looking for a true rhythm game experience, I would recommend exploring other options.

Hifi rush steam