© CNET Provided by MicrosoftIn a world where new games go through months-long (or even year-long) pre-launch campaigns, often resulting in disappointment when the finished product doesn't live up to the hype (I'm looking at you, Cyberpunk 2077), true joy can be hard to find.
Hi-Fi Rush, Microsoft's unexpected new rhythm-action game recently announced at the Developer Direct Showcase for Xbox, breaks that mold. Along with updates for upcoming games like Redfall and Minecraft Legends, Microsoft not only announced Hi-Fi Rush, but also announced that the game will be released on Xbox Game Pass on the same day. This means Xbox subscribers can download and play almost instantly at no extra cost. (It can also be purchased on PC or Xbox.)
Of course, many of us immediately downloaded and played the retro game. We quickly shared our impressions via Slack, so I asked a few colleagues to share their initial thoughts.
Xbox Series X: $499 Best BuyEric: Hi-Fi Rush reminds me of Sega's glory days. The end of the Saturn, the beginning of the Dreamcast era, when teams did whatever they wanted with games like Burning Rangers, Space Channel 5, Samba de Amigo, and Jet Set Radio. As much as I love them, no publisher would greenlight these games today. It's a pleasant surprise that Hi-Fi Rush channels the Sega games of this era so well
So far, I'm impressed with everything about this game: the animations, the bright colors, the controls, the combo system, the writing, and the sense of humor. It's an absolute miracle that this game was kept under wraps until its release on January 25th.
Best thing about Hi-Fi Rush: I can play this game on easy mode with my 4 and 6 year olds and they can progress (mostly) without my help. They even killed some chiefs. This is what I want to see more of from Xbox.
© CNET Provided by MicrosoftDan: Unlike the other amazing games that appear out of the Xbox Game Pass catalog (which can sometimes feel like cheap catalog filler), Hi-Fi Rush is... well.
It's like a long-lost generation of classic games like Jet Set Radio / Jet Grind Radio, where cel-colored youth dominate an oppressed dystopian society through a combination of skating and (later) graffiti or rock music and hand-to-hand combat. (now). The vibe is so similar it's like they share the same fictional universe.
For a free game (for existing subscribers) that doesn't rely on oversold characters or themes, I don't have much to complain about. However, one part of the game that didn't really appeal to me was the actual shooting, where players had to press buttons in time to the music to perform effective combos.
With wireless controllers and built in modern TVs and consoles, the time has never felt right. I have been playing bass for over 30 years and I know something is wrong. Yes, the TV has tweaks like custom game modes, but perhaps the real culprit is the main four-story rock shot. The game should swing a little more, just sitting behind the back. I guess I mean we need an R&B version?
Adam: I love surprises, like finding out what the brains behind The Evil Within came up with, a colorful rhythm-based action game that no one knows about, and revealing it the day it's announced. But the big surprise was how engaging the game was. The colors are vibrant and the animation evokes the unlimited power of Spider-Man: In the Spider-Verse. The game makes rhythm-based combat easy for you with plenty of tutorials and opportunities to practice the mechanics. And Robbie Diamond's voice acting turns an otherwise boring character into a surprisingly interesting protagonist.
All this adds up to a new and fun gaming experience. Hi-Fi Rush isn't the first game to incorporate rhythm mechanics into an action game, but it mixes things up in a unique way. It somehow mixes Spider-Man's fight with Persona 5's illuminated palace atmosphere and turns it into a rocking soundtrack. I'm not very close to the game, but I'm hoping Hi-Fi Rush can keep up that pace once I get past the basics and work on the later elements of the game.
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