The characters really grow on you by the end of the story. There are some scenes later in the game where things slow down, and the characters have a few touching moments which was a pleasant surprise. But alongside the funny jokes, the game reveals itself to have a lot of heart and emotion behind all the gags. The writing leans more on the humorous side with genuinely funny jokes and bits of physical comedy that had me actually laughing out loud on a few occasions. The general tone of the game is lighthearted and carefree. The story in Hi-Fi Rush is a joy to experience. The robots of Vandelay Technologies label Chai as a defect and try to eradicate him, setting Chai and a group of soon-to-be friends on a journey to escape the massive campus and uncover a more sinister truth about Vandelay Technologies. Chai becomes fused with his music player and, as a result, everything in the world around him moves to the beat of the music. After a mishap with Chai’s surgery involving his MP3 player, Chai gets more than just a shiny new arm. Chai wishes to volunteer himself for a cybernetic enhancement test program called Project Armstrong, a program run by Vandelay Technologies which promises better lives through new robotic limbs. In Hi-Fi Rush, you play as Chai, a loveably dimwitted aspiring rockstar with a disabled arm.

After having spent the last week playing through Hi-Fi Rush, I can confidently say the game is a rare treat and a fantastic amount of fun.

But what came as an even greater surprise was that the full game was to be released that day. The trailer and gameplay showcased a brightly colored action game where everything from the combat to the animations synched up to the beat of the game’s rocking soundtrack. What came as a surprise to many was the announcement of a new game from Tango Gameworks, ( The Evil Within 1 & 2, Ghostwire Tokyo) called Hi-Fi Rush.

On January 25th, 2023, Xbox and Bethesda held their first (hopefully of many) “Developer_Direct”, a broadcast of pre-recorded developer presentations on a handful of games coming over the next few months.

Hi-fi rush health tank