Hi-Fi Rush hitting GamePass today! (from Tango Gameworks/Bethesda)

[Romier S]

This looked fantastic! What a surprise drop, too!

It reminded me of Sunder Overdrive aesthetically.

 

 

[Romier S]

 

[Angry the Clown]

Looks excellent. What a wonderful treat for them to reveal and release it in one go!

[JFo]

This was quite the surprise. From what I’ve seen in today’s Xbox presentation, I would go so far as to say this is the most convincing cel-shaded game I’ve seen yet. The animation — especially in the cut scenes — has a very realistic hand-drawn feel to it.

[Magness]

Love the art style - and it’s playable on Steamdeck 😊 

[Angry the Clown]

32 minutes ago, JFo said:

I would go so far as to say this is the most convincing cel-shaded game I’ve seen yet. The animation — especially in the cut scenes — has a very realistic hand-drawn feel to it.

 

I thought that too. Some excellent work.

[Romier S]

Downloading on Series X as we speak.

[JoeyN]

Outside Gamepass the game is $30, and there is a $10 deluxe upgrade.

[JoeyN]

Played until after the first big boss, and enjoying it. The graphics/art style is fantastic. 

[JoeyN]

[dogbert]

This is a ton of fun. Feels very Sega-y blue sky arcade era. 

[Romier S]

You know it’s pretty cool to see these shadow drops from publishers. I only wish that this one was worth the hype that was generated at the show. It’s got cartoony and colorful graphics, which is great, but the whole rhythm thing is nothing but a gimmick. I’m just totally………..fuckin” with you all!!

 

I am five hours into this and I had to force myself to put it down. It is absolutely incredible. For all intents and purposes, it’s a rhythm based character action game, à la Bayonetta, or Devil May Cry. Each level is just wonderfully linear in all of the right ways with just enough exploration as to not feel like you’re going down a set of connected hallways. I was dreading that after the opening segments that the game would suddenly drop you into this big open world, and thankfully that just never happened. When you’re not in combat, then you’re traversing the environments with simple platforming that gets more complex with additional partner moves, and some really fun rail segments that totally remind me of Sunset Overdrive and Ratchet.

 

Combat starts very simple and the game does a great job of explaining its underlying rhythm based systems. Everything from how the environments function as a means to understand the beat, to step by step walkthroughs of how to vary attacks. It can feel a little handholdy, but honestly it’s necessary. Especially for people who really may not have rhythm or who may struggle getting into that zone. If you continue to struggle, the game does give you the ability to turn on a beat meter at any point which is just fantastic accessibility. As you progress, the game continues to just add new moves and mechanics to add layers to the combat. Even five levels into the game, it is still introducing new mechanics that I need to work into combat encounters. It’s truly deceptively simple, but it has a ton of depth! I’m playing on hard mode, too so the challenge is definitely there.

 

 If Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart was the culmination of video games looking like a controllable Pixar movie, then Hi-Fi Rush is the culmination of controlling a beautifully realized, hand drawn anime. It’s gorgeous, it runs at a full 4K, and at an unyielding 60 frames per second on the Series X. It also has a fantastic soundtrack and some of the music that they use for the boss battles is just on point.

 

There’s so much more that I want to say, but honestly I just love everything about this game. Thus far, it is 2023’s “Returnal” for me. A game that was seemingly made in a lab to check off every thing that I enjoy about video games. Unless the game just falls off a cliff as I progress, it is without question the best thing that Microsoft has published since the 360 era in my view (yes, it’s Bethesda but that’s Microsoft now  ) and I would be shocked if it did not make my game of the year list this year.

[Romier S]

Oh and Bethesda better do a proper f’ing physical release for this game. I need to own this. If it was out there, I would have already given them my money.

[Romier S]

I think the most surprising part of this game is that when you see this type of shadow drop, your mind immediately goes to a quickly made "budget" title. The game did launch with a budget price but there's absolutely nothing about this that's "budget". Action games with this level of polish are not easy to make and don't just exist in droves out there. Much less a game that layers music/rhythm on top of the action, has this level of voice acting and visuals. This took time and an experienced team to make and kudos to Bethesda/Microsoft/Tango for keeping it a complete secret!

 

This is a Capcom action game circa early 2001-2003 (which isn't shocking considering Mikami and the staff at Tango) and to me, this is exactly where Xbox needs to play. I want the Ori Microsoft. The Cuphead Microsoft. The Hi-Fi Rush Microsoft. These games are infinitely more interesting to me than the next Halo, Gears, or Forza. 

 

Sorry, I know I'm gushing here but I cannot contain my love for this game.:)

[Romier S]

This is exactly what this feels like!

 

[JFo]

Hell, I’d buy the physical copy of this game if it came out with that box art.

[Romier S]

I'm getting ready to start the last level. The boss fight with

 

Mimosa, the marketing boss

was special.:) I'll just let you guys experience that fun!

 

I should have it this one in the books tomorrow night in time for Dead Space Remake to hit. It will be my first of several playthroughs. There are two higher difficulties levels above hard that are calling my name. I've got about 10 hours into this and given the length of the previous levels, I would say 12 hours is the average time to completion. I'll verify that once I've finished the game tomorrow.

 

My opinion has not changed. It's absolutely an early game of the year candidate for me.

 

@dogbertthere's a

 

Twin Peaks

reference that made me laugh in the middle of the game. It's out of nowhere and so well handled. I also love the cameos by the hard boiled detective robots that are obviously Sebastian and Joseph from the first Evil Within game. 

[Angry the Clown]

Played the first hour last night and I absolutely love it. Crazy to think a game of the year contender could be something that was revealed and released out of nowhere before January had even ended.

[foogledricks]

I fell for Romier’s deception.

[Magness]

Grabbed this today on Steam (currently £21) and loving it. Only about an hour into it myself but, it plays beautifully on Steamdeck so far and looks even better on the Game PC at 4K 😎🎸

[Romier S]

The fact that some of the later mini-bosses and even segments of the boss fights turns into Space Channel 5 has me like....

 

 

Seriously, as I'm playing all I could think was "chu chu chu" and my heart just melted.

[ChrisBardon]

That sounds awesome.  I think this is next up after I finish off God of War. 

[Romier S]

My god. 

The music that plays during (last stage spoilers)

 

Chai's moment of focus and emotional realization that he doesn't need the guitar

is /amazing/. Such a wonderfully earned moment and they saved the best original music track for it.

 

How does each level top the last!? Almost done.

[Romier S]

All done. What more can I say? It’s January. 2023 has only just begun and we have a year of extremely strong games to come so anything I say will sound extraordinarily hyperbolic but Microsoft/Bethesda has thrown down the opening gauntlet this year and it’s one helluva gauntlet. Returnal released in April and I called it an early game of the year contender and it ended up being my GOTY 2021. I will say the same thing for Hi-Fi Rush here. The rest of this years game slate has an extremely high mountain to climb to knock this one off. 
 

RUN, don’t walk to download and play this. It has my highest recommendation possible. 

[Romier S]

Oh there’s tons of post-game content, too! I shall return after Dead Space and my planned FFVII Remake playthrough for sure!