XAVIER BOATNER
campus editor
xavier.boatner@my.tccd.edu

Xbox took the internet by storm with “Hi-Fi Rush,” a colorful, rhythmic action game that takes pride in being absolutely delightful.

Developer Tango Gameworks and publisher Bethesda simultaneously announced and released “Hi-Fi Rush” on Jan. 26, which is unprecedented for not only a modern video game release, but a modern media release in general. It’s a risky move, especially for a completely new property, to come out with no prior marketing or announcement. 

However, “Hi-Fi Rush” has defied the odds and has been released to critical and financial acclaim. This is because, to put it bluntly, it’s bursting at the seams with charm and style. 

The art style is stunning and makes the game stand out in the sea of muted colors in other modern game releases. There’s a varied array of saturated colors that decorate the levels. The cel-shading and use of 2D animation in-game make the game world pop in a beautiful way. 

Speaking of the animation, oh my goodness the animation in this game is unbelievably good. I can’t help but feel like this game’s animation is at least somewhat inspired by “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” mainly due to the way it frames its action sequences and the way characters move and pose. It’s a sight to behold, and a massive leap forward for video game animation.

The main character Chai, voiced by Robbie Daymond, bumps up and down to the beat of the music alongside the game world itself. Yes, the backgrounds of the levels are animated to dance with the music. Not in a weird “everything is alive” way, but in a “very loud music is playing and the ground is shaking” kind of way. And it’s so much fun.

But what about the gameplay itself? Is it any good – of course it’s good. It’s honestly better than good, to be honest. Everything in the game centers around music. Everything, everywhere, all at once. It’s all about the music, and it’s lovely. 

The player’s goal is to beat up evil corporate robots to the beat of the music with their robot arm and guitar. 

Chai can attack to the beat to deal higher damage, dodge to the beat to immediately get another dodge without recharging, and even block enemy attacks to the beat to launch their projectiles back at them. This is just scratching the surface of what’s capable. There’s so much depth to be found here, so long as you can dance to the game’s music. 

As for the music, it’s great. It’s got that alternative/punkish feel which adds so much youthful energy to the atmosphere of the game. It elevates the infectious charm and personality of the gameplay and characters exceptionally well and makes for a memorable auditory experience.

This is the perfect game to kick the New Year off with. In recent years, it’s become increasingly apparent that the world has seen better days. It’s tough out there, and having a game that is so unapologetically fun and energetic is such a fantastic thing. 

I honestly can’t recommend “Hi-Fi Rush” enough. It really is just that good.