
With this simple touch, executing combos in Hi-Fi Rush feels less like you’re simply memorizing a list of button inputs and more like you’re playing an actual song. Not only does the extra beat of windup before a heavy attack go a long way toward selling the power of the move, but it also encourages players to pay closer attention to the rhythm and break away from the habit of repetitively hitting the attack buttons on every beat. Combo strings are governed by a consistent, intuitive system in which light attacks come out one beat after the button press whereas heavy attacks happen two beats after. Just this idea alone is enough to make the combat compelling on a visceral level, but several other smart details push it that much further. The game encourages you to hit the attack buttons in time to receive various bonuses in battle, such as higher damage output and powerful Beat Hit finishers. This all sounds well and good, but doesn’t this mostly amount to a mere aesthetic flourish? While it’s true that players can progress through Hi-Fi Rush mostly fine by treating it as a standard action game, you won’t be able to make the most out of the combat system this way. This means that even those without a sense of rhythm can immediately derive some enjoyment from Hi-Fi Rush‘s synesthetic gameplay systems. So even if you go into a fight mashing the attack button, your moves will come out in a satisfying rhythmic sequence. So how does Hi-Fi Rush go about mixing together brawler- and rhythm-game elements? For starters, every action you and the enemies take, whether it be an attack, dodge, or parry, is synced up to whatever music track is playing in the background. To put it simply, Hi-Fi Rush rules, and anyone with even a passing interest in this game should try it as soon as they can. But what feels most surreal of all is that it absolutely does. Regardless, I went in with reserved expectations, not quite sure if the game would live up to its promise. With a slick, cel-shaded style serving as the cherry on top, Hi-Fi Rush appeared almost too good to be true in many ways. Released only a few hours after its announcement, Hi-Fi Rush boasts a core concept that seems almost tailor-made to cater to my interests with its combination of rhythm-based gameplay and 3D action combat in the vein of Devil May Cry or Bayonetta.


Like so many others, I still find it surreal that Hi-Fi Rush even exists.
