Bethesda's Secret Game Hi-Fi Rush Is Too Good To Be Real

Yesterday during the Xbox Direct, Bethesda and Tango Gameworks announced a new rhythm action game. And then they released it. Immediately.

Until yesterday, no one had heard even heard a note of Hi-Fi Rush but now today it is all the internet can talk about. Hi-Fi Rush has Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam and Xbox and I can totally understand why.

Hi-Fi Rush combines fluid gameplay, incredible graphics, and sick guitar riffs and wraps it in a perfect package as you play as Chai who might be the lamest protagonist I have ever played as. I relate to him so well.

Chai is labeled "defective" after a human trial experiment fuses an iPod into his chest Tony Stark style. This Steve Jobs Superpower allows him to feel the natural rhythm of the world around him and use it to his advantage. Chai also has a pretty sweet robotic arm that can morph with scrap into a Flying V guitar.

As a fan of the Black Keys, I was immediately drawn into the trailer as you see Chai smash robots with his guitar to Lonely Boy. The movement and combat seemed so fluid and watching the world keep on beat as you smash and destroy looked very enticing to me, even considering this kind of game wasn't in my normal list of genres I play.

Since Hi-Fi Rush is free with Gamepass I decided to give it a try and I do not regret that decision a bit. The story alone leaves you on the edge of your seat as you realize Chai is dealing with more than just being turned into a "defect." The company that performed the experiment on him is some kind of shady major villain organization. And As you progress through the story you might just meet a few friends along the way.

Hi-Fi Rush features original music for the majority of the levels you play. The original soundtrack is enough to keep you feeling every move you make in the game. If you land a hit on the beat you get cheered on. If you dodge on the beat you get a little snare added to the track. When playing the game, if you have a good rhythm, you will be rewarded frequently for keeping with the music. I believe this is why combat feels so nice in Hi-Fi Rush. It's not your typical action button smasher where you are just slamming combos to clear waves of foes. Each button hit you make needs to be in sync with the soundtrack to not only make your hits stronger but to make the experience as a whole even better. Hi-Fi Rush uses this "musician's high" to make you want to experiment with combos and more.

If you are a streamer and are worried about any kind of copyright issues, Hi-Fi Rush does also feature a DMCA-safe mode where the "popular songs" can be replaced by the game's original score.

There is a slew of upgrades, attacks, combos, and specials to unlock in Hi-Fi Rush and even after the hours I have put in, I feel like I have barely scratched the surface. One thing is for certain though, Hi-Fi Rush is a must play game as it stands on Xbox Gamepass. If you like owning games directly however, you can buy it on Xbox and Steam for $29.99 or the deluxe edition with extra skins and credits for $39.99.

Have you had a chance to play Hi-Fi Rush? Let me know what you think in the comments below or on Twitter @Suttledge