Mastering the Beat in Hi-Fi Rush

Everyone has that one genre of gaming that they know they aren't great at (or, if you're me, multiple).  For me the biggest one is rhythm games.  Let's face facts--a large percentage of us just don't have any musical skills, knowledge, or ability.  I tried dipping my toes into the rhythm dungeon-crawler Crypt of the Necrodancer and found myself making frustratingly little progress.  Knowing this, I was extremely hesitant to dive into anything that promoted itself as being rhythm-based.  When Hi-Fi Rush started showing up on my recommended titles, I was intrigued, but knew better than to punish myself with my embarrassing lack of rhythm.  Weellll, it went on sale, and I just couldn't stop myself.

What is it?

When a mommy rhythm-based game and a daddy fighting game really love each other...Hi-Fi Rush is the resulting offspring.  There's a bit of light platforming thrown in there too.  The gameplay revolves around navigating the campus of a large evil corporation and fighting off groups of robotic baddies.  Fighting involves landing combinations of attacks AND doing so on the beat for the maximum effect.

There's an awesome photo mode with frames & stickers!

How long is a playthrough?

You're probably looking at 10-12 hours depending on how much effort you put into fully exploring each level.  There's also a ton of new game+/challenge options for after you've finished the main story.

Pros:

+ Cute anime/cartoony animation style.

+ Low system specs.  If you're on on older PC, this game is a great choice.

+ Ran great.  No crashes, no glitches--worked like a charm.

+ A fun, expanding cast of characters.  This includes an extremely cute robot cat!

+ Light platforming that manages to feel just right.  There's nothing that's extremely frustrating or that feels like you're required to mash a million buttons at a time.  There are a few sequences that do require some reaction time, but even if you mess it up, the game is very forgiving.

+ Tons of built-in support & tutorials to acquaint players with the rhythm parts of the game.  There's a toggleable beat indicator, a "training room" where you can fight AI enemies (and it has tons of options for customization so you can practice against a certain type of enemy or pick a certain combination of moves to work on), and plenty of in-game tutorials.  Even someone like me, who is completely inept at rhythm games was able to get it down with the support of these tutorials.  You can get as much or as little help as you need.

+ A fabulous soundtrack that perfectly compliments the music/rhythm based playstyle.  There's even a couple of songs by some relatively well-known bands!

+ Combat that is extremely fun.  There is a wide array of enemies to face off against--from your lowly, basic robot all the way up to the big, boss baddies.  You receive a score and ranking for every combat sequence.  It is based off many factors--the number of different attack combos you use, avoiding damage, performing attacks on the beat, and how quickly you're able to defeat the enemies.  To earn the coveted "S" rank you need to combine all your skills.  (It's doable though)

+ Customization options for Chai (the protagonist).  You can purchase new regular attack combos, special attacks, items to expand Chai's base stats (health, reverb--for special attacks, etc.), and chips that boost certain abilities.  Unlocking all of them isn't too challenging and it's fun to figure out your favorites.

+ I'm a big fan of the teamwork vibe and this game has that in spades.

+ Tons of replayability and extra features to keep you playing after you've finished the main story.  There's an option for chapter selection (in a new game+ type of mode).  It's worthwhile to revisit everything because there are areas that you can only unlock with certain characters (who you didn't have in your first playthrough) and special challenge areas.  There is also a challenge mode and two different arcade modes.

+ Unlockable items and artwork. You can buy special items to customize the looks of the entire cast.  There's also a big mural that gradually fills in as you achieve certain tasks in the game (and in the challenge and arcade modes).

+ Multiple difficulty modes that encompass a wide variety of skill levels.  The easiest setting is very forgiving with the rhythm elements (and might be a good place to start if you feel insecure about your abilities).  There's also an ultra-leet setting for all the uber-rhythmists out there.

Cons:

- Controller needed.  I can't even imagine trying to play this with mouse & keyboard.  I suppose it would be possible, but it worked great with my cheap-o XBOX controller.

- Certain rhythm-based sequences can be frustrating, but fortunately there's no penalty for messing them up.  Certain generators will have a series of buttons pop up and require you to fully complete the sequence without messing up.  I had to re-do one of them many times before I finally got it down.

- There is an element of timing and reaction time that could be frustrating for some people.  I'd recommend the easy setting if you're having trouble.  Parrying and dodging sequences for some enemies require fairly quick reactions.

-Like any fighting game, remembering all the combos, attacks and options is rough.  It can also be a bit confusing when you start to add-in partners to counter enemies with certain attacks/abilities.  To be TRULY great at Hi-Fi Rush does require some awesome skills.  Luckily, it's still plenty fun and doable, just don't expect to be getting the uber-scores or rankings.

Recommendation:

Hi-Fi Rush is great fun--even if you're someone with limited rhythm or fighting game skills.  The story, characters, and gameplay plus all the additional features make this a game that's totally worth paying full price for.  Prepare to be rocked!