Hi-Fi Rush arrived at the perfect time

hi-fi rush There is a ray of hope. The rhythm-based character-action game from Tango Gameworks was shown off at this week’s Xbox Developer Direct, only to have surprise moments later on Game Pass and Steam. And while Sudden Arrival was a novelty, the game feels only fitting in its time. It’s a power fantasy about dismantling an evil corporation whose executives treat workers as fodder in their endless pursuit of wealth.

In a different time, the premise itself might have seemed trivial. Protagonist Chai, a music-obsessed kid who constantly snorts, approaches Vandelle Technologies with the promise of robotic augmentation. An incident caused his iPod to become lodged in his chest, and now the world is syncopating to his playlist—a mix of original scores with licensed songs from Nine Inch Nails, The Black Keys, and The Prodigy.

Vandelle immediately believes the hero to be a defect and sends an army of angry robots to eliminate him. Mixed combat reminiscent of the Devil May Cry series with a sense of rhythm games no straight road And Metal: HellsingerThe game sees Chai band together with a crew of surprisingly likable characters to hack, chop, dodge, and beat, all in an effort to expose Vandelle’s evil deeds to the public.

Across 12 levels, you move from QA to the company’s finance departments, each office corridor filled with Vandelle promotions, surveillance bots and gilded statues of the CEO. Talking with robot NPCs reveals his fear of overwork and layoffs. He also tells Chai not to get high whenever he sees him lying on the floor taking five.

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Image: Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks via Play Gamez

An early level pits you against Zanzo, a boss in charge of developing SPECTRA, a device designed to make Vandelle control people’s thoughts – a poignant scenario, considering the latest trend that has previously Proving to be a disaster ever since. As you plunge through the R&D department, one of Zanjo’s employees warns him about wasting the budget on increasingly extravagant, yet ultimately useless weapons. he (surprisingly) ignores this warning, and hi-fi rush Mistakes are quick to make fun of: the game’s UI displays a percentage bar for reducing your budget in real time. “Balancing creativity with realistic goals is the mark of a good leader,” says one of your colleagues. “Clearly Zanjo needs guidance.”

We’re only weeks into 2023, but layoffs in tech and media are rampant — even at Microsoft, which owns Hi-Fi crowdPublishers Bethesda – As the People Continue to Fight for Unionization. hi-fi rush A cathartic take on how the corporate system (and the people in charge) hopefully churn through workers like any other expendable resource.

Image: Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks via Play Gamez

much has been said about the use of quips in forspoken this past week, comparing the dialogue to the work of Joss Whedon, and citing it as another casualty of Marvel-ization of storytelling. hi-fi rush There’s a fault in this, too, but its satire is so poignant, and its characters so serious, that it works. Chai’s jokes may be silly, but he’s unwilling to let his and his teammates’ spirits flicker, determined to press on and shut down Vandelle’s C-Suite seduction schemes. Context makes all the difference.

Shadow Drop itself was new, but the game is a triumph. gorgeous animations and jet set radioEsque art styles are vivid and eye-catching. The array of tutorials, visual aids, and clever mechanics make aspects of rhythm accessible to newcomers to the genre. And the vibrant, positive energy is present in every beat, keeping you tapping your feet as you mow down a corporation built on a lack of vision. hi-fi rush A cathartic anthem that has come at the perfect time.

hi-fi rush was released on January 25 on Windows PC and Xbox Series X. The game was reviewed on Xbox. Vox Media is an affiliated partnership. These do not affect editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. you can find Additional information about Play Gamez’s ethics policy here,