Hello-Fi Rush Evaluate (PS5) | Push Sq.

Hello-Fi Rush was simply one of many shock hits of 2023, which simply so occurred to be the most effective years for recreation releases collectively. Regardless of not having the instant probability to expertise the most recent creation by Tango Gameworks as a consequence of Xbox exclusivity, Microsoft’s latest announcement of PS5 assist has lastly enabled us to dive into this glorious rhythm-focused motion recreation. And by no shock, it’s simply as enthralling because it ever was, and an important title for these in search of a hyper-stylish expertise.

The sport focuses on a wannabe rockstar by the identify of Chai, a younger man with a non-functional proper arm who arrives on the Vandelay Industries campus to affix a scheme to interchange his arm with a robotic prototype. Inadvertently, a music participant finds its method into Chai’s surgical process machine, embedding itself into his chest, leading to him sharing a musical relationship with the world round him. This mishap then causes him to be branded a defect, leading to a enjoyable narrative centered on his makes an attempt to evade his pursuers and put a cease to some company shenanigans.

Gameplay
Assists
Controls
Visible
Audio

Full Accessibility Report

Information by Household Gaming Database

The overarching plot of Hello-Fi Rush is enhanced by some really spectacular writing. That is largely evidenced via the sport’s dialogue, which is commonly fourth-wall-breaking, stuffed with comedic one-liners, and sometimes thought-provoking when it decides to offer a layer of commentary concerning the complete idea of video video games. Chai’s function as the sport’s protagonist additional exemplifies the power of Hello-Fi Rush’s writing, as he’s each a captivating and amusing character. The supporting solid can be comparable on this regard, with some glorious voice performances throughout the board.

Chai’s musical connection to the world is the framework for the sport’s mechanics, being completely centred round attacking enemies to the beat of the music. Though this will likely appear overwhelming for these unfamiliar with rhythm video games, Tango Gameworks has taken lengths to ensure mechanics are launched at a pleasant tempo, which means you by no means really feel such as you’re being thrown into the deep finish. On the finish of a fight section, you might be graded based mostly in your efficiency and talent to completely time assaults to the beat. That is subsequently exchanged right into a factors system, which then calculates your total rating for the stage upon completion.

Regardless of this, typically inputs don’t appear to register as meant, particularly throughout levels which have unpredictable rhythmic patterns. This for essentially the most half, is a minor inconvenience at finest, although it may well simply grow to be irritating when tons of enemies are thrown at you in fast succession. Nonetheless, there are treatments to this subject, with an choice to view the timing of the beat with a easy press of the Dualsense touchpad button. This makes the musical compositions on tougher levels simpler to learn, as you’ve a direct reference for when you ought to be urgent a button.

Talking of levels, Hello-Fi Rush boasts twelve distinctive ranges, every with their very own aesthetic, fight eventualities, and naturally, musical tracks. The sooner levels have an emphasis on introducing you to primary gameplay mechanics reminiscent of attacking on beat, however as you progress via the sport, you find out about dodging, parrying, and different helpful instruments that will help you take full benefit of the music-focused fight system.

The fight itself is flexible, too. Your choices, like beforehand talked about, are expanded once you begin to study extra about Chai’s transfer set, however there’s much more you’ll be able to work with. Hello-Fi Rush incorporates a bespoke improve system within the type of an improve store run by Peppermint, one of many supporting characters. This lets you spend gears obtained in levels to buy new assault combos, particular strikes, and assign passive skills utilizing chips. The store is in several areas throughout levels, and within the hideout between missions, a hub-like space that additionally permits you to pet the sport’s robotic cat named 808 – how lovely!

Equally necessary to the general gameplay expertise is Hello-Fi Rush’s presentation, which is stuffed with glamour, and we’d take into account it to be one of the visually spectacular video games we’ve ever performed. The cel-shaded artwork type, mixed with the music-focused environmental design, leads to a recreation that may current itself flawlessly in a hyper-stylish method. All the pieces in a stage, whether or not that’s an object, ornament, or enemy – will transfer or behave together with the beat. Furthermore, you should utilize your environment as one other approach to detect whether or not you’re timing inputs accurately.

Unsurprisingly, a recreation with such a powerful presence of music leads to a very glorious soundtrack. The music of Hello-Fi Rush is diversified all through its roughly 12-hour runtime, containing an assortment of each authentic and licensed music. Every stage utilises music in a different way, continually switching up the tempo when reaching sure checkpoints, or when encountering one of many recreation’s many boss fights.

The bosses in Hello-Fi Rush are extremely participating, too, providing an additional layer of problem in comparison with the primary levels. They’re normally thrown in in the direction of the top of a degree, forcing you to make use of your information of the core gameplay mechanics to realize victory. In contrast to regular fight eventualities, the bosses will normally invoke some type of gimmick inside the combat, guaranteeing that they stand aside from the conventional enemies you’ve seen numerous instances earlier than.

Conclusion

Hello-Fi Rush is a beautiful rhythm-action recreation with a powerful solid of characters, addictive gameplay, and an unbelievable musical rating. The sport has a ton of replayability with the way in which it is structured, permitting you to enhance your timings to carry out higher within the recreation’s rhythmic fight. That is an important title for PS5 house owners, and we’re glad Xbox has allowed us to lastly expertise it.