The soundtrack builds as the boss readies up and then continues to escalate as the fight plays out, meaning the tempo rises as the stakes do. Parries also play a pivotal role in taking out tougher foes since nailing the timing during these brief mini-games can take out weakened mini-bosses in one satisfying swoop.īoss fights are the culmination of many of the combat’s best qualities since these musical showdowns synchronize to the track that plays during them. Enemies always attack to the beat, making this a satisfying skill to master since it gets players to improvise during their musical beatdowns while still sticking to the rhythm. Parrying also yields more defensive options, especially if players go for directional parries, which are harder to pull off but dish out better benefits. Some strike a wide area, while others send a singular target flying and using this in combination with its nifty grappling hook, assists, enhanced partner attacks, and special moves means there are always many ways to keep aerial juggles going for those dexterous enough. All of its attacks have different functions and diving into those distinctions is where it derives its depth. This foundation means that it is simply engaging to smack robots with a metallic club, and it doesn’t have an exhaustive Bayonetta-esque list of hard-to-remember button combinations. Thanks to a robust amount of animation canceling, Chai attacks and evades with the fluidity the best character action games have and that nimbleness is the rock-solid bedrock of its entire combat system. It’s a simple premise others have unsuccessfully tried to emulate, but Hi-Fi Rush lives up to those high standards because of its responsive controls and the way in which it balances depth and accessibility. Combat is all about performing juggles and bouncing from foe to foe as quickly and stylishly as possible. And at its core, it’s a system that incentivizes users to play it quickly, efficiently, and thoughtfully, rewarding those who put in the time with flashy combos that are like violent musical performances.Ĭhai has learned a lot of his combos from Devil May Cry’s Dante since Hi-Fi Rush borrows liberally from Capcom’s classic (yet inconsistent) franchise. This soft encouragement pushes players to get better without harshly punishing those who are still improving. Chai can still evade or attack off the rhythm, but he gains certain bonuses for correctly timed actions like extra damage or the ability to chain multiple dashes. Its musical wrapping is wonderfully integrated since it is not always mandated, but rewards those who learn its intricacies. The most charming example of this is how Chai, the protagonist, snaps his fingers and steps to the beat, which extraordinarily syncs up no matter if he is walking or running. All of this is made easier through various elements in the heads-up display that provide all sorts of useful feedback. The music has more of an impact on gameplay since players are encouraged to dodge, jump, and attack on the beat. Only big actions are timed to the music, while background items bob to the rhythm, meaning it avoids Mickey Mousing since it’s only used just enough to still be effective. Its energetic scenes are only bolstered by how the characters and environment move to the music. The unique approach and strength of its animation is reminiscent of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and, with any luck, it will be equally as influential. The way in which it seamlessly moves from gameplay to 3D animation to 2D animation and back to gameplay makes it all the more dazzling. Each cast member strikes comic book-like poses and runs through a gamut of cartoonish expressions at a pace that makes it seem like pure magic since animation of this quality done at this frequency must be sorcery. Aside from brief dialogue exchanges at the hub, every scene is animated with the utmost detail, providing extravagantly emotive characters that provide such a palpable energy to the whole game. Not only is it awash with all sorts of bright colors, but it also moves in a way unlike almost any other game at a frequency that makes it all the more notable. Hi-Fi Rush’s cel-shading is, frankly, among the best in the medium since it looks like a cartoon in a way that few games do, evoking (and sometimes besting) Arc System Works’ incredible efforts in the fighting genre. It’s an opener that’s bursting with style with stunning art direction, animation, and syncopated cutscenes that all come together in its intro to form a condensed sample of why it’s so unique.
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