By all accounts, Hi-Fi Rush is an anomaly. It’s developed by Tango Gameworks, better known for delving into psychological horror with The Evil Within and the supernatural, like Ghostwire: Tokyo. It’s published by Microsoft, which – up till the shadow drop – faced criticism for its lackluster first-party offerings. Moreover, it’s a character-focused, linear single-player rhythmic action game with hack-and-slash mechanics and a cel-shaded, irreverent presentation bursting with color and details.

Topping it all off is the focus on rock music, with songs from artists like The Prodigy, Nine Inch Nails and The Black Keys, alongside stellar original tracks by composers Shuichi Kobori, Reo Uratani and Masatoshi Yanagi. The music doesn’t just influence the mood – it’s at the heart of everything, from your attacks and enemy patterns to the environment and specific challenges.

"While this is a rhythmic action game, you don’t need to attack to the beat to succeed. However, time your strikes accordingly, and you’ll deal more damage while racking up higher scores."

What put Hi-Fi Rush on the map is its shadow-drop at last year’s Xbox Developer_Direct. Could it have benefitted from a marketing campaign and more hype? Probably, but after all the positive word of mouth, it’s equipped to perform better on PS5 despite launching in the same week as two other major triple-A titles. So, should you play it? Absolutely.

Hi-Fi Rush is the story of Chai, a wannabe rockstar who signs up for Project Armstrong, a Vandelay Technologies project for replacing limbs. However, due to an accident – which snobby CEO Kale Vandelay inadvertently had a hand in – Chai’s music player is fused to his body during the limb replacement surgery. After leaving the facility, he’s subsequently labelled a defect, fights off the Vandelay robots throughout the campus and meets up with Peppermint, a mysterious hacker investigating the shadier side of the company.

Fortunately, the operation did more than give Chai a powerful robotic arm with a magnet to collect junk and create a weapon (most notably, a guitar). Everything in the world now moves according to the rhythm, from environmental objects to enemies. While this is a rhythmic action game, you don’t need to attack to the beat to succeed. However, time your strikes accordingly, and you’ll deal more damage while racking up higher scores. It’s a brilliant mechanic with an average skill floor for players to dive into quickly but a strong skill ceiling to aspire to as the variety of mechanics and encounters increases.

"Hi-Fi Rush does an excellent job of introducing and easing players into these mechanics thanks to a live-stage performance within Chai’s head and the weirdly affectionate Smidge."

For instance, you’ll quickly receive Beat Hit, a combo ender which can deal more damage with a correctly timed button press. Dashing is available for evading damage but can be chained into a Light Attack or a launcher with Heavy Attack, opening enemies up to aerial combos.

Even more combos become available, whether holding Heavy Attack to accumulate massive amounts of junk and unleash a big spinning attack with Gain Tornado or Arpeggio Stab, which can lift enemies into the air to continue its combo. Chai also gains Special Attacks that consume the Reverb Gauge, dealing extensive damage, adding to the score multiplier or even providing some much-needed health.

Progressing through the story piles on additional mechanics, from parrying to grappling, but that’s not all. You can call in allies like Peppermint for brief periods to shoot switches or destroy enemy barriers. She also gets some unique moves, like charging up her ranged attack for a powerful beam, comboing with Chai during a Beat Hit (at the cost of some of the Reverb Gauge) or executing powerful duo Special Attacks.

As more allies join Chai and Peppermint, you can have two available to call in at any given time, mixing and matching their assists. Throw in the option to have another Special Attack on standby and Chips that provide passive benefits like reducing the cooldown for ally attacks, and you have an array of combat options available. Though it may feel somewhat overwhelming in the early going, Hi-Fi Rush does an excellent job of introducing and easing players into these mechanics thanks to a live-stage performance within Chai’s head and the weirdly affectionate Smidge.

"The linear approach works well, though, as the action neatly unfolds with fresh encounters, platforming and some comedic interactions between the robot employees at Vandelay."

The enemy design is also very solid. You start with simple melee and ranged attackers before graduating to armored robots with massive fits and even a samurai bot who recites poetry before requiring a series of parries. Between exploiting certain foes’ weaknesses, dodging projectile attacks, calling in allies, and timing attacks to the beat for maximum damage, Hi-Fi Rush can get hectic as you delve further into the game. It never quite overwhelmed me, though the camera can get a bit iffy, especially in close quarters where you can’t see the other enemies.

If Hi-Fi Rush’s encounters are well-crafted and enjoyable, the boss fights are a treat. Not to spoil too much, but each one is unique, leveraging mechanics taught throughout a specific level while offering multiple phases to battle through. Some may require grappling out of harm’s way or dodging from side to side to avoid obstacles. It’s yet another case of the rhythm-based mechanics being incorporated seamlessly into the experience.

Speaking of levels, they’re fairly linear, with a few hidden corners and out-of-the-way spots to accumulate gear for upgrades or discover pieces to increase your Reverb Gauge and max health capacity. There’s also graffiti to collect for the giant mural back at base (where completing various tasks can award gears), Golden Kale Statues to beat up for even more currency, and so on. The linear approach works well, though, as the action neatly unfolds with fresh encounters, platforming and some comedic interactions between the robot employees at Vandelay. Also, it really can’t be overstated just how gorgeous the game looks.

"Despite featuring some fairly well-worn character tropes, each character is developed well, even the villains."

In fact, from the get-go, it’s difficult not to love the presentation and sheer panache of Hi-Fi Rush. It goes beyond the excellent aesthetics and detailed environments or the stellar voice acting and facial expressions. The Saturday morning cartoon approach is apparent, from the chapter-focused approach to the happy-go-lucky Chai, and it’s still incredibly endearing.

The script doesn’t take itself too seriously and sometimes breaks the fourth wall like Chai commenting on how his journey could make for a cool story in five years, which is the project’s development time. Or the robots bickering about whether so many signs are necessary at a certain level, both lampshading their general use in video games while still making it humorous. Nevertheless, despite featuring some fairly well-worn character tropes, each character is developed well, even the villains.

After completing the story, new SPECTRA Doors and the Rhythm Tower open for tougher challenges, but the post-game has thankfully received even more content post-launch courtesy of the Arcade Challenge! Update! (with two exclamation points). It adds BPM Rush, which sees players battling waves of enemies and slowly building up the BPM Gauge with successful parries, Beat Hits and more to fight against even tougher foes and even mid-bosses. Succeed, and the speed increases, further upping the challenge.

"When discussing first-party titles, Hi-Fi Rush is undoubtedly one of the best in recent years, providing fresh gameplay and incredible production values polished to a sheen."

Power Up! Tower Up! is a rogue-like mode that strips Chai of most of his Special Attacks and all stat boosts. Progressing through different floors allows you to upgrade stats and perks (including regaining HP on striking enemies). Then there are the Bugs, which can grant powerful side effects alongside hazardous modifiers.

You’ll want to take them, though, because they bolster your score multiplier. Between the Challenge Rooms and escalating difficulty, Power Up! Tower Up! will put hardcore players’ skills to the test. Whether it will satisfy those craving more story content after finishing the campaign is a different matter altogether, but it’s an enjoyably replayable experience with its own unlocks.

When discussing first-party titles, Hi-Fi Rush is undoubtedly one of the best in recent years, providing fresh gameplay and incredible production values polished to a sheen. If you haven’t played it, rest assured it lives up to the hype.

This game was reviewed on PS5.