Hi-Fi Rush

Video-game developer Tango Gameworks is best known for its survival and horror games. However, the game studio’s most recent release, Hi-Fi Rush, marks a notable step away from its previous titles, as a fast-paced, energetic action game set in a vibrant, futuristic world. Chai, an aspiring rockstar with a paralyzed right arm, arrives at the headquarters of a mega-corporation to volunteer for a cybernetic limb replacement experiment. An accident causes his music player to be fused inside of him, giving him the supernatural ability to feel a musical connection with his surroundings. Aided by allies and his enormous, guitar-shaped hammer, Chai investigates a conspiracy behind the mega-corporation’s experiments on people.

Hi-Fi Rush combines elements of rhythm games, such as Piano Tiles, with facets of action-adventure games, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, to create a satisfying gameplay flow. The game’s smooth cel-shaded graphics look straight out of a comic book, which matches perfectly with its lighthearted tone. Furthermore, the game’s writing is superb, as the game’s characters all get their time to shine with genuinely funny dialogue and incredible voice performances — and occasional playful fourth-wall breaks. For those casual gamers looking to spend a few hours (or up to 50 for 100% completionists) on nonstop fun, Hi-Fi Rush is the perfect solution.