It's A "Beat"-Em-Up | Deconstructing Hi-Fi RUSH

Hi-Fi Rush is a rhythm-centric hack-n-slash game that released on January 25th, 2023, and surprised the gaming world with its solid gameplay, rockin' soundtrack, and charming vibes.
The game was in development for five years without any public knowledge of its existence, and wasn't officially announced until the day it released. The game was also a significant departure in style from developer Tango Gameworks' previous franchise, The Evil Within. On paper, a developer known only for their horror genre games releasing something so vibrant and cartoony, with upbeat music and lighthearted characters, and absolutely no marketing, sounds like a disaster. However, due to the game's broad appeal, and the fact that it was made available for free via the Xbox Game Pass, word about Hi-Fi Rush was able to spread quickly via word of mouth and social media, reaching millions of players seemingly overnight.
I have a lot to say about this game and all of its different aspects, so let's discuss how it LOOKS; more importantly, how it SOUNDS; and then perhaps most importantly of all: how it FEELS. In that order. I'll save my take on the story until the end, so that you can enjoy my review of the game without spoilers up to that point. I will say, upfront, however, that Hi-Fi Rush's story by far its least important aspect, my coverage of it will be brief, and any spoilers will probably be minor. The narrative isn't the point of this game, it's just a vehicle through which the game's context is delivered to the player.
Editor's Note: Yes, I know that Tango has added a couple of new game modes since I wrote this script. While I did find them to be an improvement over the original endgame content, I did not feel they impacted my experience enough to justify a change in my opinion. If you feel differently, then that's wonderful.
Introduction (0:00)
Visual / Audio (2:25)
Gameplay (5:42)
Story (17:11)
FInal Thoughts (21:05)

[@InnanetFran]

Nice. I was always hesitant to throw time at this game mostly because Bethesda hit-or-miss track record is mostly a miss with me. Maybe I’ll try this one!