Everything fizzes and bops in time, enemies pop in a whiz and a bang, and the beat pulses through your fingertips. Hi-Fi Rush thrives on these sorts of moments. It proves the power of licensed music, whether that's a mournful Linda Ronstadt song in the midst of a post-apocalypse, or a young hero with a metal guitar smacking some robots. Without spoiling too much, it's the kind of level where you're approaching the big bad boss and all your friends are with you and the music hits this euphoric high at just the right moment. Whirring is one of a handful of licensed tracks used in the game, accompanying a late-game climactic level.
Availability: Out now on PC ( Steam), Xbox Series X/S (Game Pass).And that's how I feel about Hi-Fi Rush as I struggle to put my enjoyment into words. The song is, perhaps, about not being able to express emotions in words, the music taking over all feeling for an almost seven minute long crescendo. 'Turn the dial on my words, I can feel they fall short,' sings frontwoman Rhiannon Bryan before the band takes over and the guitars escalate to a rapturous peak. I've been listening to a lot of The Joy Formidable recently, namely the Welsh band's 2008 hit Whirring.
Vibrant and self-assured, Hi-Fi rush happily embraces the 00s' cheese - and is all the better for it.
