GamesActionHi-Fi RushWhat still stands out to me about Hi-Fi Rush isn’t the bombastic music, but the quiet angerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesActionHi-Fi RushWhat still stands out to me about Hi-Fi Rush isn’t the bombastic music, but the quiet angerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Tango Gameworks)
Raging against the machine
(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)
It’s not hard to see this theme running through the whole game. Hi-Fi Rush isn’tquiteat the point of being explicitly “anti-corporate,” but there are more than a few notes playing that tune. It certainly doesn’t take much scrutiny to realize that all the major antagonists are just living embodiments of common complaints that have dogged the gaming industry for years.
Wild ride(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)Hi-Fi Rush review: “An undeniably wild ride that shouldn’t be ignored”
Wild ride
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)Hi-Fi Rush review: “An undeniably wild ride that shouldn’t be ignored”
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
Hi-Fi Rush review: “An undeniably wild ride that shouldn’t be ignored”
To pick just a few examples, Zanzo is an egotistical hauteur who submits his workers to hideous crunch to manifest his every ill-considered whim, burning through his resources and ultimately leading to his projects collapsing on themselves. Roquefort is a money-hoarding accountant who refuses to bankroll any good ideas, despite the company sitting on enormous vaults of unspent gold with which it could do great things. Mimosa is a glamorized PR exec and community manager who seems more interested in just promoting herself than Vandelay’s projects. Meanwhile, final boss and CEO Kale is a nepotistic hire completely insulated from all professional risk and disproportionately rewarded for his minimal contributions.
They’re playing that song again…
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
Tango’s grievances are only hammered home further when we discover that most of the cast have backstories in which they really tried to work within the corporate system to do something positive, only for the system to prove too cruel and inflexible to allow it. Hi-Fi Rush is downright joyful at moments, in a way that always feels adorably, humanly authentic, but speaking personally, I could really feel that equally human, equally valid anger boiling under the surface. That combination of qualities helps give its punk edge - and makes the loss of Tango Gameworks sting all the more.
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I think it’s both a testament to Tango and a grim indictment of the gaming industry that Chai’s story will only become more poignant as time goes on, but I really wish that wasn’t the case. If nothing else, I really do hope that everybody involved finds new chances and new outlets for their undeniable talent, and that we as a community pay a little more attention to their lyrics. After all, the best songs never really lose their relevance.
I can’t wear the best armor in RPGs because it makes me feel like an idiot – now I’ve rejected Fashion Souls and embraced the schlub meta.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”