Parents' Guide to

Hi-Fi Rush

By Dwayne Jenkins, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Stylish game mixes action/rhythm, creating absolute magic.

Game Xbox Series X/S , Windows 2023
Hi-Fi Rush Cover: Features Chai, an excitable, smiling twentysomething in the air with his guitar in-hand. To Chai's left is 808, a robotic black cat. To Chai's right is Peppermint, a young, brown-skinned woman holding a futuristic stun pistol.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Chai hitting a large robot with his guitar, a red streak trailing the instrument as it impacts the robot. At the corners are a life bar and the letter B as a grade for the player.
  • Chai on a video call with five Vandelay bosses, each with their name beneath their image: Korsica, Roquefort, Kale, Mimosa, and Zanzo.
  • Chai standing with his makeshift guitar on a platform surrounded by lava and rocks.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 1 parent review

Javier F.
Javier F. Parent of 6-year-old
February 10, 2023
age 8+

Un espectaculo visual y auditivo y además divertido.

Me parece demasiado quisquilloso el pegi +12. Los gráficos son estética cartoon, dibujos animados, los niños son capaces de diferenciarlo de la realidad totalmente. El juego tiene combates pero son contra robots, a "mamporrazos" y de nuevo los efectos son estilo comic, no hay sangre ni efectos desagradables que un niño de 7 años no vea en cualquier programa de clan a diario en la tv. No hay ninguna escena de muerte (no lo he terminado aún) que sea violenta, ni siquiera desagradable, se representan como simples "mareos" o explosiones en el caso de los robots. La historia sí es un poco más adulta porque trata de la manipulación de la gente mediante la tecnología de consumo y los niños no lo van a entender, pero tampoco es una historia oscura ni que pueda crear ningún tipo de problema en ellos. El juego en sí, pues tiene bastantes tramos de juego de plataformas, más o menos complicado, llegas a una zona de combate, eliminas enemigos, más plataformas, más enemigos... y así hasta llegar hasta el jefe final de cada capítulo. Todo ello con mucha incidencia en que sigas el ritmo de la música, para golpear, para esquivar, para plataformear, para moverte... cuanto más a ritmo lo hagas mejor te saldrá. Visualmente un espectáculo, parece que estás jugando una serie de dibujos animados, todos los detalles muy cuidados, todo se mueve al ritmo de la música... hay que verlo, mezclado con un humor sencillito pero resultón. Como digo, aunque sea PEGI +12 no veo problemas en que jueguen niños algo más pequeños, eso sí, con los padres al lado, como en todos los videojuegos, por supuesto.
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

In HI-FI RUSH, a wannabe rockstar by the name of Chai has dreams of rockin' with the best of them, but a broken arm has all but halted his best-laid plans. "Luckily" for him, the tech-savvy Vandelay megacorporation is inviting people to partake in Project Armstrong, a program meant to strip humanity of its physical limitations via cybernetic parts. But as Chai undergoes the experiment, something goes terribly wrong. The good news? He's got a new, functional cybernetic arm! The bad news? His music player is now embedded in his chest, making the world around him a musical playground where he can constantly feel the rhythm of his surroundings. Why's that bad? Well, Vandelay considers Chai's new powers as a sign that he's defective, and bad things happen to defective units. This forces Chai to bust out his new makeshift guitar and go to town on Vandelay's robotic minions, slowly uncovering darker intentions and plans as he gets more involved. But Chai isn't alone as Vandelay has wronged others, and as he'll quickly find out, it's important to have reliable friends when your back is against the wall and all seems lost. Will Chai and his ragtag group be predictably overwhelmed by the corporate powerhouse that is Vandelay, or will the wannabe rockstar become a legitimate hero?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

Sometimes, a game comes out of nowhere and becomes a beacon of creativity, style, and substance reminding people just how brilliant the medium can be at its best. Hi-Fi Rush is that game. An entirely original idea, Hi-Fi Rush has everything it needs to succeed in the gaming landscape and so much more. The combat is easy enough to grasp – you hit your enemies to the beat of the music to maximize your guitar-centric attacks. But as the game goes on, this simplicity opens up, adding more moves, special attacks, partner abilities, and chips (permanent boosts to different abilities). Whether you like the combat simple or want a layered, rhythmic dance where you're wiping out enemies left and right while jamming to the music, the game accommodates any way the player wants to rock. Over time, you also learn how to parry, dodge, and engage with enemies (and the environment) in fun, creative ways, ensuring the gameplay never gets stale, boring, or predictable.

Rounding out the stellar gameplay is virtually everything else done correctly. It's smart, with entertaining throwback gags or lines to iconic movies, shows, or other video games on top of a fresh satirical take on capitalism and consumerism that's endlessly funny. It's heartfelt, with characters that have their own personalities, motivations, and interactions with one another. They may not be every player's cup of tea with the volume of jokes and puns that are often thrown around, but the game also allows these characters to have moments of doubt, fear, and emotional vulnerability. But best of all, Hi-Fi Rush has a pure creative spirit that it flaunts whenever it gets the opportunity. The levels are pleasing to look at and explore, and searching for collectibles hits that sweet spot between straightforward and challenging. Even boss encounters stand out, because every time you think you know what you're in for, the game completely subverts your expectations in delightfully refreshing twists and turns – which is the story of the experience as a whole. Hi-Fi Rush is a necessity the video game industry at large may not have known it needed, but now that it's here, it's uncovered a telltale truth: video games live and thrive through creativity and innovation first and profitability second.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about visual style in video games. Can interesting, vibrant graphics enhance someone's ability to enjoy a video game? What if the gameplay isn't as good? Can good graphics make an average video game "better," or does the gameplay need to take priority over all else? In a landscape where graphical fidelity keeps increasing, how do you identify the line between good graphics vs. good gameplay in terms of your opinion of any one game?

  • With the current trends in gaming leaning more towards remakes, remasters, and other touch-ups or reinventions of older games, where do new ideas or properties fit into the grand scheme of the video game industry? Is there space for both older games given new life and fresh, original properties? What's the cost of nostalgia, both positive and negative, for prioritizing remakes/remasters? Is the "safety" of what's been done better than the potential excitement of something entirely different?

Game Details

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