It doesn't often happen that a game comes out all of a sudden to immense critical acclaim. It happens rarer still, too, that a developer does precisely just that all the while tackling a genre it's got virtually no experience with. Yet, Hi-Fi Rush accomplishes precisely these two objectives with absolute gusto.

Developed by Tango Gameworks - who you may know from The Evil With and Ghostwire Tokyo - this game successfully delivers an impeccable action-adventure experience with a top-notch style. It's also a visual delight, a relatively short and contained experience with no live-service elements, and half the price of a regular AAA game, to boot! These things, when put together, raised quite a few eyebrows!

It's no surprise, then, that we'd like to present Hi-Fi Rush to you, too. Whether you're a keyboard, gamepad, or Steam Deck warrior - this game fits every single niche against all odds.

READ MORE: Awesome Media Homework for Atomic Heart

The Surprise Launch of Hi-Fi Rush on PC

It may well surprise you to hear that nobody knew that this game even existed until it came out! This idea, according to one of the lead developers, came from Bethesda, though Tango itself had a particular idea in mind, too: "It’s funny that the original idea was almost maybe to announce it at the worst possible timing, which was right when the coronavirus was happening," said Director and Writer, John Johanas. It's easy to see why putting the word out there that a new game was being made didn't end up happening during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but to keep such a big project under wraps for so long? We immediately came away impressed.

And impressing you, really, is all Hi-Fi wants to do in the first place. It's a visually dense game: the best sort of graphical busyness, really. Its stark cyberpunk-ish fidelity immediately draws you, and even in motion - thanks to its impeccable animation and design work - the whole thing looks and feels like a super high-end anime.

But, beautiful as they are, graphics aren't the name of the game this time around. Indeed, not only is this a visual treat, but it also plays phenomenally well.

Play Hi-Fi Rush on PC via 2Game - Fast, Easy, and Cheap!

What Sort of Game Is It?

It's no secret that Tango Gameworks is a horror gaming studio. Even though its latest flagship, Ghostwire Tokyo, leaned more heavily towards action, it still had a plainly visible horror slant to it. There's really no such quality to Hi-Fi Rush. The game sits in stark contrast to all of the developer's previous output, and its surprise launch ended up working in its favor!

"People can jump on Game Pass, download the game, and basically use it as a demo but then they could just keep playing," said Johanas. This meant that any doubt about the game's quality could quickly be dispelled, which is practically never usually the case in the gaming industry!

Being a true-to-form character action game along the lines of Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, it's infamously difficult for new developers to break into this niche. Most times, new franchises end up trying too hard or looking edgy. Hi-Fi, however, falls to none of these traps, and it delivers awesome combat gameplay that riffs heavily on its musical background. It really is one of a kind, we can promise you that!

Is Hi-Fi Rush a Good Choice for You, Too?

Considering all of the above, you may be surprised to hear just how big of a success Hi-Fi Rush actually is for Tango Gameworks. What we've got here is a game that scores a whopping 89 on Metacritic. The user score, too, follows this trend, with 8.7/10 on PC (based on over 700 disparate ratings). The game is a smash hit and the fact that it's playable via Game Pass - should you want to play it that way - hugely impacted its outreach.

On that note, what you're getting here is a highly musical combat experience. The protagonist, Chai, dictates the beat, and the world responds to it in all the best possible ways: combat, movement, puzzles - everything is at your disposal to play around with. Those who are in the market for an awesome new character action game with top-tier music and a delightfully colorful game world shouldn't think twice!

And look, it gets better still: not only is there a bunch of great original soundtrack shoved into the game, but you'll also get to duke it out to the tunes of Prodigy, Nine Inch Nails, The Joy Formidable, and a variety of other beloved performers. The game is a delight that works on just about every PC under the sun, and you'd do yourself a disservice not to play it!

Time to See What All The Fuss is About!

Hi-Fi Rush is quite a unique experience, all in all. Character action games are relatively rare, to begin with, and this one comes from a developer who hasn't had any experience making them so far! Yet, it's worth pointing out that Shinji Mikami of Tango Gameworks did, in fact, produce Devil May Cry. In that respect, time indeed is a flat circle.

Setting that aside for a bit, we imagine that Bethesda, Tango, and Xbox are all taking notes here. Phil Spencer himself has said that the situation worked out really well this time. The editorial team here at 2Game can't imagine them taking a similar approach for other smaller-scale titles in the future, too, and it's an exciting precedent to have.

Of course, it would've all been for naught had the game not been good! Thankfully, Tango had what it takes to make Hi-Fi Rush the best game it could possibly be. We'll see what the future brings for the franchise and the studio, but for the time being, we're just thrilled to have such an awesome new game come out of nowhere!

CHECK OUT: Join 2Game's Hogwarts Legacy Launch Party!