One of the best games of 2023, Hi-Fi Rush is out now on PS5. It’s the latest step in a four game plan to bring formerly Xbox exclusive games to rival consoles, but put all the business to one side for a second, because this is a fantastic mash-up action game that deserves to be played.
The game stars Chai, a wannabe rockstar who ends up with a robotic arm and his MP3 player lodged in its power core, giving him the unique quirk of viewing the world through the lens of the rhythm and beat of the soundtrack. Everything bops and bounces to the beat, and as you dive into the Bayonetta-ish combat, you’re rewarded for tapping your attack combos in time to the music. It helps that it’s also got an excellent visual style.
The soundtrack includes licensed music from iconic bands including Nine Inch Nails and The Black Keys (though importantly there’s also bespoke music for the game that’s subbed in so streamers can play without copyright strikes).
Hi-Fi Rush was out Xbox Game of the Year winner last year. In our review Dom said it’s “an utterly beguiling new take on rhythm-action, combining some of this generation’s most impressive visuals with music and mayhem.”
It’s the second of four games, with Microsoft describing them all as being games that were either matured live service games or titles that had maybe never really been envisaged as Xbox exclusives, but ended up that way through the process of acquisitions and ownership. The foursome are:
- Pentiment came to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on 22nd February
- Hi-Fi Rush, has now arrived on PlayStation 5 today, 19th March
- Grounded is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on 16th April – with full cross-play is supported to Xbox and PC
- Sea of Thieves is coming to PlayStation 5 on 30th April – with cross-play to Xbox and PC
