There aren’t many games out there that are as prolific, popular, and with a great story of beating the odds behind it asHi-Fi Rushand its sequel have now become. Known for being shadowdropped completely on the day it was announced in January 2023, and now recently having its IP and development studio saved from closure by Krafton Inc,Hi-Fi Rushis surprisingly still marching to the beat of its own drum, so fans can look forward to future projects yet to come.
Hi-Fi Rushwas one of the biggest hits of 2023 that came out of nowhere, earning acclaim from fans and critics alike, though it wasn’t without its flaws. Some critics pointed out issues withHi-Fi Rush’s level design, whichHi-Fi Rush 2aims to correct with open-world elementsaccording to an interview with Krafton’s Head of Corporate Development. It sounds like a great idea to expand beyond the first game’s linear playstyle on paper, but fans are divided on whether it will be good in practice for a number of important reasons.
The Potential Problems of a Less Linear Hi-Fi Rush 2
One facet ofHi-Fi Rushthat may not be unique to it, but will most certainly matter in its sequel, is how everything within the game from damage output to environmental and UI elements was perfectly matched to the beat. This aspect is so important to how Tango Gameworks' smash hit plays that it serves as a prominent reason whyHi-Fi Rushwas linear in the first place. Many players are concerned that adding to the already fun formula ofHi-Fi Rush’s interactive musicmay cause issues with tracks being interrupted, beats not being as satisfying in the world as well as in combat, and other problems that would naturally come from expanding beyond the scope of the original title.
Sequels naturally try to go beyond what was already established in many cases, but forHi-Fi Rush 2, it might turn out that it may be better to try not to fix what wasn’t broken before. The level design of the first game might not have been perfect, but players have made it known thatHi-Fi Rushis an enjoyable, unique experience as it stands. The reversereview-bomb fans gave with the closure of Tango Gameworksis strong proof of that fact. There are other waysHi-Fi Rush 2could improve itself, such as making Chai’s friends playable with their own weapons and accompanying music, which could easily add replayability and alternative routes like the supposed open-world elements may be seeking to add.
How Hi-Fi Rush 2 Could Give a Great Encore With Open-World Aspects
An important thing to note fromwhat Krafton shared in the interviewis that the sequel seems to feature specific elements rather than a fully open world. The particular wording shared also seems to suggest changes on making the environment larger and more interactive than anything dealing with the core gameplay. SinceHi-Fi Rushhas already given off an impressive illusion of a large, expansive environment - even if only a fraction of it could be explored - this seems like a logical and trustworthy step ahead for Tango Gameworks.
These rumored features might still lead to some setbacks with the soundtrack and its implementation in the sequel. Still, they could be as interesting yet separate from the overall main gameplay loop as a hub world, alternative routes, bigger areas to explore, and maybe optional missions per level. All of these features sound promising for agame likeHi-Fi Rush, especially after the original title knocked all of its main ideas completely out of the park. How well the changes to the formula will go over with fans will be determined solely by how they’re executed, and players will have to wait untilHi-Fi Rush 2releases to see that aspect of the game for themselves.
Hi-Fi Rush
WHERE TO PLAY
Feel the beat as wannabe rockstar Chai and his ragtag team of allies rebel against an evil robotics enhancement megacorp with raucous rhythm combat! From Tango Gameworks, the studio that brought you The Evil Within® and Ghostwire®: Tokyo (no, really) comes Hi-Fi RUSH, an all-new action game where the characters, world and combat stylishly sync to the music!CHAI VERSUS THE WORLD: Labeled ‘defective’ after a shady corporate experiment mistakenly fuses a music player to his heart, Chai must now fight for his freedom in a slick animated world where everything – platforming puzzles, enemy attacks and even the colorful gags & banter - are synced to the beat.OPEN UP THE MOSH PIT!: Take on armies of corporate drones (read: actual robots) in satisfying, rhythm-amplified combat. Time your moves to pull off flashy Beat Hits, hard-hitting special abilities and even combination attacks with your allies! Want to show off? Go further and tap into the beat to amp up your skills and earn those covetous S-rank scores.ROWDY REBELS VS. BADASS BOSSES: Lead a squad of colorful teammates and take the fight to the heart of an, er, heartless corporation. Square off with each department’s boss, from Production to Marketing to Finance, each more ready to protect the company’s bottom line than the last in over-the-top battle sequences accompanied by their own music tracks!GRAB YOUR HEADPHONES: Tap your toes to a killer mixtape of original music, as well as songs by Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy, The Joy Formidable and more! Want to show off your skills to a live streaming audience? Fret not: Hi-Fi RUSH includes a streamer-friendly alternate audio mode which replaces those licensed songs with original tracks made especially for streaming Hi-Fi RUSH.
