Overall TGG Rating

Controversy aside, Atomic Heart is a robust first-person affair, albeit one that revels in glorified Soviet iconography and Wolfenstein-esque alternate history weirdness. The difference is, there’s no ambiguity in shooting Nazis – here, however, you can’t help but have a sense of unease while playing. 7/10

Audio 7/10

DOOM composer Mick Gordon is firing on all cylinders for this one, and the voice acting, while incessant, is none too shabby. Sound effects are fab, too.

Visuals 8/10

Atomic Heart is a fantastic looking game, but it’s not without its graphical issues. A progress-blocking bug where the floor failed to appear in a room, being one such example.

Playability

7/10

Melee combat and gunslinging alike proves gratifying, as do the various abilities granted by your Polymer glove. In the open world sections, things fall apart somewhat.

Delivery 7/10

A strong single-player experience that runs for around 20 hours or so, Atomic Heart feels like it could use a trim. Also, the lack of New Game+ or endgame options is silly.

Version tested: Xbox Series X & Windows PC

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

When was the last time you were genuinely, properly surprised by something? And when was it a new video game that came out of nowhere? Hi-Fi Rush is an increasingly rare thing in this era of rampant leaks and delays a complete, ready-to-go game announced and released on the same day. Also, it’s unreservedly brilliant, bristling with a raw and infectious energy, excellent music, and rhythmbased gameplay that proves consistently exciting and enjoyable.

And while Hi-Fi Rush was leaked the day before its reveal, developer Tango Gameworks’ action game still feels like a real surprise, forgoing the bleak horror of its The Evil Within games, for something gleefully exuberant and colourful. Immediate comparisons to Sunset Overdrive and Jet Set Radio are inevitable, but the truth is, Hi-Fi Rush is something else altogether. Its melee-based combat brings to mind Devil May Cry or Bayonetta, albeit with a rhythmic twist, strikes from ‘wannabe rockstar’ hero Chai imbued with more power should you manage to match the beat.

As for the reason why, after a visit to the Vandelay corporation to have a robotic arm installed, Chai’s music player inadvertently finds its way into his chest and ends up fused to his heart. Labelled a ‘defect’, Chai finds himself on the run from Vandelay’s legion of robots, and when the music plays, you’ll find yourself fighting while attempting to stay on-time. It’s initially quite tricky, but there are numerous visual cues to aid you, should you have all the rhythm of a beached octopus. Chai has an extensive arsenal of moves, too, all unleashed via his flying-V guitar-shaped baton thing.

Chai must escape the clutches of Vandelay’s robot army, led by nefarious corporate CEO Kale Vandelay. Each level has its own boss to take down, from the head of Production to Vandelay’s Marketing and its Finance department heads, all with their own little twists to overcome. Building up your Reverb metre, by hitting the rhythm, enables you to unleash special moves, of which there are many to purchase from the in-game store.

Tango does a great job in steadily drip-feeding moves and mechanics, too you won’t even learn how to parry until you’re a good few hours in, although you’ll soon learn how to dodge and use Chai’s magnetic tether to grapple your way towards enemies. As you progress, and your combat options expand, the action becomes increasingly versatile, adding summonable companion characters, devastating special attacks, aerial moves, and other abilities to your impressive repertoire. Hi-Fi Rush just keeps getting better and better, despite being the sort of thing that could have very easily started to grate after a few hours.

The pulsing of the environment, the power chords of Chai’s guitar as you swing it, and the noises of percussion as you dodge and leap make for an astonishing soundscape during

Hi-Fi Rush’s intense combat, although it can be tricky to key in to the game’s rhythm. Each level has its own toe-tapping track to bop along to, with a few licensed tunes in the mix – Prodigy’s ‘Invaders Must Die’ being a heart-pounding highlight – and accurate rhythm is rewarded with ‘S’ ranks and a shower of gears used as currency towards upgrades and new moves.

Hi-Fi Rush’s cast of characters are a constant delight, too, Chai’s ‘never-say-die’ attitude making him an extremely likeable lead, while buddies like robot cat 808, painfully cool hacker Peppermint, burly former Vandelay researcher Macaron, and his robot compadre CNMN, also making for equally good company. Between missions, you can hang out at Peppermint’s hideout, play with 808 on the couch, upgrade your abilities, interact with your crew, and check on your progress with the game’s many collectibles.

The game’s art design is also magnificent stuff, with its crisp lines, gorgeous cel-shaded colours, and slick animation. Characters and environments sit together beautifully, the entire thing a riot of piercing blue skies, searing reds, yellows, and greens, with vistas stretching far into the distance. Even traversal is rhythmbased, while certain progress-blocking obstacles and contraptions require the aid of one of your companions. Robotic enemies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, too, each with their own attacks and patterns to learn, whereas boss battles are unique encounters that put you in front of different facets of the game’s rhythm-matching gameplay, putting your skills to the test.

Even if you find matching the beat during combat a difficult thing, it ultimately doesn’t matter. While at higher difficulties it becomes increasingly vital, at easy and normal levels, you can muddle through to the end with only the most rudimentary of rhythmic skills. Whether you’re tuned in to the game’s beat or not, then, playing Hi-Fi Rush is an absolute pleasure, regardless, Tango Gameworks proving that it can do more than just horror, delivering one of the most vibrant and exciting games in some time, infused with a verve and brio that’s all too rare these days.