Chat Hi-Fi Rush with us in RPS Game Club

Check, check, testing, testing, 1, 2, 3...

What would a liveblog about a rhythm game be without a proper sound check, after all? But that's good, everything seems to be in working order. See you back here at 4pm BST, folks!

Welcome folks!

Since this is our first RPS Game Club meeting, I'm going to throw open a question to the floor: is this the type of game you'd normally play in your everyday gaming habits? Or have you broken with your general gaming tastes just to see what old Hi-Fi Rush is like?

Hey gang! Just popping on Whirring by the Joy Formidable before we get started to set the tone...

Oh lawd, let me tell you, I haven't been able to stop singing/whistling/humming Lonely Boy by The Black Keys all goddamn month.

That song takes me back to a very specific point in my life when I was looking for my first job post-university, trying to make it as a freelance writer (and failing miserably). It was on the radio all the heckin time.

treelo says: aha, hello

Hi Treelo! Welcome.

Dez says: Rhythm games aren't really my wheelhouse (except for the Bit.Trip series), but I enjoyed Hi-Fi Rush, and I'm really glad they've got a pretty forgiving Easy mode.

Love a bit of Bit.Trip. But yeah, I think the thing everyone in the RPS Treehouse has liked about Hi-Fi Rush this month is just how forgiving it is.

The 'Good's and 'Perfect's are just an added bonus in the general melee of sight and sound.

I love it when music takes you back to a specific place. Must have felt nice knowing that since the original track released, you've gone from a freelancer to the editor of the world's best gaming site, right? How did we all feel about the soundtrack in general? I expected the licensed tracks to be the best bit, but with one or two exceptions, I actually preferred the original score.

Dez says: For those curious, the Hi-Fi Rush soundtrack (including licensed songs) are free on Spotify. I've been playing several tracks in my car during my commute.

Very true! You can catch the link here.

I_have_no_nose_but_I_must_sneeze says: This is very much something I'd play whether it was chosen for our little club or not. In fact, I played it right after I finished Sekiro, which seems to be a significant inspiration. A grappling hook that can be used in combat, parries, dodges. There's even a type of samurai bot that killed me more times than I can count.

I'd never thought of it like that, but you're absolutely right. For the record I think Sekrio would have been improved if every time you slashed your sword a disembodied crowd shouted "HEY!"

Liam says: Must have felt nice knowing that since the original track released, you've gone from a freelancer to the editor of the world's best gaming site, right?

Haha, I do feel very lucky, that's for sure.

Dez says: For those curious, the Hi-Fi Rush soundtrack (including licensed songs) are free on Spotify. I've been playing several tracks in my car during my commute.

I didn't realise it was all on Spotify! Thanks! Currently listening to Too Big To Fail. What a tune!

Weirdly, the licensed tracks never really made much of an impact on me as so much of it is instrumental - they sort of all blurred into the same in-house soundtrack to me. Lonely Boy excepted, of course!

Godwhacker says: Can we talk about how great SEB-AAA is? The Noir Cop Robot who works in HR

Oh yeah, SEB-AAA is great. I'm assuming he's a direct play on Sebastian from Evil Within.

I know there were other Evil Within refs in the game, particularly that one about The Evil Within 3...

Godwhacker says: Can we talk about how great SEB-AAA is? The Noir Cop Robot who works in HR

Yes. Yes we can. The easter eggs in this game are fantastic. SEB-AAA and JSF-001. The snail logo that hangs around in certain levels. The lantern hidden in the corner of the museum that plays a segment of Clair de lune when you walk up to it. I loved them all.

Oh man, I missed the Clair De Lune bit in the museum! I must go back...

What did we think of the main cast? Who was your favourite, and why is the only correct answer Korsica (questionable Scottish accent aside)?

Japanese VA all the way, man, it's only right.

pete says: I wouldn't have even registered that there were different songs without the white text to tell me

Like Katharine said, I agree that most of the tunes blend into the background a bit. Other than the Prodigy I felt like most of the tracks were cut up too much to actually appreciate them.

But yes, Korsica is indeed the correct answer, although I do have a soft spot for CNMN as well. I do love a good comedy robot with marker pen for a face.

CNMN was great. That marker gag never gets old.

Really, 808 also deserves a mention here as clearly the best video game cat. We're defo gonna have to redo our list soon...

Godwhacker says: 808 gets all the best jokes though

The little dance they do during the dream sequence is maybe my gaming highlight of the year so far. Quality stuff.

Godwhacker says: 808 gets all the best jokes though

Truth

Jumping in to say that Robbie Daymond as Chai made me incredibly happy as a Critical Role nerd. Met him at MCM London last year and he was just lovely, too.

I_have_no_nose_but_I_must_sneeze says: Speaking of Sebastian, how great is it to have such a versatile developer that can go from Evil Within to this? I haven't played Ghostwire yet, but I don't imagine Nine Inch Nails features heavily in it.

I was thinking about this constantly while playing it. Although I was disappointed to hear founder Shinji Mikami was leaving the company, you play something like this where he was largely hands-off, and you can see why he's comfortable stepping away. The talent they've cultivated there is phenomonal. I can't wait to see what they do next.

Not gonna lie. Part of the reason why I do like Korsica so much is because she's got big Flannery from Pokemon energy.

Haha oh my days, she really does.

I took so many screenshots while playing that my partner became genuinely grumpy with how often she was subjected to the Xbox notifcation noise.

But in my defence, look at this.

Love those big comic book shots.

You'll be pleased to hear my love for the game's photo mode has not abated in the slightest.

I love those weirdos.

I_have_no_nose_but_I_must_sneeze says: I'm fond of Macaron too and the contrast between his imposing stature and his timid nature.

Macaron is a real sweetie. If there isn't fan art of Macaron eating macaroons, then the world is a poorer place for it.

Godwhacker says: Wasn't convinced by Corsica - Peppermint and Chai had this brother-sister-but-might-also-fuck thing going on; Korsica just got an accent and the line "stupid... musical... robot... powers..."

I actually felt like there was no energy between Peppermint and Chai other than sibling-level annoyance, and found it really refreshing that they never pushed the story in any explicitly romantic directions. Just a bunch of weirdos hanging out and being pals.

pete says: I liked the little cleaner robots, they were sweet. Chai was nicely judged, the right side of idiot

I uh. I killed so many of these. Like. Smashed to smithereens. No remorse.

How dare you, Liam, you absolute monster. They're just doing their best.

If Tango didn't want me to decimate them, they wouldn't have stuffed them full of delicious scrap.

The only romantic pairing I was actively rooting for was between the cleaner bot and the lady bot in the gardens before Mimosa's concert. Too cute.

What was everyone's favourite moment in the game? Personally, I was very fond of the Korsica boss battle (and not just because it had Korsica in it).

Dez says: @Godwhacker, according to TVTropes, "Many of the noteworthy characters in the story are named after foods and beverages: Chai, Peppermint, Macaron, CNMN (pronounced 'Cinnamon'), Kale, Mimosa, Rekka (a type of ramen) and Roquefort (a type of cheese)." Corsican (Korsica) pear spice is another popular blend of tea; maybe those with spice-names are protagonists?

Huh, how interesting! Nice little foreshadowing for Korsica's character arc there, too.

Dez says: I destroyed the (awesome) cleaning robots on the main playthrough, but I can't bring myself to smash them on later track cleanups.

I_have_no_nose_but_I_must_sneeze says: @pete, I admit I had a blast obliterating all the little cleaner bots as they whirred around in distress, asking me if they did something wrong. Am I a monster? Come on, they dropped loot!

Absolutely outraged at all the wanton cleaner bot destruction. Shame on you all.

Katharine says: What was everyone's favourite moment in the game? Personally, I was very fond of the Korsica boss battle (and not just because it had Korsica in it).

This was mine, too. Although the Prodigy fight in the canteen and the battle against the giant robot towards the end are definitely up there.

I_have_no_nose_but_I_must_sneeze says: @pete, I admit I had a blast obliterating all the little cleaner bots as they whirred around in distress, asking me if they did something wrong. Am I a monster? Come on, they dropped loot!

I'm normally pants at parries in games, but I liked the focus they had here, particularly in that Korsica fight. Maybe Hi-Fi Rush's generally more forgiving nature meant they were actually easier to perform, too.

pete says: I'm not going to condemn people for smashing the completely defenceless, harmless and sweet cleaner bots. I just ask to look inside, to your organs, and think about whether being full of loot is a justification.

If my guts were stuffed full of loose cash, I would simply allow myself to be beaten to death.

Monsters, the lot of you.

Godwhacker says: I don't think there's one particular moment (although the canteen fight is a good candidate), more just all the tiny one-shot jokes driven by slapstick / physical comedy, usually focussed on 808. I don't think I've seen a game do physical (*comedy) this well.

Yeah, the choreography, blocking and plotting of the cutscenes in general is just superb. Lots of great sight and spoken gags in there.

Katharine says: I'm normally pants at parries in games, but I liked the focus they had here, particularly in that Korsica fight. Maybe Hi-Fi Rush's generally more forgiving nature meant they were actually easier to perform, too.

They definitely felt a little more forgiving, and having you parry attacks in rhythm-based memory puzzles was a stroke of genius. I loved facing off against the robots that forced you into those minigames before you could defeat them.

k47 says: I've a weakspot for narrative sections where your companions know to go ahead and clear the way for you without you asking. So second to last mission was my favorite. Guardins of the Galaxy had something similar at one point.

Ah yeah this bit was great, good shout.

Liam says: I loved facing off against the robots that forced you into those minigames before you could defeat them.

Oh man, the samurai bots with their very solemn poems were brilliant.

Dez says: @pete, agreed. The electric wall was my least-favorite part in the game.

That, combined with me constantly messing up Macaron's punch (in general and during that wall sequence) was, yeah...

Dez says: @pete, agreed. The electric wall was my least-favorite part in the game.

I have completely forgotten this section, which probably speaks volumes.

I_have_no_nose_but_I_must_sneeze says: The canteen, 100%. Great use of Invaders Must Die. The trip into Chai's utter delusion when he was captured, broken by the finger snapping and the Twin Peaks cat dance. The opening with Lonely Boy. Finally defeating Mimosa and seeing her burst into the night sky. Too much health, that one.

The Twin Peaks cat dance was indeed brilliant.

Godwhacker says: Least favourite: any of the fire robots

Oh man, yes, I couldn't summon Korsica fast enough in those fights!

Godwhacker says: "After it released, I spent about a month daydreaming what a sequel to Hi-Fi Rush could have. What would you add to it? Both mechanically and narratively?" - Vandelay gets subjected to a hostile takeover by Amazon

Haha, here's a question actually: you walk into Vanderlay to get the latest robo implant. What would you get?

k47 says: After it released, I spent about a month daydreaming what a sequel to Hi-Fi Rush could have. What would you add to it? Both mechanically and narratively?

Same! I'd love for them to add additional weapons (themed after different insruments, naturally). I'd also like to play as other characters, I think? Peppermint sections would transform the game into a third-person shooter, Macaron a side-scrolling brawler etc.

Narratively I have no idea, but it'd be nice to see them try a location that isn't just a bunch of metal corridors.

k47 says: My favorite addition to a sequel would be: a taunt button you can hold/tap to "air guitar" and charge your not-Devil-Trigger, kind of like V does with his poetry book in DMC5, but without the edge.

This is such a good suggestion.

Katharine says: Haha, here's a question actually: you walk into Vanderlay to get the latest robo implant. What would you get?

A USB charging port in the back of my head, so if I'm tired I can charge myself up for a bit. That's how the human body works, right?

I think I'd probably go for new eyes. Get some infrared vision on the go...

Katharine says: I think I'd probably go for new eyes. Get some infrared vision on the go...

I'm ashamed to admit I would use this implant for the sole purpose of seeing which pasties were still hot when buying lunch from Greggs.

I mean, what else would you use it for? Come on.

Just a heads up, we are rapidly closing in on 5pm, folks, which means home time for us in the Treehouse. I'll be sticking around for another few minutes, but we'll be wrapping up this liveblog fairly soon.

Thank you to everyone who's come out to chat Hi-Fi Rush with us today! Keep your eyes peeled early next week for our next game pick!

Some final thoughts before I bounce: Hi-Fi Rush is probably my game of the year so far. It's been a long time since a game made me smile as much (and as often) as this one. It felt like a throwback to the PS2 era, where big publishers like Capcom would throw huge amounts of talent at a very niche idea. I'm so happy it exists, and I can't wait to see what the team make next.

Thanks everyone, this was a blast!

Dez says: Another favorite scene: The Zoom call after defeating Rekka, that Zanzo was muted during his monologue, and Zale immediately cut him off after unmuting. So many clever details.

Also loved this bit as well.

Please look forward to more 808 screenshot spamming wherever we can fit it in.

Just look at these guys.

Godwhacker says: Perhaps for April you can do a game that's a bit more divisive? This has all been very positive

Watch this space!