Hi-Fi Rush is an animated third person story game where you fight your way through a city run by an evil corporation. It has pretty standard fighting mechanics for the most part, and you can get by by just button-mashing against all the enemies, but there is one feature that is the focus of the game that is super interesting to me. There is music constantly playing during the game, and if you hit your attacks on the beat of the music playing, then it provides a boost and allows you to hit combos and do more damage. Rhythm based games are not new, but the combination of playing to the rhythm and fighting enemies creates an extremely unique dynamic that I absolutely love. It’s hard to get used to at first, but it becomes easier when you relax and stop thinking about it so much, and when you get into the rhythm of the music then the game is easier, but it is also so much more enjoyable than just button-mashing through it. To me, these mechanics create a flow-state like dynamic, which I believe to be intentional as the main character is a character who wants to be a rockstar, so in a sense fighting on the beat becomes their flow-state. Sometimes when I’m playing I don’t even feel like I’m playing a fighting game. Part of this is due to the aesthetic of the animation and design style that makes it feel very comical and fun, but to me the rhythm mechanic distracts me from the fighting mechanic, and I become more focused on the music.
