Evil Within studio announces rhythm action game Hi-Fi Rush, and it's out now

What's coming next from Tango Gameworks, the studio that brought you the gruesome and terrifying Evil Within and Evil Within 2? No, it's not another chilling horror game filled with freaky fetuses and blood-soaked butchers. It's a colorful, cartoony action rhythm game called Hi-Fi Rush.

If this sounds strange, brace yourself for more weird news: Hi-Fi Rush has already launched. Yep. It's not a demo or a beta. The full game is out on PC right now.

In Hi-Fi Rush you play as Chai, a "wannabe rockstar" who wields a guitar and takes on cadres of robotic opponents in sci-fi arenas. Your attacks are synced to the beat of the soundtrack, and you can build up powerful combos by tapping buttons to the rhythm. Enemies, obstacles, and even cutscenes follow the beat of the music.

"Your moves and attacks help create a living soundtrack, that means all your flashy moves, stylish and devastating combos add a layer to the music," says game director John Johanas. "The more you flow with the beat, the better you can connect your attacks and abilities. You are in total control during combat but everything you do syncs up like an awesome music video."

Chai will also meet and recruit fighting partners in Hi-Fi Rush, each with different specialties like armor-smashing attacks and enemy-juggling abilities. And he's got a cute robotic cat named 808 who hovers over his shoulder while he battles. Music includes licensed tracks from groups like Nine Inch Nails, The Black Keys, Wolfgang Gartner, and others. 

Hi-Fi Rush has hit PC Game Pass, along with a deluxe edition with extra outfits and skins for Chai and his guitar. It's also on Steam, at a price of $30. Check out more gameplay in the video below.

Christopher Livingston
Senior Editor

Chris started playing PC games in the 1980s, started writing about them in the early 2000s, and (finally) started getting paid to write about them in the late 2000s. Following a few years as a regular freelancer, PC Gamer hired him in 2014, probably so he'd stop emailing them asking for more work. Chris has a love-hate relationship with survival games and an unhealthy fascination with the inner lives of NPCs. He's also a fan of offbeat simulation games, mods, and ignoring storylines in RPGs so he can make up his own.