With Hi-Fi Rush, developer “Tango Games” has simply released a surprise hit for Xbox and PC. As a PS5 player, MeinMMO author Max Handwerk can only watch with some wistfulness – probably not for the last time this year.
“Horizon, God of War, Spider-Man. Horizon, God of War, Spider-Man. Horizon, God of War, Spider-Man.” For almost two days, I’ve been repeating this mantra in my head to remind myself of the fantastic games that the PS5 has already made flash across my screen.
However, this mantra is continually interrupted. And that is by the loud pulsating beat of the trailer for “Hi-Fi RUSH”. A game that no one saw coming, but which there is currently no avoiding.
At the Xbox-Bethesda showcase, the rhythm explosion in comic style was presented, and then it was released directly via Steam and Game Pass. What makes the game is something you can see quickly in the trailer:
Hero Chai fights through a colorful world where everything is synchronized to the same rhythm. Attacks become stronger depending on the sense of rhythm, and a good portion of ease and humor is also taken care of.
The game seems to hit a nerve with people who enjoy colorful, explosive fun. If you visit the “Games” subreddit, the strong reviews of the game are being discussed. Numerous players are sharing what a blast this surprise hit is. On Steam, the game is collecting positive reviews, with 98% favorable reviews.
And here I sit, watching gameplay videos and looking somewhat wistfully at my PlayStation.
I haven’t really missed having an Xbox or a particularly powerful PC until now. But now, “Hi-Fi Rush” is passing me by, even though the game, in all its action-comic-guitar-hero-ness, would definitely be something for me.
And when I look at the rest of the Xbox year, this feeling could become even more frequent.
Exclusive titles in 2023 – does Xbox have the edge?
So far, I haven’t really needed an Xbox for exclusive titles; for me, the PlayStation has generally been equipped with the more suitable titles. For example, I would always choose God of War over Halo.
However, the argument that I’ve always looked at with a bit of envy is the “Game Pass”. The Xbox offering is indeed already very strong, and the catalog is full of exciting games.
And the fact that strong titles are even appearing there regularly from day one, like now Hi-Fi Rush, is simply ideal if you enjoy trying out new games. Who knows if Hi-Fi Rush, with its unusual approach, wouldn’t simply disappear into “nothing” after its surprising release if players couldn’t try it out immediately.
And then Xbox simply has a few good arguments up its sleeve this year. One of them is the upcoming game from Arkane Studios, Redfall.
The upcoming co-op shooter is set to release on May 2, 2023, exclusively for Xbox and PC, also available in Game Pass from day one. Even if it’s not entirely clear how strong the new Arkane Studios game will be: it looks exciting all the same.
The last game from the makers of Redfall, Deathloop, was ironically also a time-limited exclusive title, but for PlayStation. The gameplay of the shooter thrilled me back then, and combined with the co-op aspect, which I love in games like Borderlands, Redfall would definitely appeal to me.
Well, and then there’s Starfield.
Here too, it remains to be seen how strong the title will ultimately be when it releases later in 2023. But after all my hours in Morrowind, Skyrim, or the Fallout titles, Bethesda’s space adventure would definitely have made it onto my list if it were coming to PlayStation.
But it isn’t. That’s why it’s also in Game Pass.
Does Xbox have the edge? That remains to be seen. After all, PlayStation will also get its titles this year. For example, the new Spider-Man or the next part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake are upcoming – although not until autumn and winter. Additionally, there are more games that both consoles will receive.
But some exciting titles are indeed missing from PlayStation this year. From my perspective, Xbox is definitely on a really good path. It will be interesting to see how this develops further – and whether Xbox can gather even more interesting arguments that PS5 players would miss.
What do you think about the upcoming releases this year? Let us know in the comments.
The big release list of MMOs and multiplayer games 2023 can be found here.
