Subsequent the lukewarm reception to its newest horror game Ghostwire: Tokyo, few could have anticipated the next recreation from the Shinji Mikami led-Tango Gameworks to be a brightly coloured, rhythm-dependent character-motion match. Hello-Fi Rush saw a surprise launch early in 2023, arguably kicking off the stellar calendar year of surprising brilliance with its tightly made combat, amazingly likable solid of rebels, and standout boss fights. Just about every a single of Hi-Fi Rush’s many manager fights is unforgettable for one explanation or an additional (the scale and complexity of the remaining struggle versus Kale is as awe-inspiring as the initially speedy-paced duel with antagonist-turned-ally Korsica), but none arrive near to evaluating with what could be the most adrenaline-fuelled 3-phase battle of the 12 months: Roquefort.

Like a great deal of Hi-Fi Rush, Roquefort is just not unforgettable because of his outright problem. The character-motion introduced in Tango Gameworks’ hottest pairs rhythm-centered sensibilities with the circulation of regular character-motion, geared up with an participating scoring process that judges your aptitude at balancing both of those. Wise touches all-around each phase constantly remind you of the defeat you need to have to continue to keep when inputting presses for combos, while enemy assaults (primarily) adhere to the very same beat, only breaking out in half-techniques when striving to trip you up. Roquefort is the end result of almost everything you have learnt about this mix of genres to that level, performing as the penultimate boss that is meant to gatekeep your progress from the game’s eventual most-hard foe, equally figuratively and actually.

Supplied the imposing stature of the bosses right before him, Roquefort is an outlier in that he won’t appear throughout as menacing or physically imposing, a point protagonist Chai attempts to leverage in advance of the combat with some misplaced trash speak. It’s not long before Roquefort’s nickname, a wolf in sheep’s clothes, bears out in the most literal feeling. The quick, plump accountant transforms into a large mechanical wolf, adorned in chrome and brimming with sharp, pointy finishes to do harm with. This by yourself is an exciting revelation that tees up a grueling 3-section struggle, and the mood is instantly set with an improvised variation of Wolfgang Mozart’s 5th Symphony created by Wolfgang Gartner, and additional edited to tightly adhere to the tempo of the fight.

The combat performs out in Roquefort’s opulent and gold-laden business, sooner or later relocating to a vault overflowing with a comical total of gold coins, with the music blaring in the history as his hulking wolf variety moves with a surprisingly class according to the comforting and at times erratic defeat. This would make his actions astonishingly difficult to observe, with the conquer shifting in surprising techniques until you nail down its looping pattern. Discovering this rhythm helps make you appreciate how significantly treatment was plainly presented to sync up with the beat in a way significantly a lot more devoted than the bosses beforehand. As a immediate consequence, this fight feels extra like a dance than any other. It can be not lengthy just before your inputs are currently being instantly additional by musical intuition than reflexes, allowing you total a zen-like movement inspite of the really chaotic duel you are engaged in. As Roquefort begins revealing additional and far more of his repertoire, this fulfilling back again-and-forth forces you to keenly adapt, even further engrossing you in the enveloping tunes to get the upper hand. It is a gradual escalation that won’t prevent right up until the last blow is struck, most likely leaving you with an aching foot from tapping and an elevated heart charge that punctuates the adrenaline higher expert in the course of.

To say that I have experienced Hi-Fi Rush’s licensed soundtrack on repeat for considerably of the 12 months would be an understatement, but it would be an even bigger just one to admit that I have not listened to Wolfgang Garter’s amazing observe much more times than any other on the tracklist. Each and every time, I’m transported again to the thrill of this extraordinary combat in opposition to Roquefort and reminded of the huge hurry a meticulously built come across like this can invoke, subsequently leaving a strong perception that is sluggish to fade. Hello-Fi Hurry may possibly not be as well remembered immediately after a year of stellar releases, but it truly is a game with times like these that are powerful reminders that a superior outdated-fashioned boss combat isn’t a dying trend in an marketplace laden with additional grounded strategies to setpieces. In some cases just bringing it again to fundamentals, and using treatment to nail all the minor facts, can consequence in one of the most memorable moments of the 12 months.