When it comes to the gaming space, there are nowadays very few titles that you can point at and go, “Oh, that’s something totally different.” Or something that’ll make you go, “I haven’t played anything like that before!” Part of the reason for that is simply that video games have existed for a long time, and thus, developers/publishers have had the ability to make numerous kinds of titles. The other reason is that repetition and familiarity are something that those same companies prefer to employ versus making unique titles. However, Hi-Fi Rush from Tango Gameworks and Bethesda was a change of pace that the gaming industry needed.
The title came out of nowhere and was shadow-dropped onto players after an Xbox presentation. The title featured you as a wannabe rockstar who accidentally had a procedure that left him with an MP3 player where his heart should be. Using music, he would fight against the evil company that put him in this position, making allies along the way. Just about everything about Hi-Fi Rush was special and had a unique style. The game went from “no one heard of it” to “everyone’s talking about it” in no time flat. Many were even calling for more games like this to be made.
Pete Hines of Bethesda heard that call, and in an interview with Vandal, he noted that not only was he pleased with what Tango Gameworks did with the title, but that the publisher would try and take more risks like it in the future:
“Taking risks and supporting developers who want to do something new is always a good thing.”
If you’re curious why they did the shadow drop, that’s because Tango Gameworks was known for their horror titles versus action titles. Plus, given the games’ rhythm element, it would’ve been hard to explain it fully, so they decided to simply let the people play it and judge for themselves. The tactic worked, and the game was a hit on Xbox and reached numerous people thanks to things like the Xbox Game Pass.
Hearing that a company like Bethesda will be taking risks like this in the future is encouraging because gamers have been dealing with numerous publishers taking the “easy road” when launching titles versus taking the one that could truly make an impact. Or, when they do take a risk, it’s in the wrong direction, and we get something like Redfall.
What games will Bethesda take risks on in the future? We’ll have to wait and find out.
