The sequel to Hi-Fi Rush should not repeat the steps of its predecessor in one area

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During the Xbox Developer_Direct 2023, Microsoft and Bethesda Softworks surprised their fans by simultaneously announcing and releasing a game called Hi-Fi Rush. Developed by Tango Gameworks, the first Japanese studio under the Xbox umbrella, Hi-Fi Rush was a third-person hack-and-slash game with a cartoony aesthetic and a killer soundtrack. Although it shared many similarities with character action games such as Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, Hi-Fi Rush it stood out due to its unique, rhythmic combat mechanic that rewarded players for attacking enemies in time to the music.

Up until this point, Tango Gameworks had produced almost exclusively horror games (such as Evil within), so it was completely unexpected that the company developed a colorful, cheerful title like Hi-Fi Rush. However, despite Tang's inexperience with the genre, the game was a critical success. Hi-Fi Rush it was praised by fans and journalists alike, and many even called it one of the best games released on Xbox in the last decade. With that said, the game's success from a commercial perspective was more unclear as there were various conflicting reports on the matter. If Hi-Fi Rush really did poorly in sales, then maybe a sequel, if there is one at all, shouldn't be overshadowed.

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The sequel to Hi-Fi Rush should not cast shadows

Despite reports to the contrary, Hi-Fi Rush was seemingly not that successful

Shortly after Tango Gameworks founder Shinji Mikami left Microsoft in February 2023, Bethesda CEO Todd Vaughn said in an internal email to Zenimax employees that Hi-Fi Rush was a bonafide hit. He claimed that the game “was one of the most successful launches for Bethesda and Xbox in recent years” and that it “generated significant positive momentum for the business and Tango”. About a month later, Microsoft publicly confirmed this Hi-Fi Rush has garnered over 2 million players on Xbox Series X/S and PC, the platforms it was originally launched on. While it wasn't as massive a release as other AAA Xbox titles, those numbers still seemed decent for a new non-shadow video game like Hi-Fi Rush.

Like all Microsoft games, Hi-Fi Rush was available day one on Xbox Game Pass. Therefore, the number of 2 million players for a game does not necessarily mean that 2 million copies have been sold.

Success Hi-Fi Rush however, it was disputed in April 2023 when industry expert Jeff Grubb reported on it Hi-Fi Rush he didn't make “the money he needed to make”. The claim was quickly debunked by Xbox marketing manager Aaron Greenberg, who tweeted Hi-Fi Rush was a “breakthrough hit” for Microsoft in “all key metrics and expectations”. Although the situation seemed to be settled once and for all, things got even more complicated in May of this year when Microsoft shockingly announced that it was shutting down Tango Gameworks along with three other Bethesda studios.

Tango Gameworks and others Hi-Fi Rush Fortunately, the IP was acquired by South Korean publisher Krafton in August 2024, but the fact that Microsoft even decided to close the studio suggests that its latest game was not that successful. Really, Hi-Fi RushA surprise release in 2023 might have been exciting, but the lack of marketing for the game probably hurt its sales a lot. Even though this title came to the PlayStation 5 earlier this year, it didn't seem to set the world on fire.

Hi-Fi Rush 2 needs to have a proper marketing campaign

Despite Hi-Fi Rush's likely poor commercial performance, a sequel to the game is currently being considered by Krafton and Tango Gameworks. Krafton director Changhan Kim told Game Developer a few months ago that he didn't think so Hi-Fi Rush 2 that the company would make money, but that he was still interested in the prospect. Assuming Tango Gameworks develops a sequel to its beloved action game, then it should avoid throwing shade at the game like it did with its predecessor, as mentioned earlier. AND Hi-Fi Rush the sequel needs all the marketing and promotional campaigns it can get if Tango and Krafton are trying to make it a successful product.

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