Hi-Fi Rush is Being Reverse-Review Bombed

Summary

Hi-Fi Rush fans are supporting the game by leaving positive reviews on Steam after Xbox's decision to close Tango Gameworks.
Players are reverse-review bombing to show their love for the developer, with 95% positive reviews in the past 30 days on Steam.
Fans are expressing disappointment with Xbox's studio closures through reviews, highlighting their support for Tango Gameworks.

Hi-Fi Rush fans are currently leaving tons of positive reviews on the game's Steam page, marking another community-driven instance of reverse-review bombing. The occurrence follows parent company Xbox's decision to shutter Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks.

Recently, Xbox announced that it was closing down certain first-party studios, namely Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games, and Roundhouse Studios. The aftermath of the news revolved around players and industry stakeholders slamming the green brand for axing the studios which created notable games such as Hi-Fi Rush, Prey, and Ghostwire: Tokyo. Interestingly, fans also resorted to another way of voicing their opinion by reverse-review bombing the game on Steam.

As evident from its Steam page, Hi-Fi Rush is currently having one of its best periods, in terms of reviews, on the digital storefront. Fans have been bombarding Tango Gameworks' rhythm-based action game with positive reviews over the past few days. The reverse-review bombing spree has ensured that 95% of its Steam reviews over the past 30 days are positive. At the time of writing, May 10, the day right after the Xbox President discussed the studio shutdowns, stands as the day the game received the most positive feedback (240 positive reviews) in recent months. According to the game's review graph on Steam, the last time Hi-Fi Rush experienced a surge in positive reviews was when it got a discount during the Steam Black Friday Sale on November 22, 2023.

Fans Reverse-Review Bombing Hi-Fi Rush on Steam

Since the positive reviews started dropping in on May 7, the same day that Xbox announced shutting down Tango Gameworks, it is clear that players are reverse-review bombing Hi-Fi Rush to show their support for the game's creators, similar to what Helldivers 2 fans recently did. Among the latest reviews, many users praised the Japan-based developer, whereas several others expressed their disappointment with Xbox's decision. In their review, a user wrote, "Tango Gameworks was an awesome studio. Like this game to scare Microsoft." Another review said, "Isn't it ironic that a game about corporate greed gets shutdown by corporate greed?"

It's worth noting that this isn't the first time Xbox fans have been in disagreement with the console giant this year. Back in February, several Xbox players were unsure of the company's decision to bring popular Xbox games to rivals PS5 and Switch. While the move eventually fared well in generating more revenue, it has left some Xbox users wondering if there is enough incentive to stick to their choice of console given the lack of first-party exclusives.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image

Hi-Fi Rush

Display card tags widget Display card system widget

Display card community and brand rating widget

Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget

Released: January 25, 2023

Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Feel the beat as wannabe rockstar Chai and his ragtag team of allies rebel against an evil robotics enhancement megacorp with raucous rhythm combat! From Tango Gameworks, the studio that brought you The Evil Within® and Ghostwire®: Tokyo (no, really) comes Hi-Fi RUSH, an all-new action game where the characters, world and combat stylishly sync to the music!

CHAI VERSUS THE WORLD: Labeled ‘defective’ after a shady corporate experiment mistakenly fuses a music player to his heart, Chai must now fight for his freedom in a slick animated world where everything – platforming puzzles, enemy attacks and even the colorful gags & banter - are synced to the beat.

OPEN UP THE MOSH PIT!: Take on armies of corporate drones (read: actual robots) in satisfying, rhythm-amplified combat. Time your moves to pull off flashy Beat Hits, hard-hitting special abilities and even combination attacks with your allies! Want to show off? Go further and tap into the beat to amp up your skills and earn those covetous S-rank scores.

ROWDY REBELS VS. BADASS BOSSES: Lead a squad of colorful teammates and take the fight to the heart of an, er, heartless corporation. Square off with each department’s boss, from Production to Marketing to Finance, each more ready to protect the company’s bottom line than the last in over-the-top battle sequences accompanied by their own music tracks!

GRAB YOUR HEADPHONES: Tap your toes to a killer mixtape of original music, as well as songs by Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy, The Joy Formidable and more! Want to show off your skills to a live streaming audience? Fret not: Hi-Fi RUSH includes a streamer-friendly alternate audio mode which replaces those licensed songs with original tracks made especially for streaming Hi-Fi RUSH.