Hi-Fi Rush Dev Explains How Shaun Of The Dead Inspired The Game

Hi-Fi Rush, the rhythm-based action game developed by Tango Gameworks, was released on 25 January 2023. And since then, it's been a massive hit among fans. As a result, it's only natural that many fans might wonder what may have inspired it -- and the answer will surprise you! In a recent Xbox Podcast on 27 January 2023, game director John Johanas told Xbox Wire's Joe Skrebels that Hi-Fi Rush was inspired in part by the films of Edgar Wright, specifically the zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead.

Johanas said that Tango Gameworks had been looking for a way to change its image for some time, having already established a name for itself by creating popular horror titles like The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo. The acclaimed game director further elaborated, stating that his inspiration for Hi-Fi Rush came from a specific scene in the movie, where the characters were fighting in a bar to a Queen soundtrack. So he wanted to make a game that was exactly like that.

"One of the earliest things we had– and this kind of influenced the direction on our style for how we did things – was the movies that Edgar Wright as a director would make [...] There was a scene in the original Shaun of the Dead that had them fighting in a bar to a Queen soundtrack that was choreographed to it," Johanas said. "I was like, ‘That was so cool; what if we made a game that was exactly like that?’ And so that’s how I kind of pitched it. That’s how the idea came to be."

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Johanas also mentioned that the main character, Chai, was inspired by Wright’s 2010 action-romance Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Chai, a wannabe rockstar, is an anti-hero, not evil but dumb, according to Johanas. The game features raucous rhythm combat, where Chai and his allies rebel against an evil robotics enhancement megacorp. Everything from platforming puzzles to enemy attacks and even gags are synced to the beat.

All things considered, Tango Gameworks has proven that they are not afraid to take a break from horror and try something new with Hi-Fi Rush. The game's inspiration from the films of Edgar Wright, specifically Shaun of the Dead, has given Hi-Fi Rush a unique and creative take on rhythm-based action. That said, it should be no shock that the game has taken off.

Hi-Fi Rush is now available on Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S platforms. The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, making it available for members to play.