Hi-Fi Rush – How to Get S-Rank Rating in Every Fight

Hi-Fi Rush is here, announced and launched in one fell swoop during Xbox’s January 2023 Developer_Direct showcase. Playing as mouthy wannabe rockstar, Chai, you’ll jump into a colorful cartoon-like world that pulsates to the rhythm of a stacked playlist penned by the likes of Nine Inch Nails and The Black Keys. With such a focus on music, Hi-Fi Rush is all about pushing players to fight and move to the beat, rewarding the most proficient with an S-rank rating.

Though an S-rank is theoretically possible for every Chorus fight in Hi-Fi Rush, the reality is that it takes some doing. Below, you’ll find a few tips we’ve picked up during our time with the game on the best way to earn an S-rank in every fight.

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Score, Just Timing, and Time – Hi-Fi Rush S-Rank

The rating awarded at the end of each fight is based on your combined performance in three areas: Score, Just Timing, and Time. It’s worth keeping this in mind as you make your way through each fight, carefully balancing each to give yourself the best chance of an S-Rank.

Score – During a fight, a score appears in your screen’s top right, just below the current rhythm rating meter. Points are awarded for attacks, combos, damage dealt, drafting in allies, and doing all those things in style. A higher score equates to a higher final rating.

Just Timing – Just Timing rewards your ability to attack, jump, and dodge to the beat. It’s measured as an accuracy percentage and determines how in tune you are with the music for every move performed during the encounter. You’ll need to get at least 85% accuracy for an S-rank.

Time – Time waits for no man, and the same goes in Hi-Fi Rush. The Time rating measures how long it takes to defeat all enemies that spawn during an encounter. A shorter time gives you a higher Time rating.

Rhythm Is Key For Getting a Hi-Fi Rush S-Rank

An obvious one, but keeping to the beat is crucial to attaining an S-Rank rating. The Just Timing portion of your final score is entirely dedicated to just how well you manage to flow with the music.

There’s no magic formula here; those with innate natural rhythm have an advantage, but for many of us, it just takes practice. Look for visual queues (808’s light pulsates, signs flash, enemies attack to the beat, and grates on the ground move to the music, for example), or use the optional visualizer (tab or keyboard or view on controller) to help you keep time.

Be Quick, But Not Too Quick

Easier said than done, but mopping up enemies without wasting any time is the surest way to secure an S rating for the Time portion of each encounter’s rating. The best advice we can give is to keep combos going as long as possible to maintain a huge multiplier, which in turn will deliver massive damage, cleaving through enemies in no time.

Though this may not be to everyone’s taste, there’s no shame in lowering the difficulty level a notch. But there are diminishing returns here. At the lowest difficulty, enemies melt away, reducing the time you have to build up combos and the multiplier and score those big points needed for an S-Rank rating. It sometimes pays to stretch things out to get a higher Score rating.

Keep Things Moving

Downtime and pauses during fights take chunks out of your rating. To avoid this, keep the fight going and close distances rapidly. You can do this using the grapple, timed dashes, or calling in allies to continue a combo while you get close enough to attack enemies.

Don’t Get Hit

Much like downtime saps your rating, so does getting whacked by enemies, breaking hard-earned combos, and likely causing you to lose the beat. Fortunately, we’re not dealing with a Souls-like here: attacks are extremely telegraphed, to the point that robots only attack in time with the beat. Master parrying and dodging as early as possible, and remember that a timed dodge allows you to chain three in a row to get out of any sticky situation.

Vary Your Attacks

Similar to games like Tony Hawk Pro Skater, you’ll bag fewer points if you repeat the same attack or combo over and over again. Aim for variety, using as many different combos as possible in one single fight – airborne attacks, ally attacks, jam combos, grapples, and special attacks.

In turn, more variety ensures the rank meter in the top right of the screen stays filled and high (ideally at S). You’ll get even more points for variety the higher the meter rating. Keep it stylish, and Hi-Fi Rush rewards you with a massive score.

Replay Hi-Fi Rush Levels Specifically to Get S-Rank

For those that intend on getting an S-Rank rating, we recommend approaching your first playthrough of each fight as a recon mission. Foresight and knowledge of what enemies and how many you’re fighting, specifically their attacks and movement patterns, gives you an advantage. Once you know what’s coming, replay levels with the sole aim of getting S-rank, safe in the knowledge that there aren’t any surprises.

In the same spirit, it’s well worth leaving S-Rank hunting to a second playthrough when you’ve unlocked more combos and improvements to make the task that little bit easier.

Are you looking for a gentler introduction to Hi-Fi Rush? Check out our beginner’s tips and tricks.

READ MORE: Hi-Fi Rush System Requirements