RKGK mashes Hi-Fi Rush and Jet Set Radio up into one stylish game

Like a lot of gamers, I was stunned when I learned that Xbox had shuttered Tango Gameworks earlier this month. The exceptionally talented studio had just come off a banner year where it released the critically beloved Hi-Fi Rush. Despite being labeled as a success by Xbox executives, that wasn’t enough to save Tango, which was shut down as it actively tried to pitch a sequel. It’s discouraging news that’s led to me wishing more publishers were willing to nurture creative ideas from smaller teams.

In that sense, RKGK‘s timing couldn’t be better. On its surface, the new platforming adventure from Wabisabi Games bears a striking resemblance to Hi-Fi Rush. It’s a colorful game about counterculture rebellion, and it’s all set to a high-energy soundtrack. Its graffiti gameplay hook calls to mind Jet Set Radio more than the musical action of Hi-Fi Rush, but it has the same youthful spirit that makes that game so special.

Though RKGK is much rougher around the edges than the games it’s inspired by, its development story is a hopeful one for an industry currently mired in chaos. The project, a debut from a team based in Latin America, was made with the support of Riot Games’ Underrepresented Founders Program. That donation helped a new studio find its footing and experiment in a way that will only help it grow. RKGK might not be a perfect debut, but it’s the kind of project I want to see much more of as publishers pull support from studios with creative visions to chase.

In RKGK, players take control of Valah, a graffiti artist living in Cap City. The metropolis has found itself brainwashed by an evil corporation using hypnotizing screens around town. It’s up to Valah, with the help of the titular RKGK organization, to paint over those screens with graffiti and take down the nefarious Mr. Buff. It’s a fairly boilerplate story, but the simplicity of it makes it feel like a throwback to the Sega Dreamcast era.