So i finished Hi Fi Rush recently (excellent game by the way, highly recommend it to everyone) and was thinking about the songs they added for streamer mode. For context, the game has a bunch of licensed songs that can be replaced with the game's original music so streamers can play the game without getting content ID'd. I haven't really seen much fandom discussion about it, but I at least know there has been some debate about which songs people think are better.
My initial (and probably a little mean) impression was that the replacement songs were just discount versions of the original lol. I can't really blame em for that though. The entire game is meant to sync to the music, cutscenes and boss fights included. So they have to sound similar by necessity.
My opinion has softened on a few of them though. While they're all mostly just trying to sound like the songs they're replacing there are some that go for different tones.
The best example is probably with Free Radicals
Streamer mode replaces it with the song Captive Normals
(also, lol, great name)
These songs play during the boss fight with Rekka. They sound very similar but Captive is a lot more upbeat in comparison. Free Radicals feels like it's ramping up as the fight goes, feeling more oppressive as Rekka's moves get more intense. In comparison, Captive sounds like it's getting more and more triumphant as you wear her down and make her more desperate.
I dunno if I'd say any of the replacement songs are better than the licensed ones, but at the very least I can appreciate them more when they're trying to differentiate themselves from the originals.
(that being said i think intruders kinda sucks lol. that one is literally just Invaders Must Die but worse)