2022's edition of The Game Awards was packed full of exciting announcements regarding both ongoing and upcoming titles. Multiplayer "arcade soccer" title Rocket League was one ongoing title that appeared at The Game Awards to reveal exciting news. Rocket League announced Frosty Fest, a winter-themed event that includes a collaboration with popular music streamer Lofi Girl. From now until January 3, Rocket League players can unlock Lofi Girl themed rewards, including new music tracks composed specifically for the game. Fans are hoping that Rocket League will not be the only game Lofi Girl will appear in, as plenty of other titles could benefit from the addition of some calm vibes and chill beats.
Lofi Girl is a France-based YouTube channel that primarily streams collections of lo-fi hip hop music - a subgenre of chill, down-tempo music - branded as "lofi hip-hop radio, beats to study/relax to." The music is accompanied by an animation of a girl studying; the character, known as "Lofi Girl," is designed as an homage to Studio Ghibli. Lofi Girl quickly became popular online for her cute, relaxed appearance, which led to fan surprise when her collaboration with Rocket League was announced, as the "extreme soccer" based game is anything but relaxed. Now that Lofi Girl has made her debut in the gaming world, the sky is the limit for future collaborations.
Stardew Valley
Few games are as well known for their "chill vibes" as Stardew Valley, the popular farming simulator developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. Stardew Valley is a relaxing game with a classic pixel art style in which players inherit and restore their grandfather's old farm in the titular valley. The game, which includes farming, fishing, mining, and more, can easily be played for dozens if not hundreds of hours at a time. Lofi Girl's long playlists of chill music would make a perfect accompaniment, and would pair well with Stardew Valley's classic aesthetic.
Lofi Girl herself could even appear in the game as a new resident of Pelican Town who players could befriend and deepen their relationship with via giving gifts and witnessing scenes and conversations. She could possibly star in a new mini-game where players have to study to the beat alongside her and earn rewards such as stat increases or Lofi Girl-inspired decorations for their home and farm. Unfortunately, ConcernedApe is currently working on a new project, Haunted Chocolatier, so it is unlikely that Stardew Valley will receive such a major update in the near future. However, if he does return to working on Stardew, a Lofi Girl collaboration would make an excellent addition.
Persona 6
Currently, fans of Atlus' JRPG series Persona don't know much about next main series title Persona 6 except for the fact that it is currently in development. One thing Persona enthusiasts hope to learn soon is the theme of the main characters' Personas - summonable entities based on their inner selves that appear to aid party members in battle. Persona 3 drew from Greek mythology, Persona 4 tapped into Japanese culture, and Persona 5 featured picaresque heroes from literature. Perhaps Persona 6 could feature modern figures from Internet culture such as Lofi Girl. Lofi Girl could be a useful Persona focused on healing and status buffs to represent her relaxed attitude and focus on calmness.
Tracks composed or inspired by Lofi Girl would also make a great addition to Persona 6. Historically, the Persona series has been known for its music, composed by the iconic Shoji Meguro. Persona soundtracks are known for their unique, jazzy style, catchy lyrics, and ability to accurately reflect the mood of the game, ranging from tense battle tracks to more emotional pieces playing during Confidant scenes or Persona awakenings. Lo-fi, chill songs would fit well into the Persona series, especially during school scenes or scenes of the protagonist exploring the game's setting for the first time.
Any Rhythm Game
Lofi Records, the label associated with the Lofi Girl YouTube channel, is releasing exclusive songs by a variety of artists specifically for the Rocket League collaboration and the Frosty Fest event. These include "First Snow" by Purrple Cat, "Flying Sled" by Kainbeats, and "Monday" by xander. Players will be able to listen to these songs while competing in winter-themed Rocket League matches. In a similar vein, Lofi Records could produce and release music for any one of a variety of rhythm games, ranging from the Hatsune Miku-helmed Project Diva series to the fast-paced Friday Night Funkin' or the drum-thumping Taiko no Tatsujin. Players could even make classic characters dance or fight to Lofi Girl songs in a potential future Theatrhythm Final Fantasy or Persona Dancing game.
Several rhythm games have already been confirmed for release in 2023. These include the rhythm-fighting hybrid God of Rock, up-and-coming indie Rhythm Sprout, and the next installment in the long-running Just Dance series. Any of Lofi Girl's songs, old or new, could easily make an appearance in one of these games. Lofi Girl herself could also appear as a playable character or alternate outfit for the player character in titles like Just Dance that feature customizable options. Perhaps in the future, the Lofi Girl channel could even create an entire rhythm game based around its signature chill beats or a study aid game that rewards productivity similarly to Ring Fit Adventure's game-based approach to exercise.
Hopefully, Lofi Girl's collaboration with Rocket League will not be the character's only video game appearance. Lofi Girl's popularity and the relaxing nature of the channel's music is a great fit with any number of video games in a wide variety of genres. Perhaps World of Warcraft's Lofi Girl parody, created to promote the 2020 release of the Shadowlands expansion, could be made a reality with Lofi Girl appearing in the popular MMORPG. Disney, too, has released Lofi Girl-inspired versions of classic tunes that would fit well into Disney Dreamlight Valley or a future Kingdom Hearts title. Whatever role she might play, Lofi Girl could definitely make an appearance in a wide variety of video games across multiple genres in the future. Rocket League may be just the beginning for Lofi Girl.
Rocket League is currently available for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
