
These upgrades can range from the rather trivial (an extra health potion slot), to the downright essential (dodge mechanic reflects projectiles at enemies), and regardless of how good you are at the game's combat mechanics you’re still going to want to explore areas for secrets and upgrades.Īs much as I enjoyed Hyper Light Drifter, there were some annoyances to be experienced over the course of the game's five to six hour campaign.
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Scattered throughout the world are yellow upgrade blocks that, once collected, allow you to purchase upgrades back at the stores in town. The expansive game world and large number of collectibles also ensures you have plenty of reasons to keep diving back into areas you’ve already explored. In many respects Hyper Light Drifter is reminiscent of the Souls series, where combat is often cerebral and intensely challenging but never unfair. But when you do finally succeed in defeating a tough enemy the sense of relief and achievement is sublime. You’ll likely die over and over, at least to start with, because you'll push your luck too far. This methodical combat system takes some getting used to, especially when you encounter boss fights which take the mechanic to its extreme. These basic abilities are quickly expanded upon via the purchase of upgrades and discovery of weapon pick-ups throughout the world, but the core combat loop is generally consistent throughout all enemies have a set attack pattern and it’s up to you to dodge in and out of attacks whilst also dealing damage whenever an opportunity to attack presents itself.

A single press of the X button on a standard Xbox 360/Xbox One controller causes you to slash, the A button allows you to dash, and the right trigger shoots your gun in the direction you’re facing.
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While the game world is often portrayed as desolate and full of death, the impact my actions had on the world's few remaining inhabitants made me excited to return to the fray after stepping away from the game for a time.Ĭombat is hugely challenging and rewarding. The changes in tone that accompany progression through Hyper Light Drifter help make the game feel moodier and more engaging. The changing geography also brings with it different challenges - so the mountainous area boasts more platforming sequences as you traverse vast canyons, while the lake area places greater emphasis on player agility. It pursues the standard rogue-lite dungeon crawler formula almost to a fault at times, with each area of the world featuring multiple collectibles and puzzles which must be overcome in order to trigger a climactic boss fight.Įach area is unique both in look and feel, from the mountainous Northern region to the lake section that dominates the right hand side of the map.

Hyper Light Drifter is a rogue-lite dungeon crawler akin to top-down The Legend of Zelda games of yesteryear. If Hyper Light Drifter's art style drew you in then the gameplay should be enough to make you stay. These moments are a jarring blot on an otherwise beautiful game, but thankfully they're few and far between. On more than one ocassion I would come across things that wouldn't animate properly, and this left them feeling lifeless and dead. At least, that is, when the animations work. The world is beautifully animated and this gives the impression of a real, tangible place. Indeed, it was the project's wonderful pixel art that intrigued me enough to back the game in the first place, and the reality is (almost) every bit as good as those first glimpses backers were given at the tail end of 2013. The stunning aesthetics are a brilliant starting point for your journey into the universe of Hyper Light Drifter. It’s finally here! Two and a half years after I contributed $25.00 to its Kickstarter campaign, Hyper Light Drifter is finally a real product that backers and non-backers alike can enjoy, but beyond the gorgeous pixel art is there really much of a game to uncover? Yes, and yes again - more of one than I actually expected.

By VGChartz Staff, posted on 02 April 2016 / 10,318 Viewsĭisclaimer: I backed Hyper Light Drifter on Kickstarter during its initial fundraising campaign and pledged $25.
