Hyper Light Drifter Reviews
Heart Machine's slash-'em-up is punishing and precise - and incredibly beautiful.
Stylish, beautiful, and uncompromising, Hyper Light Drifter is as rewarding as it is frustrating.
Hyper Light Drifter is a gorgeous, trendy hunk of stylish old-school sensibilities mated with the iconic hues of pixelated indie charm. It's a return to simpler control schemes, building on sound mechanical fundamentals rather than trying to wow with new ways of interaction within each and every checkpoint. Though its wordless storytelling took some of the thrill out of completing the campaign, Hyper Light Drifter is a joy to play, (and replay in the new game plus mode) its mechanical excellence and stylish veneer.
Beautiful presentation and an intriguing open world environment, but the misjudged difficultly level is just too punishing.
Hyper Light Drifter sticks with you long after the final boss, thanks to its impressive wealth of secrets, amazing soundtrack, and mysterious world
The stunning Hyper Light Drifter is a masterful mix of exploration and combat.
Hyper Light Drifter deftly mixes contemplative moments with breakneck action
Hyper Light Drifter is very much worth the time, effort, and aggravation it costs you (and inflicts upon you). Its blistering speed takes some getting used to if your experience with action RPGs leans towards the likes of Zelda and Secret of Mana, but once you warm up to the icy slickness of Hyper Light Drifter, it quickly commits itself to your muscle memory.
Mood and atmosphere can carry me a long way, and I adored every second I spent in Hyper Light Drifter's world. The combat and movement often left me slack-jawed and giddy, a perfect homage to the '90s RPGs that obviously inspired Heart Machine, while still feeling completely fresh and constantly surprising.
Hyper Light Drifter transfers the player in a world made by dreams and nightmares, that are sustained by a superb art direction and a fresh gameplay. Heart Machine delivered an excellent and challenging adventure, and also an unmissable gem for the indie games' fans.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Hyper Light Drifter is one of the most perfectly balanced, stylish and intriguing action RPGs of recent times.
[T]here goes my time with Hyper Light Drifter, a completely gorgeous game I was utterly loving. It apparently doesn't want me to play it any more.
To put it simply, Hyper Light Drifter is incredible. Lovingly wrapped in a distinctly retro shell, the title fires on all cylinders. An intriguing, abstract narrative set in one of the most beautifully vivid world's we've ever seen helps provide a near flawless experience. Add in great combat and controls as well as an amazing soundtrack, and the end result is easily one of this year's must-plays. Its difficulty may scare away some, but for all who can cope, the experience is a truly rewarding one.
Hyper Light Drifter is a sensory overload from a visual and audio standpoint. Add in the sublime gameplay, and even with its high difficulty and lack of direction at times and players are still left with a very satisfying game.
Hyper Light Drifter is a breathtaking game that draws heavily from gaming's most prominent pioneers without relying too heavily on their influence. It is an eclectic masterpiece that feels more like an experience than a video game.
Even when I felt like giving up, I knew I was enjoying my time with Hyper Light Drifter.
Heart Machine delivers a great masterpiece, an impressive mixture of style and gameplay. Hyper Light Drifter is one of the best action game we ever played, and showcases a complex and enchanting pixel art. It brings you in a silent and distant world, it tests your ability with a deep an fast paced gameplay; it's the rightful heir of '90s bidimensional adventures.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Filled with secrets to be found, and strong foundation on core combat, Hyper Light Drifter is a deep experience. Fun for a seven hour journey of exploration, or many more hours for completion, it offers plenty of value and enjoyment for its price.
The more I think about my time with Hyper Light Drifter, as well as my continued journey in New Game Plus, the more I realize how much I like this game. Every aspect of it contains a high bar of quality. The sound work, composed by Disasterpeace, is subtle, but will crescendo at just the right moments. The graphics are a throwback to a bygone era of gaming, but also effectively convey a real and lived in world rich in mythology and fantastical events. Combat has a solid foundation that it builds upon, and enemies are fun to fight or watch plummet to the abyss below thanks to a disappearing platform. Hyper Light Drifter is a game you should not miss out on.