First Impressions: Hyper Light Drifter

I first picked up Hyper Light Drifter a couple months ago, and quickly got stuck, and I put it down pretty soon afterward.  After playing through FFXIII, I wanted to play a few smaller-scope games before tackling another RPG, so I tried Hyper Light Drifter.  I’m really glad I did. 

The game has excellent art style and lots of cool details in the pixely graphics.  I am a sucker for pixely graphics.  There is also no dialogue whatsoever.  All conversation is told by way of a series of still images.  And while this makes for a really cool way of story development, it also means there are no instructions.  This nearly beat me in my initial play.  I ended up stuck at 1 life point with no idea where to go, and dying constantly.  I needed a little booster to get me through the initial stages of the game, so I looked up a guide. I’m very glad I did.  

The beginning of said guide made a comparison with dark souls, and something clicked.  I realized that the game was supposed to be combat-focused and difficult.  I was *expected* to die all the time.  Life wasn’t going to be doled out freely, I was going to have to treasure the health packets I was able to get.  With that knowledge securely in mind, I set out again, and chose to travel a different direction in hopes of finding something new.  With a bit of a bumpy start, I gained some momentum and was off to the races.

Before long, I could genuinely say that I love this game!  I’m able to enjoy all of those indie game quirks that make the game a little tough to get into.  I love that the lack of written word engages other parts of my brain;  It draws me into the story.  The game is very atmospheric, with a lot of old, unexplained ruins hinting at a huge and dramatic past.  I eat this stuff up with a spoon and ask for seconds.

The gameplay is pretty action-oriented, full of carefully timed dashes and sword strikes.  Sometimes it seems like there’s a little input lag on my computer, but I am usually able to work my way through most of the tough fights.  At this point I’ve beaten one dungeon and developed one new combat ability.  I am excited for the next phase of this game.

-D

here are some gameplay images for ya: