Hyper Light Drifter

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 403 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 315 out of 403
  2. Mixed: 54 out of 403
  3. Negative: 34 out of 403

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  1. Piata
    Apr 5, 2016
    10
    This game is mind blowingly good. It's a nice mix of Zelda and Metroid, only harder. The combat is tough but precise and every area seems feels like a puzzle you have to solve with guns and sword play.
  2. Messerschmitt
    Apr 3, 2016
    10
    A fantastic game with beautiful pixel-art graphics (and I mean absolutely stunning!), mind-blowing soundtrack and some very cool game mechanics. Hyper light drifter shares some similarities with the dark souls - nothing is really explained, the world is very mysterious and alluring (also filed with secrets), it's difficult and rewarding, the plot is told largely by the surroundings. TheA fantastic game with beautiful pixel-art graphics (and I mean absolutely stunning!), mind-blowing soundtrack and some very cool game mechanics. Hyper light drifter shares some similarities with the dark souls - nothing is really explained, the world is very mysterious and alluring (also filed with secrets), it's difficult and rewarding, the plot is told largely by the surroundings. The game as a whole is just fantastic. It hits the right notes for me and I absolutely love it. One more thing - the game is not as difficult as people say except when your are playing on K+M. Just be patient.… Expand
  3. Synt0xx
    Apr 5, 2016
    10
    his game is ART.
    It delivers so much more content and gameplay and love to the detail
    and than all AAA titles (except The Witcher 3) and it's story still gets me puzzled. The story is great visualized and it only answers a few questions whats actually up. You really need to dig for hints and still you are wondering, what happened to the world of Hyper Light drifter. really impressive!    his game is ART.
    It delivers so much more content and gameplay and love to the detail
    and than all AAA titles (except The Witcher 3) and it's story still gets me puzzled.
    The story is great visualized and it only answers a few
    questions whats actually up. You really need to dig for hints and still you are wondering, what happened to the world of Hyper Light drifter. really impressive!

    The gameplay is all about timing. if you try to buttonmash stuff, you will be wrecked in the next seconds. I really love this dashing skill, you can combine it so smooth with slashes and rip the enemies in pieces.

    It is so satisfying, when you slay a boss flawless.

    The Pixelart style is really hitting my sweet spot. I love this grunged, vast and beautiful colored sets. Really mysterious dungeons. Zelda Fans will love this.

    i just can recommend this game to skilled people. this game will frustrate you, if you aren't into harder games.

    but you will really enjoy the punishment. -promised

    Art style & graphics: 10/10
    gameplay: 9/10

    the menu is kinda weird when you try to swap guns... -1 for that

    ca. 20-30h playtime, when you want to find all secrets    … Expand
  4. Obe
    Oct 2, 2016
    10
    my favorite game of the decate!!!

    une influence esthétique 80's de toute beauté, un gameplay léché et nettoyé de tout élément superflu (signe d'un aboutissement sublime) un level design enthousiasmant qui structure bien la narration. Du beau boulot quoi!
  5. MusicStud22
    Apr 2, 2016
    10
    Hyper Light Drifter is a challenging, but rewarding, update on classic 16-bit games like Link to the Past. Visually, the game is beautiful, with crisply animated pixel art and an expressionist color palette that enlivens what would otherwise be a dreary post-apocalyptic landscape. The soundtrack is also phenomenal with shades of Blade Runner. If you enjoy classic 8-bit platformers or indieHyper Light Drifter is a challenging, but rewarding, update on classic 16-bit games like Link to the Past. Visually, the game is beautiful, with crisply animated pixel art and an expressionist color palette that enlivens what would otherwise be a dreary post-apocalyptic landscape. The soundtrack is also phenomenal with shades of Blade Runner. If you enjoy classic 8-bit platformers or indie games like Titan Souls than this game is a must-buy.… Expand
  6. HSuke
    Aug 31, 2019
    10
    This game is incredibly precise and well-designed. It's a difficult game, but in like in Hollow Knight and Dark Souls, you'll practice and get gud. I didn't find it as punishing as those other 2 games, and it's much, much shorter. One thing I do really like about its design is that there are visual hints for the location of all hidden items, unlike in games where there is absolutely noThis game is incredibly precise and well-designed. It's a difficult game, but in like in Hollow Knight and Dark Souls, you'll practice and get gud. I didn't find it as punishing as those other 2 games, and it's much, much shorter. One thing I do really like about its design is that there are visual hints for the location of all hidden items, unlike in games where there is absolutely no clue that there's a breakable wall in a specific spot.… Expand
  7. Terminus_Sever
    May 17, 2016
    10
    I wish I knew about this game when it was still being crowdfunded, I would have given Heart Machine all my money. This game is exactly what I always wanted: an enigmatic story set in a beautiful post disaster world, dark but awe inducing at the same time. I thought the difficulty level would throw me off based on all the negative reviews I've seen regarding this but instead I found itI wish I knew about this game when it was still being crowdfunded, I would have given Heart Machine all my money. This game is exactly what I always wanted: an enigmatic story set in a beautiful post disaster world, dark but awe inducing at the same time. I thought the difficulty level would throw me off based on all the negative reviews I've seen regarding this but instead I found it refreshing. You will die, it is by no means an easy game but with patience and some co-ordination you will persevere and it is by no means unfair.
    The soundtrack is top notch being both ominous uplifting at times, just like the world you're exploring. I only wish the main game was a bit longer(although there are tons of collectibles outside the main quest) because I am aching to go back for more however I will give it a 10/10 because I applaud the effort and vision to put this game out there and I cannot wait to see what else Heart Machine has in store.    … Expand
  8. BlazingLlama420
    Oct 2, 2017
    10
    I have no Idea where to start due to so many positive things to say about this game

    Hyper Light Drifter is an absolutely amazing game for anyone who wants a good challenge. I will go in depth with details down below. -Art style Simplistic yet effective. The game art is style is nothing too complex or very busy and difficult to see what exactly is going on. The colors are rich and    I have no Idea where to start due to so many positive things to say about this game

    Hyper Light Drifter is an absolutely amazing game for anyone who wants a good challenge. I will go in depth with details down below.

    -Art style
    Simplistic yet effective. The game art is style is nothing too complex or very busy and difficult to see what exactly is going on. The colors are rich and vibrant and really captures the 16 bit look.

    -Controls/Mechanics
    My god, they are absolutely great. Dashing around the world feels very satisfying and the combat is excellent. It’s one of those cases where it is easy to pick up, yet difficult to master. Throughout the game, you will encounter large waves of enemies and having such tight controls really makes you strategize on what techniques for survival will work best. You will never die from the controls acting up on you or the game being completely unfair to you, it is always your fault and learning from those mistakes is makes dying a satisfying learning experience.
    A complaint I have heard a lot about from HLD is the game’s map and how vague it is. Sure it may not be the best map in the world and at first glance you may not find it all that useful and also very confusing. The more you play the game You just have to give yourself some time to get used to it and the overworld shouldn’t be so difficult to navigate through.

    -Soundtrack
    It’s not really something that is catchy and you will want to listen to it every now and then, but it does an outstanding job creating the feel of being isolated and lost in its huge world. Disasterpiece’s work of art is truly a masterpiece.

    -Plot
    The way the plot is told is very debatable. Some will like it and some won’t. The plot is told in a way where it only uses still images and no dialogue to display what happened during those events and leaves the player to determine what happened. At first I wasn’t very fond of this style, but it eventually grew on me once I started to piece everything together. It will make more sense to you the more you progress through the game.

    I know this is a really minor thing about the game, but if I were to change one thing about the game, it would be adding a menu to keep track of all of the items you have collected especially gearbits (the currency in the game)

    Do I recommend this game?
    YES, GET IT NOW. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT
    10/10    … Expand
  9. BBQnaoplox111
    Jul 2, 2016
    10
    Literally a perfect game . Sucks its not 60 fps though. But combat is the bomb. Art is fantastic. The only problem is i only got 29 hours out of it... sarcasm.... its hard to find a flaw beside the fps being stuck at 33
  10. senzog
    Mar 31, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Hyper Review Firster.

    Worth every cent and then some. Soundtrack by the guy who did Fez's. Art from your pastel-filtered techno-nightmares. Animation smoother than energybutter.    … Expand
  11. Wisdumb
    Apr 1, 2016
    10
    May contain spoilers:
    Yeah, it is a hard game, but if you give it any effort the difficulty is not an issue. You are given the tools needed to get the job done the game just doesn't hold your hand. You will have to experiment, you will have to think, and you will have to die - a lot. That's perfectly fine in a game like this. There is no dialogue, an extremely detailed and beautiful    May contain spoilers:
    Yeah, it is a hard game, but if you give it any effort the difficulty is not an issue. You are given the tools needed to get the job done the game just doesn't hold your hand. You will have to experiment, you will have to think, and you will have to die - a lot. That's perfectly fine in a game like this. There is no dialogue, an extremely detailed and beautiful environment, and an enchanting and atmospheric score. You are begged to soak it in and spend time getting to know the drifter and his world. If HLD was an easier game I would not be enjoying it so much. I even found myself wishing one of the bosses was more difficult, as I took him out on my second attempt with basically no upgrades. It was easy because I spent time experimenting with my kit and realized one of my weapons could be absolutely devastating - even to bosses - at close range(chunking about 1/5 of their massive health bars with a single shot).
    If the difficulty is scaring you away DON'T LET IT. HLD has so much to offer. You'll get out of it what you put in.    … Expand
  12. puma777
    Apr 2, 2016
    10
    I've kickstarted numerous games and this is the one I love most. It is deeply beautiful, evocative, and cryptic in its design and storytelling. Its challenging and swift combat is a true thrill. It's style is truly charming and entertaining. While it has influences from Fez, Zelda, Journey, etc. it's altogether unique. A real work of art.
  13. audioandy
    Apr 3, 2016
    10
    Hyper Light Drifter is awesome! Super loving it.

    If you like Zelda, Dark Souls or Diablo buy this game! The combat is really satisfying and responsive, the world is beautiful to look at and the game doesn't hold your hand. It's incredibly frustrating to me to see reviewers complain about the difficulty of this game. I want more games like this, not less... People screaming left and    Hyper Light Drifter is awesome! Super loving it.

    If you like Zelda, Dark Souls or Diablo buy this game! The combat is really satisfying and responsive, the world is beautiful to look at and the game doesn't hold your hand. It's incredibly frustrating to me to see reviewers complain about the difficulty of this game. I want more games like this, not less...

    People screaming left and right about the North boss and I beat it on my fourth try (it was super satisfying mind you).

    I think people just forget how hard games used to be. This is extremely forgiving considering you get a checkpoint in every single room. Die? No big deal, you lost about 30 seconds of progress.

    People are just babies. These reviewers need to go play Disney's Magical Quest if they wanna talk about hard ****    … Expand
  14. theponcho
    Apr 5, 2016
    10
    It is difficult but it's not frustrating at all, at least for me. Yeah, you might die a lot, but it has no cost at all, you re-spawn with all you had, close by, to try again. Kind of like Hotline Miami, just not that fast, and easier. I found myself hoping some final bosses were harder, since you can make a lot of mistakes and yet kill them.

    What people doesn't seem to understand is you    It is difficult but it's not frustrating at all, at least for me. Yeah, you might die a lot, but it has no cost at all, you re-spawn with all you had, close by, to try again. Kind of like Hotline Miami, just not that fast, and easier. I found myself hoping some final bosses were harder, since you can make a lot of mistakes and yet kill them.

    What people doesn't seem to understand is you can postpone the bosses for later in the game, when you have all the upgrades. There is no need at all to fight the bosses early in the game, when you are weak.

    All and all, nearly perfect game, tight controls, awesome art and music. Totally recommended.    … Expand
  15. szarkam
    Apr 5, 2016
    10
    This game is fantastic. The art and music are gorgeous, and work together seamlessly to create a beautiful and haunting atmosphere. Combat is fun and rewarding, and allows for growth; I continued to improve over the 11 hours I've played it. HLD isn't an easy game by an stretch of the imagination, but the "overly hard" comments are overblown; it isn't as hard as a Nuclear Throne, butThis game is fantastic. The art and music are gorgeous, and work together seamlessly to create a beautiful and haunting atmosphere. Combat is fun and rewarding, and allows for growth; I continued to improve over the 11 hours I've played it. HLD isn't an easy game by an stretch of the imagination, but the "overly hard" comments are overblown; it isn't as hard as a Nuclear Throne, but it's no walk in the park. Above all this game is interesting, fun, and has kept luring me back whenever I have a free moment. BUY IT!… Expand
  16. oscarteg
    Apr 13, 2016
    10
    I have been waiting for the game for about 2 years. It was definitely worth it! The music, the graphics, the ambiance. Everything is just perfect. It's difficulty is not to hard but challenging. 10/10
  17. ThePian0Man
    Jul 26, 2016
    10
    Hyper Light Drifter is a true gem. It was a long time coming, (waiting for this game), but the years of anticipation have been beyond worth it! Here is my review, as succinct as it can be.

    HLD throws you, the drifter, head first into a vibrant, mysterious world. You wake up from some slumber to find a post-apocalyptic land flooded with gorgeous, neon-painted landscapes and scenery, made    Hyper Light Drifter is a true gem. It was a long time coming, (waiting for this game), but the years of anticipation have been beyond worth it! Here is my review, as succinct as it can be.

    HLD throws you, the drifter, head first into a vibrant, mysterious world. You wake up from some slumber to find a post-apocalyptic land flooded with gorgeous, neon-painted landscapes and scenery, made possible by some freaking fantastic pixel artistry. You begin to wander the land, still totally unaware of who you are or why you're here, until you stumble upon the contrasting elements to this world's eye-grabbing visuals. A vile, destructive disease has poisoned your heart, and innocent land dwellers have been slaughtered by dreadful barbaric wars. If that weren't enough, some dark, sinister force seems intent on either killing you, maliciously toying with your soul, or both.

    And so begins your journey. From here, you'll talk to villagers through pictographs (no words are ever spoken) and hear their tragic accounts. You'll stop by the local upgrade shops with their neat cryptic language to get a sneak peek at your later, stronger self. When you head out in one of four cardinal directions, you'll begin to master your sword, your pistol, and - of course - your dash/drift. You'll encounter numerous enemies of varying size, race, and attacks, and with every death, you'll understand how to outsmart them on the next life.

    This game is intriguing, and so terribly satisfying. Finding secrets, beating bosses, buying upgrades, you feel awesome. The combat is challenging, but incredibly rewarding. When you clear out a large room and just barely survive, there's a sense of accomplishment that says: "You earned this." And to top it all off, through the entire experience, a gorgeous soundtrack by one of gaming's best (Disasterpiece) immerses you in this universe of light, death, and hope.

    I cannot recommend this game enough. Major props to Heart Machine, you guys are brilliant.    … Expand
  18. pyzk
    Sep 29, 2016
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Hyper Light Drifter is a masterfully crafted game. The soundtrack (Created by Disasterpeace, and which I loved so much that I went out and purchased it) is a gorgeous tapestry of chiptune textures that go beautifully with the pixel graphics. The character design is fantastic, and the color pallet is inspired. Gameplay is simple but well constructed for an easy to learn, hard to master experience.

    The story is told without any dialogue or text, meaning it is subtle, but makes for a game that can be interpreted in many ways. From my own personal interpretation, I feel that the developers were able to convey a pretty thoughtful message along with a visually stunning and fun game.

    This is a HARD game. I have rage quit this game (bosses only). If you get frustrated with dying 10 times in a row in a single area, then this game might not be for you. However, this constant dying is part of the game's mechanic. In the first playthrough, you have 5 hp, but in New Game+ (unlocked after beating the game on normal mode) you've got only got 2. However, I found New Game+ to be approximately the same difficulty as when I played through the first time, because I had gotten so much better by playing it through once.

    Hyper Light Drifter is easily in my top 5 favorite games. I've played it through on regular and New Game + multiple times and it never gets old. Can't wait to see what Heart Machine produces next.    … Expand
  19. Reed618
    Jan 9, 2017
    10
    This is the best game i've played in months. I didn't expect to enjoy it so much but it has so much to offer. The art work, character design and music are both fantastic.
    Normally when a story seems unclear to me I count it as a negative but not in this case. There's just enough presented to provide something which is unique and open to your own interpretation.
    I loved the combat, it    This is the best game i've played in months. I didn't expect to enjoy it so much but it has so much to offer. The art work, character design and music are both fantastic.
    Normally when a story seems unclear to me I count it as a negative but not in this case. There's just enough presented to provide something which is unique and open to your own interpretation.
    I loved the combat, it becomes very addictive. The dash mechanic can be a little unpredictable at times but it adds so much to the gameplay.
    The boss fights are particularly enjoyable. Difficult enough to provide a challenge but never overwhelming or too frustrating.
    The only downside is that it can be difficult to find modules at times so you may wander around feeling a little lost and it's also a little short (7 and a half hours on my first playthrough, 5 and half for new game plus).
    If you enjoy games like dark souls and furi as well as anime by hiyao miyazaki (I think elements like the giant warriors from nausicaa and as well as **** from princess mononoke had some influence on the game) then i'd highly recommend picking it up.    … Expand
  20. xboxkid
    Dec 19, 2016
    10
    The game is perfect gives you the necessary tools to win, everything depends on your skill, you will die many times as any game that is difficult, but the abosfera of solead and that you are in another world will make you absorb so much that you do not mind dying times And times, As much as they say that it has no history is a lie, what they want is for us to lose ourselves and make crazyThe game is perfect gives you the necessary tools to win, everything depends on your skill, you will die many times as any game that is difficult, but the abosfera of solead and that you are in another world will make you absorb so much that you do not mind dying times And times, As much as they say that it has no history is a lie, what they want is for us to lose ourselves and make crazy theories, the game tells you the story even in their scenarios, and in the graphic aspect is a wonder as they have used the Pixel art.… Expand
  21. degaboss
    Feb 3, 2017
    10
    This game came like a surprise to me, it has elements from the action rpg genre but used correctly, its a mix between bastion and dark souls, the game doesnt hold your hand or give you extensive tutorials, it doesnt tell you what to do or where to go, you just have to fight your way and explore the beautifully crafted world, the setting, the music, everything pulls you in.

    The entry    This game came like a surprise to me, it has elements from the action rpg genre but used correctly, its a mix between bastion and dark souls, the game doesnt hold your hand or give you extensive tutorials, it doesnt tell you what to do or where to go, you just have to fight your way and explore the beautifully crafted world, the setting, the music, everything pulls you in.

    The entry barrier is the somewhat punishing difficulty of the first area,and the bosses can be very difficult at first, but you need to learn the patterns of the bosses and to some extent the mobs, its a short game but its the perfect length for me, its very rewarding when you beat every boss, highly recommended    … Expand
  22. cci81337
    May 11, 2018
    10
    [h1] Hyper Light Drifter – красочное приключение от студии Heart Machine

    Игра собирала деньги на Kickstarter’e и после успешно собранной суммы вышла на просторы магазина Steam. Многим игра действительно понравилась и поэтому у Hyper Light Drifter более 5 тысяч положительных отзывов в Steam. Hyper Light Drifter в цифровом магазине стоит 12.59$. Так же игра была замечена во многих    [h1] Hyper Light Drifter – красочное приключение от студии Heart Machine

    Игра собирала деньги на Kickstarter’e и после успешно собранной суммы вышла на просторы магазина Steam. Многим игра действительно понравилась и поэтому у Hyper Light Drifter более 5 тысяч положительных отзывов в Steam. Hyper Light Drifter в цифровом магазине стоит 12.59$. Так же игра была замечена во многих номинациях, даже таких как лучшая инди-игра 2016 года, но из-за долгостроя, такого как Firewatch пройти в финал так и не смогла. Но, не смотря на это, обзор от BigBadWhale на Hyper Light Drifter всё же выйдет! Вот кстати и он.

    Вердикт: Погружение глубже чем Марианская впадина.

    Обзор был составлен Ci8, членом группы Ключ к игре предоставил издатель, но это не влияет на моё мнение и оценку.    … Expand
  23. aditya1101
    Oct 5, 2017
    10
    Really great controls and I thought they did a great job of balancing the difficulty of the game with the player's ability to improve and beat bosses after trying many times. But the real gem of this game was it's artstyle, and the way that the art was used to convey the story. It's hard to think of another game where such a rich story was portrayed without the use of any words whatsoever.
  24. MzMazzaire
    Dec 15, 2017
    10
    One of the best, most challenging and beautiful indie games ever made in the recent years. It challenge may seem unforgiving at first, but if you're a veteran of many other difficult games like Dark Souls, then you'll love Hyper Light Drifter to death.
  25. amralchalati
    Jul 3, 2018
    10
    The visual and music are superb in this game. while the story hints and the ending is greatly emotional and amazing.
  26. CRAZYF1R3
    Feb 4, 2019
    10
    This game is just amazing, like really amazing. In my opinion - best game of all time. Stunning atmosphere, great design, best ost that I ever heard and hard gameplay, but not too hard to actually play.
  27. Arfon
    Dec 4, 2020
    10
    This game was a really unexpected surprise for me. I didn't knew what to expect, maybe an action game and that's it. But no, this game has some "Metroidvania" feels but in a Top Down View that really felt good to explore the areas of the game. Combat is amazing and you have plenty of variety to experiment on your own. The soundtrack is breathtaking, story is very cryptic and I like it thatThis game was a really unexpected surprise for me. I didn't knew what to expect, maybe an action game and that's it. But no, this game has some "Metroidvania" feels but in a Top Down View that really felt good to explore the areas of the game. Combat is amazing and you have plenty of variety to experiment on your own. The soundtrack is breathtaking, story is very cryptic and I like it that way. I can't stop thinking on how great this game felt the first time I played it. Loved every bit of it!!… Expand
  28. doqmeat
    Feb 3, 2021
    10
    lovely game!!!! i love youuuu hyper light drifter ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
  29. Dcat
    Oct 31, 2021
    10
    Игра очень хорошая но сюжет на любителя и он по большей части будет понятен только после просмотра ролика на Ютубе.
  30. EdSantos
    Jul 25, 2022
    10
    É um jogo muito bom, a jogabilidade é muito boa, os inimigos são balanceados, é divertido explorar o mapa, os bosses são difíceis, de um jeito bom, não tenho muito o que falar só que é um jogo incrível.
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Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Best PC Game of 2016
51
#51 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
16
#16 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 47
  3. Negative: 0 out of 47
  1. GameGrin
    May 15, 2017
    90
    Hyper Light Drifter is unique, it highlights the issues of a real person in an abstract way. This game plays very smoothly, and offers stunning visuals and rigid difficulty. Hyper Light Drifter is a lot of fun, and it's beautiful too. It’s a memorable experience, and can keep you interested the whole way through.
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  2. Easy Allies
    Dec 1, 2016
    80
    Hyper Light Drifter places high value on your efforts and sense of discovery. The impressionistic storytelling, inexplicit clues, and tough challenges, place the emphasis on your journey as a player. Things are never clearly laid out for you, but in the end, it’s both beautiful and satisfying.
    Read full review
  3. Riot Pixels
    Oct 14, 2016
    75
    A worthy heir to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It compensates for its narrative shortcomings with immersive atmosphere, top-notch combat system and flawless pace.
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