Hyper Light Drifter

 Xbox One
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 29 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 29
  3. Negative: 7 out of 29

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  1. ThePian0Man
    Jul 26, 2016
    10
    Hyper Light Drifter is nothing short of a masterpiece. It was a long time coming, (waiting for this game), but the months of anticipation have been beyond worth it. Here is my succinct review for this gem.

    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    Hyper Light Drifter is nothing short of a masterpiece. It was a long time coming, (waiting for this game), but the months of anticipation have been beyond worth it. Here is my succinct review for this gem.

    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
  2. D34DP1X3L
    Feb 22, 2017
    10
    This game will beat you down relentlessly and bring a wondrous world to your eyes. The visuals are purely beautiful yet somber. the music will keep you coming back to this game one way or another. Personally I have only beaten it once and i'm going in for my second run, but in hard mode. Remember how I said the game will beat you down? It won't in this mode. It'll just cut to the chase andThis game will beat you down relentlessly and bring a wondrous world to your eyes. The visuals are purely beautiful yet somber. the music will keep you coming back to this game one way or another. Personally I have only beaten it once and i'm going in for my second run, but in hard mode. Remember how I said the game will beat you down? It won't in this mode. It'll just cut to the chase and kill you in 1-2 hits. This game may not have the best replayability and only is good for 1-4 plays if you want to do runs without upgrades. Also speaking of upgrades they are well designed you gain upgrades by purchasing from the local stores. tl;dr its good.… Expand
  3. ZYMROD
    Aug 17, 2023
    8
    Es un juego increíble tanto en lo artístico como en lo jugable. Pero que se ve lastrado por algunas decisiones de diseño que dificultan el avanzar en la historia y terminan frustrando la experiencia. El juego pese a a sus defectos es muy recomendable gracias a su historia, combate y escenarios.

Awards & Rankings

79
#79 Best Xbox One Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Sep 26, 2016
    70
    A dreamy, trippy, cryptic punishing journey. Leads by the nose, not by the hand. [Oct 2016, p.98]
  2. ICXM
    Aug 18, 2016
    90
    The cyberpunk world created here was a blast to run around in, while simultaneously being beautiful and terrifying
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  3. High-Def Digest
    Aug 18, 2016
    50
    I can see why some people like Hyper Light Drifter. Its combination of nostalgia, pretty pixels, and cruel gameplay are an intoxicating drug to some. I'm not one of those people, unfortunately. As I played I felt like the annoying moviegoing companion, always asking for an explanation of events onscreen from fellow viewers also watching for the first time, equally mystified.
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