It’s Okay That Hyper Light Breaker Isn’t Hyper Light Drifter 2

If there’s one game that truly captures the essence of the phrase “Show, don’t tell,” it has to be Hyper Light Drifter. Released in 2016 by indie studio Heart Machine, this 2D action RPG won praise for its rapid, thrilling gameplay, a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, and a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign. Now, nearly a decade later, Heart Machine is back with a prequel to this beloved hit. They’ve gone with an open-world roguelike set in a dynamic, lively world filled with dangers and secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Hyper Light Breaker heavily draws inspiration from games like Risk of Rain 2, taking the simplified art style and intense combat from its 2D predecessor and exploring them in a 3D world that’s procedurally generated. Players step into the shoes of a “Breaker,” a treasure-seeking adventurer charged with the task of rebuilding a world devastated by a catastrophic event. Your mission involves journeying into the Overgrowth, a desolate land overseen by the enigmatic “Abyss King,” who has the uncanny ability to alter the environment at will.

As you navigate the Overgrowth, your goal is to gather “prisms” to open up the arenas where the “Crowns,” the subordinates of the Abyss King, reside. These arenas are cleverly hidden across the land, tucked away in the depths of dungeons or fiercely guarded by formidable foes. But that’s only the beginning. The world is lush with new weapons, monoliths that offer glimpses into the world’s backstory, and an impressive array of collectibles and currencies. Honestly, even I haven’t figured out all their purposes just yet.

Strip away the dense lore and intricate skill trees, and what you have is a solid and challenging roguelike that excels in both combat and exploration. To be candid, I can’t precisely map how Hyper Light Breaker’s story ties into Hyper Light Drifter, mainly because the current early access doesn’t provide much narrative cohesion. However, decoding those monoliths back at your base, the Cursed Outpost, unlocks comic-like slideshows that uncover more about the Crowns and their allegiance to the Abyss King. Everything else? That’s up to player interpretation.

Hyper Light Breaker truly shines in its visual and audio design, taking cues from Heart Machine’s initial venture and giving them a fresh twist. During my first playthrough, moments of awe were frequent as I paused at shrines reminiscent of Hyper Light Drifter, or raced across vibrant landscapes on my hoverboard to the synth-heavy soundtrack. While it might not exude the same retro charm as its predecessor, it definitely sets its own atmospheric tone. As Hyper Light Breaker steps out from under the aesthetic shadow of classics like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past or Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, it feels like it’s carving out a unique universe, brimming with untapped surprises and potential that were once constrained by nostalgia.

Some fans of Hyper Light Drifter might find themselves on the fence, unsure if this new journey lives up to its legacy. Personally, I’ve relished the hours spent battling through the Overgrowth and tackling the game’s challenging learning curve. Though I’m not completely convinced by the game in its current state, I see enough promise in Hyper Light Breaker’s core that’s got me eager to see how Heart Machine will continue to develop and refine it into a fitting successor to their pixelated classic.