Hyper Light Drifter

89%
Game Brain Score Based on 9,750 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Hyper Light Drifter Game Cover
Despite Hyper Light Drifter being relatively light in narrative, The combat and exploration, more then make for a fun and rewarding experience.
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Hyper Light Drifter is a challenging 2D action-RPG drawing inspiration from 16-bit classics, with a dark, dangerous world to explore. As a Drifter, you'll uncover lost technologies, battle vicious enemies, and search for a cure to your insatiable illness. Every element in this game is hand-animated, and success will require mastery of its tough mechanics and varied skills.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
  • Tablet
  • Wii
  • Wii U
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 9,750 reviews
story999 positive mentions
grinding93 negative mentions
  • Stunning pixel art and beautiful visuals that create an immersive atmosphere.
  • Incredible soundtrack that enhances the emotional experience of the game.
  • Engaging combat mechanics that reward skill and mastery, with a satisfying gameplay loop.
  • Vague storytelling that can leave players confused about the plot and objectives.
  • Clunky controls and frustrating mechanics, particularly with the dash system.
  • Poor map design that makes navigation difficult and can lead to tedious backtracking.
  • story3,479 mentions

    The story of *Hyper Light Drifter* is characterized by its minimalist and abstract approach, conveyed entirely through visual storytelling without any dialogue or written text. Players must piece together the narrative through environmental cues, cutscenes, and interactions with NPCs, leading to a highly interpretive experience that can be both intriguing and frustrating. While some find the lack of clarity and depth in the story a drawback, many appreciate the unique method of storytelling that encourages exploration and personal interpretation, making it a memorable aspect of the game.

    • “The story is compelling and meaningful without using words; the core combat loop feels clean and satisfying, and the art is just stunning.”
    • “The storytelling is just immaculate, and the fact that there are no words spoken besides the opening prompts that tell you some controls is just awe-inspiring.”
    • “Hyper Light Drifter is a breathtaking game that tells a deep and captivating story without using words.”
    • “The story is just a massive nothing burger; you're plagued by visions the whole game, then you beat the demon boss at the end.”
    • “The storytelling is extremely weak, if you can even call it that.”
    • “The game desperately needed some entertaining writing because the world does nothing to keep the player interested or engaged outside of subtle environmental storytelling.”
  • music3,332 mentions

    The music in "Hyper Light Drifter" is widely praised for its emotional depth and atmospheric quality, with many reviewers highlighting the exceptional work of composer Disasterpeace. The soundtrack effectively enhances the game's immersive experience, seamlessly adapting to various gameplay moments, from serene exploration to intense boss battles. Overall, the combination of haunting melodies and vibrant pixel art creates a captivating auditory and visual journey that resonates with players long after they finish the game.

    • “The soundtrack is glorious, without a doubt one of the best I have ever heard.”
    • “Honestly, I love this game because of the beautiful music (disasterpeace did so well, I freakin love this soundtrack), lovely pixel art, and the entire atmosphere and mood of the game.”
    • “The music, the gameplay, the feeling of the damn thing.... I beat it 5 years ago and I still think about the experience.”
    • “The music is just ambient sound, and it exists just to fill the void.”
    • “The only good thing about this game is the art and the music; that aside, it's a bad game.”
    • “The music can be calm, creepy, or high tension whenever it needs to be, or all at the same time!”
  • gameplay2,832 mentions

    The gameplay of *Hyper Light Drifter* is characterized by its fast-paced, responsive mechanics that blend hack-and-slash combat with exploration, reminiscent of classic titles like *Zelda* and *Dark Souls*. While many players appreciate the challenging nature and fluidity of the combat, some criticize the dash mechanic for being unintuitive and frustrating, particularly on keyboard and mouse. Overall, the game is praised for its beautiful pixel art, atmospheric soundtrack, and rewarding gameplay that encourages mastery and exploration, despite some players finding the lack of clear instructions and occasional clunkiness a drawback.

    • “Hyper Light Drifter brings you in with its simplistic controls, its challenging difficulty (if you choose it to be difficult) and astounding environments, and keeps you playing with its environmental tracks, secret hunting, collectibles, replayability, accessibility to newer gamers, monitor background-worthy set-pieces, and fun gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is fast-paced and demanding but not overly punishing, with tons of secrets to discover. The visuals are unique and absorbing, and the soundtrack is amazing.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly satisfying as there are times where you will have to use your puzzle-solving abilities, then be prepared for a tactical battle with over 10 enemies approaching you after.”
    • “Some mechanics feel clunky.”
    • “The dash mechanic is counterintuitive, annoying to use, and requires too much precision to chain (on keyboard and mouse anyway).”
    • “The gameplay is difficult at times but not too difficult.”
  • graphics2,522 mentions

    The graphics of "Hyper Light Drifter" are widely praised for their stunning pixel art style, vibrant color palette, and intricate details that create a captivating atmosphere. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to convey its story through visuals alone, enhancing the immersive experience. While some players find the art style beautiful and evocative, others note that it can occasionally obscure gameplay elements, leading to confusion during combat and exploration. Overall, the combination of breathtaking visuals and a haunting soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The visuals are stunning, the soundtrack is awesome, and I enjoyed every boss I fought.”
    • “Hyper Light Drifter is a breathtaking game filled with gorgeous visuals, an amazing soundtrack, and superb gameplay.”
    • “The pixel graphics are fantastic, truly the best I have seen ever.”
    • “Aside from well-designed cutscenes which perhaps resemble something from the Sega CD/PC Engine, the in-game graphics are incredibly dull and lack detail.”
    • “The blending of modern lighting techniques with pixel graphics is an awful look.”
    • “The graphics are not pleasant to look at.”
  • atmosphere1,032 mentions

    The atmosphere of *Hyper Light Drifter* is widely praised for its stunning pixel art, haunting soundtrack, and immersive world design, creating a unique blend of beauty and melancholy. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to convey a rich narrative without dialogue, relying instead on visual storytelling and atmospheric soundscapes that enhance the sense of exploration and mystery. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest features, drawing players into a captivating and emotionally resonant experience.

    • “The atmosphere is wonderful.”
    • “The incredibly detailed and well-animated pixel art is accompanied by an equally wonderful score by disasterpeace that captures the ethereal decaying atmosphere perfectly.”
    • “The atmosphere created by the music, art style, and lack of text interaction with NPCs is incredible.”
    • “The atmosphere, charming art style, and smooth soundtrack are all this game has going for it, but there's plenty of other games that have good gameplay to accompany those things.”
    • “The atmosphere and mystery of the world made me want to keep playing, from start to finish.”
    • “While that atmosphere is its strength and something to praise, I found gameplay and story somewhat weak.”
  • emotional152 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke deep feelings without any spoken dialogue, relying instead on stunning visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and a cryptic narrative. Many players report being moved to tears, particularly at the game's conclusion, highlighting its profound themes of nostalgia, loss, and personal connection. Overall, it is regarded as a beautifully crafted experience that resonates with players on a deeply emotional level, making it a standout title in the gaming landscape.

    • “Not a single word was spoken and yet I cried at the end of the game.”
    • “The game's connection to reality only makes it even more heartfelt.”
    • “One of the most touching gaming experiences ever, all without a single spoken word.”
  • replayability136 mentions

    Overall, the game offers a mixed but generally positive view on replayability. While some players find it short with limited replay value, many appreciate the inclusion of modes like New Game+, boss rush, and various collectibles that encourage multiple playthroughs. The presence of hidden secrets and alternate characters also enhances the replay experience for those who enjoy exploration and challenge.

    • “From the perfect music, to the snappy and satisfying combat, the expertly done dialogue-less storytelling, plenty of replayability, and the powerful message and themes present throughout.”
    • “The pixel design, music, mechanics, and story are all so well thought out that, despite being a relatively short game, Hyper Light Drifter has immense replay value.”
    • “This game has lots of replay value, including a new game+ option, so you'll definitely get your money's worth.”
    • “This would be justified if the game was longer or had more replay value so you got better the more times you played, but given that you can discover most things in one playthrough if you just spend time looking for them, this is not a good approach for it as there's really no reason to play after you beat it.”
    • “The game doesn't have a lot of replay value either.”
    • “My only issue is replayability, but this game will stick with me for years to come.”
  • grinding101 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding exploration and backtracking tedious and time-consuming, often leading to frustration. While some appreciate the challenge and depth of the gameplay, others feel that the mechanics and respawn systems contribute to a sense of monotony and fatigue. Overall, the game offers engaging combat and exploration, but the grind can detract from the overall experience for some players.

    • “I liked the art style and the fact that the 'secrets' are not so secret, therefore not tedious to find.”
    • “If you pay attention, there are clues, so it is not tedious trial and error.”
    • “Engaging gameplay, good levels with plenty to find and see, no grinding (though there will be some backtracking if you want to 100%), adequate length that doesn't overstay its welcome, fair difficulty to start with, with options to challenge yourself if you want to replay.”
    • “Maybe it's the game genre, but it's really tedious to wander around for hours looking for that one thing that you need to progress, then teleporting just for all the enemies to respawn when you backtrack.”
    • “Progress isn't promised in Hyper Light Drifter; it can't be earned by grinding or executing cheap strategies and exploits, only practice, practice, practice.”
    • “The only drawback, I feel, is the time-consuming and tedious exploring.”
  • stability52 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting minor bugs and glitches that occasionally disrupt gameplay, such as collision issues and visual anomalies. While some users experienced no significant problems, others noted that the game felt unpolished at launch, with various bugs that could impact the experience, particularly for certain platforms. Overall, while the game is generally playable and enjoyable, it still shows signs of needing further refinement to achieve a more stable experience.

    • “A solidly built game with no glitches.”
    • “The visuals are pretty and it runs great on my little laptop.”
    • “Beautiful art style, solid fun gameplay, subtle yet deep story and so far it's bug free.”
    • “Incredibly buggy game that nobody really playtested.”
    • “I know this game went through a lot of updates but given all of the funding, resources, and delays to release such a buggy piece of shit on release is shocking to me.”
    • “The game is riddled with glitches, most of which you'll find without even trying.”
  • optimization36 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant framerate drops and stuttering, particularly on modern systems, while others report smooth performance and excellent optimization even on older hardware. Many users noted that the game struggles with 30fps limitations and occasional performance dips, especially during intense moments like boss battles. Overall, while some players enjoy a seamless experience, others find the optimization lacking, impacting their gameplay enjoyment.

    • “From a technical perspective, the game is well optimized and runs smoothly even on older computers.”
    • “So far the game has been locked at a slick 60fps without a single crash or performance issue, which really makes the fast-paced combat enjoyable.”
    • “The game proves its worth here by matching its amazing art direction with tight, responsive controls, little to no load times, and zero performance issues.”
    • “The chain dash is cancer and was likely optimized for 30 fps because it's an old GameMaker game; then 60 fps got patched on, but nobody really updated timings.”
    • “I played for an hour and a half and I liked the game, but it was constantly stuttering and I found no way to fix it :(”
    • “A big issue people have with this game is that it is locked at 30 fps and has occasional dips in performance.”
  • character development30 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally viewed as minimal, with many reviewers noting a lack of deep narrative progression for the protagonist. While the character designs and overall aesthetics are praised for their creativity and appeal, the storytelling often fails to foster emotional investment. Despite this, some players found a connection to the characters through the game's unique atmosphere and minimalist approach to storytelling.

    • “The atmosphere and music are amazing, and the character development is really good while still being short enough to get it done in about 10-15 hours.”
    • “I enjoyed the secret-hunting elements; I enjoyed what little character development you are able to glean from the minimalist storytelling - I was even able to enjoy some of the brutally punishing boss fights presented throughout the drifter's journey.”
    • “I really do love the character designs, which are creative; the puzzles are quite challenging, and trying to find all the secrets plus new game + gives the game a lot of replayability.”
    • “The story is told without dialog or complicated character development.”
    • “For me, it mostly has to do with the storytelling – it’s very hard to become emotionally invested in the protagonist’s journey because there is no real character development going on beyond some bare essentials.”
    • “Although I find it very difficult to understand the story, and character development seems very poor.”
  • humor23 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny and engaging, while others feel it lacks consistent comedic elements. Many reviews highlight amusing moments, such as quirky AI behavior and humorous challenges, while others note that the humor can sometimes feel forced or overshadowed by frustration. Overall, the game offers a blend of humor that resonates with some players, making it a memorable experience despite its flaws.

    • “It's pretty funny and you don't take damage, so worth it.”
    • “I frequently found myself laughing and smiling after I got totally crushed by a boss.”
    • “The AI is hilariously stupid, and will often walk into a wall repeatedly or kill itself by jumping off cliffs.”
    • “Too boring and unfunny; didn't have fun. My friend's opinion is that it sucks.”
    • “The humor fell flat and felt forced throughout the game.”
    • “I expected more laughs, but the jokes were stale and predictable.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The reviews do not provide specific insights into the monetization aspect of the game, focusing instead on its soundtrack, art style, gameplay mechanics, and replayability. There is no mention of in-game purchases, pricing, or any monetization strategies, leaving this aspect unaddressed.

    • “The monetization model feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
    • “I can't believe how many ads pop up during gameplay; it completely ruins the immersion.”
    • “The in-game purchases are overpriced and give an unfair advantage to those willing to spend more.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

84% average critic score

Buy Hyper Light Drifter

Play time

9hMedian play time
15hAverage play time
8hMain story
27hCompletionist
6-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 58 analyzed playthroughs

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