Hyper Light Drifter

« Every element of Hyper Light Drifter blends together to form a near perfect action-adventure game that's worthy to stand with the impeccable games it borrows from. »

« Hyper Light Drifter is a breathtaking game that draws heavily from gaming's most prominent pioneers without relying too heavily on their influence. It is an eclectic masterpiece that feels more like an experience than a video game. »

« Hyper Light Drifter has already positioned itself as one of the best experiences of the year. It’s a challenging game, but it never feels unfair. The promise of seeing more of the world and hearing more of the fantastic soundtrack are worthwhile rewards for your tenacity. Despite seeing the finish line ahead of me, I did everything I could to prolong the experience by exploring every nook and cranny. I didn’t do it out of necessity; I did it because I wanted to stay in Hyper Light Drifter’s world for as long as possible. »

« If you’re someone who typically shrugs off indie games as somehow less meaningful then their AAA counterparts, you owe it to yourself to play Hyper Light Drifter. Alex Preston and his team have delivered a title that highlights everything great about the medium as a whole, it’s as simple as that. »

« The combat and movement often left me slack-jawed and giddy, a perfect homage to the '90s RPGs that obviously inspired Heart Machine, while still feeling completely fresh and constantly surprising. »

« As stunning as it is, Hyper Light Drifter's greatest triumph isn't in the story that it tells, but in the stories that it doesn't. I don't know this place's entire history, but its desolate elegance inspires me to fill in the gaps myself. Such is the power of artistry this rich and thoughtful. »

« Hyper Light Drifter transports the player into a world made by dreams and nightmares, that are sustained by a superb art direction and fresh gameplay. Heart Machine delivered an excellent and challenging adventure, and also an unmissable gem for the indie games’ fans. »

« Hyper Light Drifter is one of the best Zelda-like, with a high difficult level. One of the year masterpieces. »

« Hyper Light Drifter is less a traditional action game and more a carefully crafted experience. It tells its story without dialogue or exposition, relying entirely on visuals, atmosphere, and player interpretation. This deliberate silence creates a haunting sense of mystery and makes the world feel ancient, broken, and deeply **** gameplay blends fast-paced combat with exploration. Every fight demands precision, timing, and awareness. Mistakes are punished immediately, but the challenge always feels fair. Movement is fluid, dashing is sharp, and combat with both melee weapons and firearms feels tight and satisfying. Mastery comes from learning enemy patterns, not grinding stats.Visually, the game is striking. Its pixel art is vibrant yet melancholic, filled with subtle details that hint at a fallen civilization. Each area feels distinct, and environmental storytelling does most of the narrative work. The soundtrack perfectly complements the visuals, amplifying the emotional weight of exploration and combat.Hyper Light Drifter is not a game that holds your hand. It expects patience, observation, and engagement. For players willing to meet it on its own terms, it delivers a powerful, memorable experience that lingers long after the credits roll.Final Score: 9/10 »

« Really goddamn good game Amazing visuals, super smooth and rewarding combat loops, and a generally polished experience. It made no sense, and it leans really hard into the whole "cryptic" thing, but tis acceptable. The animations especially are absolutely amazing, being choppy and fast and capturing the action. The bosses could've been done a little better but generally are good enough. Overall, the game is just an art piece. The stunning visuals and the perfect ambient soundtrack just contribute to the artpiecey vibe of the game that's really hard to pull off. Just mesmerising and stunning. »

« Hyper Light Drifter is a good game but it doesn't do enough to be considered anything but ****'s a fun game but not anything mind blowing or amazing »

« Game is low key trash. I like the combat and the obscure story. However the game falls completely short when it comes to something really simple, navigation. I am literally right on top where I need to be, still cant find the crystal that I need. frustratingly making me do the same sections over and over if you pass an elevator. Game just likes to waste your time and for a "rouguelike" it should really guide you better than what ever horrible system they have going on here. They actually give you a map but it is completely useless, because even if you go to the correct area, good luck finding the thing. Its a shame because I was really drawn in and wanted to be captivated but it just pisses me off with these mechanics. IN rouge likes I don't mind doing the same thing again and again IF I DIE. This you are looking for a simple navigation point. And you can never find it. Had it happen with the first area and just though it was a fluke, nope second area was even worse. They are attempting a 3d map design on a 16bit plane= doesn't work and while combat is fun I dont want to replay the same sections just because I went down an elevator and went the wrong way now everything resets. »

« Hyper Light Drifter is a unique game with an exceptionally captivating style. The aesthetics are the most remarkable part of this charmingly simple game, but they are all in service of a core gameplay network that is one of the best interpretations of the Zelda formula. The combat is punchy, challenging, and based on a foundation of simple and satisfying mechanics, allowing for complexity without demanding it. The hoards of enemies and interesting bosses deliver twitchy gameplay that requires both learning enemy movements and improvising in difficult situations. The variety of enemies and bosses populate the 4 corners of the world without ever letting encounters get stale, and the speed of the combat helps similarly with the pacing of the game. The world itself is a joy to explore, offering linear dungeon-crawls beneath more open ended levels, filled with secrets and collectibles that function as meaningful rewards, encouraging the player to scan every room for hidden details. The hiddenness of these secrets never ventures to the extent of frustration, instead offering subtle ques like symbols on the ground, revealing invisible pathways and false walls, making every secret a result of careful observation rather than brute-forcing through every corner of the map. This makes discoveries feel like accomplishments, and the upgrades to your character make for great incentives. Secret zones and bosses are the cherry on top, allowing for more hidden paths through levels, additional challenges, and new inventive weapons as rewards. The game has a great variety of content while still sticking true to the core of the game: exploration and combat. The real reason this game resonates so strongly, is because of its aesthetics. The visuals are brilliant, with some of the most colourful and detailed pixel art of any game. The real crown jewel, however, is the soundtrack. Disasterpeace made an unforgettable score for this game that haunts the world with every step you take. Panacea is by far the most brilliantly melancholic song in any videogame I have ever played, and puts most indie games to shame with how much raw emotion it manages to evoke in the final moments of this game. Hyper Light Drifter does not have a story, it has an atmosphere. There are no words, no lines of dialogue, and the few encounters with friendly NPCs only serve as more opportunities to show rather than tell. The music and the visuals carry the presentation towards a story that means more and hits harder than 99% of AAA open world boilerplate slop. It hits hard because it has so little to say, so much to show, and leaves you with so much intrigue that all the important questions are asked by the player and answered all the same by their own discovery. This world and its history provide a brilliant layer of mystery which seeps into every inch of gameplay, making a game with a story worth uncovering. I love games that keep their mouths shut and let their stories be uncovered by the player, and this one does it better than most. Back to Panacea my mind wanders, as I think about the parts of this game that stick with me the most. That hauntingly beautiful melody is the perfect representation for this game, and will be the part of it I remember the best. What an exceptional and deceptively incredible game. »

« Beautiful pixel art, nice sound, horrible boring and unresponsive gameplay. Don't expect any story here. You're going whateveryou can and kill whateveryou see. Some short skits don't tell you anything. You can only guess what the hellis going on. Seems like a waste of time. »

« This game is definitely one of the best of its kind. It has a few flaws but for an indie game it's great and definitely worth the money. Very simple but incredibly stylish pixel art, relatively monotonous but at the same time beautiful music. The plot is not something that deserves a separate book and in general very poorly presented here but it is VERY strongly drawn out by the local atmosphere of the post-apocalyptic World. There are not very many characters but they are quite interesting. There are also not many weapons and skills but this is not required - everything is in its place and gives the player some choice of how/what exactly to fight with enemies. The enemies are generally varied. And there are the bosses here too. There are only 7 of them in the game, but since the game itself is not very large, and it does not pretend to be another indie souls-like-game, this is more than enough. You can also collect keys and modules here(modules are also the keys, in fact) to open doors that are not accessible from the beginning. Overall, I had a lot of fun playing this game, and I can really find only one real fault with it: F*** football :) ...I really hate whoever created the opponent of the player in the local football challenge, because it was a stupid idea to make this "shorty" constantly throwing you to the ground when he touches you. »

« Aynı anda sakin,durgun ve ani olabilen bir oyun dünyası: Hyper Light Drifter, oyunu cidden çok sevdim çünkü kendisi bir ideallikten uzak, oyunun yapımcısının yaşadıklarından da bir parça vardır bu oyunda. »