Hyper Light Drifter is INCREDIBLE (Gaming)

by CyberKN , Oh no, Destiny 2 is bad, Monday, April 04, 2016, 21:41 (3159 days ago)

I backed this thing on Kickstarter over two years ago, and it just came out last week. I spent most of the weekend burning through it (it's only on PC at the moment, but scheduled to release for just about everything else this year).

Stylistically, everything is on point. Music, art, animation, mood...

It's probably the hardest game I've played in a long while (I've never played any of the Souls games or their ilk. "Overly challenging" is not a trait I seek out in my games), so be prepared to test yourself if you intend on finishing it. That said, I never spent more than 30 minutes on a single fight (maybe a little more on the Final Boss).

The offset to the difficulty is that the game is mostly non-linear, so if you get stuck you can go explore somewhere else, buy upgrades, and return when you feel ready. And boy, is it a pretty game to explore! (I'll post some of my screenshots when I get home tonight)

Combat is fun, though feels a bit clunky at first. Health potions are common enough that you can use them pretty liberally. There's a fantastic feeling of empowerment as you acquire new abilities and start mowing through lesser mobs that gave you a hard time in earlier travels. I died a lot on every boss fight, as well as some fights involving lots of enemies coming at you at once.

My biggest gripe is that the story is only told in pictures, brief animatics, and the environment. Even after finishing it I couldn't tell you the plot or backstory with any certainty. There's clearly something ambitious and unique here, though.

Best game I've played so far this year!