Living with a condition or disability is hard, especially since it hinders you from doing things a majority of people would normally be able to do. Being blind may prevent you from seeing the world how it is or seeing certain colors. Having no legs may bind you to a wheelchair, limiting your movement and how fast you get around. Being deaf or mute makes it difficult to communicate or carefully listen to those around you. Whenever I see someone who is born with one of these traits I feel really bad deep down. It’s not that they don’t fit in, I think that every individual is equal and should be given equal amounts of opportunities, it’s that I know they are struggling. Struggling to live life happily like everyone else. Just because you are born or gain a disability doesn't mean you can’t do great things. One of my most favorite musicians Gavin Dunne otherwise known as Miracle of Sound developed a condition named tinnitus which causes him to hear high pitched ringing randomly. Even though this gets irritating at times, Gavin continues to make amazing songs based on video games he loves and few that are original and come from the bottom of his heart. Shout out to you Gav! And today we’ll be talking about a man who pushed himself to the limit to create a game made from his heart. Alex Preston, founder of the small indie studio known as Heart Machine.
When Alex was born he was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, a condition that not only affected the structure of his heart but also his heart’s functions. At any moment in his life he could die randomly, meaning the grim reaper himself had a set of dice determining whether Alex gets to live or not. Although this fear of death lingered on his shoulder, that didn’t stop him from living life to the fullest. During his years in college he took many art related classes such as painting and film to illustrate the many ideas he thought of. After quite some time Alex began to envision a dream, something that would keep him busy for the next few years of his life. He wanted to create a game, but not just any game, something that would capture how he really felt on the inside. A game that symbolized the conditions he and several other people have to live with. The game he was envisioning was known as Hyper Light Drifter, and with some spare time on his hands he began working on what would become one of his biggest achievements. Of course Alex wouldn’t have to do it all alone, as he would receive help from those around him to create the game he dreamed of.
Years passed and Alex and his friends stayed hard at work inching closer to what would be the finish line. The final product they have been pumping sweat and tears into for years. Finally in 2016, Hyper Light Drifter was released and while it didn’t stand out at the time much like any ordinary indie game, it would soon become a golden gem among gamers. People praised the colorful visuals and glistening environments, how effectively the game built it’s world without speaking a single word of dialogue, how simple yet challenging the game was, and how Alex successfully carried out what he envisioned. The game even garnished a wide community of dedicated fans, some of them being the nicest people I have ever met online. Personally I had no clue what Hyper Light Drifter was until recently and seeing how much I love to support small indie developers I decided to give this game a shot. Can I say one thing? This game is one of the many pure definitions of what art is. Everything about Hyper Light Drifter shines like a diamond on the top of a peak, and while it was difficult at times I still saw the beauty in the world and how much depth was lying underneath. So today I’m here to talk to you about why I think Hyper Light Drifter is so majestic and why it deserves your utter attention. So wake up next to a warm and toasty bonfire, grab your saber, and prepare to journey into a colorful unknown world full of mysteries.
Story
The story of Hyper Light Drifter is one that is kinda hard to explain since we’re not given much information about the world we’re in. You play as an unknown hooded warrior known as The Drifter, who recollects little to nothing about his past and suffers from a mysterious disease that constantly makes him cough up blood and see random flashing distorted images. The only thing he can remember is standing in the middle of a never ending lake. A strange tower spiraling towards the sky, giant mechanized beings decaying towards the earth, darkness engulfing him as he stares at the spire, and a strange beacon of light that he was trying to reach. Could this be his past or his future? He isn’t dead just yet from this horrifying encounter, and wakes up next to a campfire pitched on a cliff. He then gears up to explore the area and figure out where exactly he is. He must discover what the visions were and why he was there in the first place.
The Drifter fights his way through a group of enemies until he begins coughing blood again and passes out due to major blood loss. This time he sees a dog guiding him forward, and a huge ray of light rapidly engulfing the region surrounding it like a nuclear bomb. Everything cuts to white and we now have some understanding of why the world around us is in ruins. The Drifter is rescued by a random stranger and is taken to a nearby town to slowly recover. He steps outside of the house he was resting in and enters the village only to catch sight of an ominous structure in the middle of town. He soon notices the neon glow and technology the structure is made out of is similar to the tower and light he saw in his visions. However, the structure is inaccessible and several mechanisms around it aren’t powered up. The only way to activate the structure is to activate the mechanisms, and the only way to activate the mechanisms is to venture around the land and activate four beacons and sixteen modules.
Each beacon being guarded by the lords of the land. The northern mountains house a group of cultists with mystical powers, the eastern swamps are home to a cannibalistic tribe of frogs, the eastern forest is overrun by crystal monsters, and the south contains underground technological ruins from years ago. The path to each beacon and module is treacherous, but wanting to remember who he is and what happened, the Drifter sets out on a journey. To battle anything that stands in his way and learn more about the world he is in. He may even learn about the people who came ages ago.
Gameplay
While the story and world of Hyper Light Drifter may be vague at first due to the low amount of context the player is offered, the gameplay is straightforward and easy to understand. You explore each area unraveling your surroundings, picking up items, and fighting enemies along the way. A lot of people compared this game to Dark Souls mainly for how difficult it is and the weighty combat, but I believe Hyper Light Drifter is more influenced by classic 2D Zelda. Specifically, A Link To The Past. It’s a top down adventure game with a simple combat system and exploration.
While there is a main hub area filled with shops to purchase upgrades, the four major regions are spread far apart from one another. It’s not like Dark Souls where everything is interconnected, but instead just four regions that can be approached in any order depending on whether the player is prepared enough. The game gives the player a map from the start, but it doesn't tell you the layout of each area. Forcing you to memorize level design, enemy placement, and where you are supposed to go. No description of what to do may be confusing to some players, but little to no guidance is what forces the player to figure out problems on their own. Adapt and grow stronger overtime through experience. Games like Bloodborne and Hollow Knight thrive from this type of design philosophy, because while it may not be all that accessible it is certainly rewarding and gives the player a better sense of knowledge. make the player feel like they are actually an adventurer exploring a world they have no knowledge of.
You have a small amount of health being around five hit points. You can only carry three medkits at once, and there are numerous group encounters meaning you have to be ready. Basically it’s what happens when classic Zelda is more of an action focused game. When you die you aren’t sent to a far away checkpoint like in other games. Instead, Hyper Light Drifter is forgiving enough to start you from the beginning of every room. To fend off against foes you can slash towards them using your saber, fire at them using your gun, and dodge away at the right time to avoid their attacks. Try not to abuse each of these abilities so much. Hacking and slashing have wind up times and sometimes these attacks can leave you exposed. Dodging in the wrong direction may launch you into a hazard. Your guns have a limited amount of ammo, but you can replenish the ammo for your guns by breaking objects or physically attacking enemies. Encouraging the player to engage in frenetic fights, so they can have the ammo in the future just in case they need it. The combat is not just about reaction, but where you decide to position yourself during a fight. To be ready when danger is thrown at you.
You are heavily rewarded for exploring the world and fighting multiple enemies, because once in a while you will pick up upgrade chips. If you pick up four upgrade chips you gain an upgrade point, and with enough upgrade points you can trade them in with merchants to unlock new abilities, equipment, and sometimes upgrades for your weapons. Increase the amount of times you dodge in a row, ammo capacity of your weapons, charge attacks with your saber, and more basic upgrade stuff.
Your main goal of the game is to explore each part of the land, find four modules in each region, and activate the four beacons. To gain access to the beacons you have to venture through underground labyrinths which are littered to the brim with hostile foes and traps. You are rewarded for taking your time and a majority of upgrade chips are hidden in these underground labyrinths. Eventually you'll encounter a boss who will have multiple skills, guard the beacon you need to get to, and tests your current skills by making sure you understand how the enemies in the region work and what their rules are. It’s your job to understand their attack pattern and figure out when to strike up close or fire from afar. Everytime you beat a boss you gain a new gun and each gun is very useful. I stuck with a pistol and shotgun. Pistol for when I want to attack from a distance or lay down suppressing fire, and shotgun for when I’m surrounded by baddies and need to clear them out quickly by getting up close and personal.
Besides that there really isn’t much else I can say about Hyper Light Drifter. It plays simply enough, but the way it challenges the player is what makes it very engaging. It makes them play actively, but requires them to put thought towards each encounter and determine what to do at the right time. Where equipment to utilize and how to pick off enemies one by one. Just like any good action game where they force you to prioritize even during stressful scenarios. Hopefully you can guide The Drifter towards the right direction and defeat the darkness lying deep beneath the world.
Thoughts
Hyper Light Drifter is such a joy to play and it’s no wonder why so many people praise this little game. The graphics and environments are absolutely, terrifically, undeniably beautiful! Don’t let those pixels fool you. The amount of color in this game is jaw dropping! You can walk into the crystal forest and get a blend of navy blue, neon green, and violet red. Then walk into the swamp only to find out it’s not dark and grim, but has sparkling sky blue water and bright green moss. The world feels vast, it may feel small in space but the scenery and backdrops make up for it. Combat is easy to understand, but will take some time to master. The low health bar means you can only take a few hits, will die very quickly if not careful, and sometimes basic fights will turn into bullet hell fights once you encounter enemies with ranged weapons. Whom provide support while five melee enemies hound down on you, but once you conquer a tricky situation it feels rewarding. It’s one of those combat systems where once you beat a fight you say, ”I just got out by the skin of my teeth and feel great!” You are playing as a being who coughs up blood rapidly and struggles to even walk properly, so you have mercy for him when he triumphs over evil and gets to continue along his path.
The soundtrack is lovely, giving a sense of harmony and beauty but also reminding you how lonely you are in a somewhat empty dying world. What I didn’t know is that they got the same musician who worked on another famous indie title Fez simply called Disasterpeace. The game is teaming with secrets and rewards you for discovering them. I heard there are actually eight modules per region and there are rewards for finding the extra four. I don’t know what the rewards are and if they are worth it, but I hope that those secrets also contain more insight in the world and change how the player approaches the game. There is a butt ton of replay value thanks to the amount of content for a small project and the new games plus option, and there are multiple difficulty options that can either make the game more challenging or accessible.
The aspect I’ve come to appreciate the most about Hyper Light Drifter is how it builds up it’s world. Most games would have to stop you and spew mass amounts of dialogue or information into the player’s face through cinematic cutscenes, but here the game tells a story without even saying a word. Visual storytelling is what most people call it and there are very few games that do this method. I’m not talking about environmental storytelling where you have scenes that foreshadow future events or twists. A character will spurt out a comic like panel and from there we get an idea of where we are and what to expect. They’re enough to show you how dire the world has become.
The only gripe I have with the game is that the bosses have random difficulty spikes. Everything else from the enemy encounters to the level level layouts are consistent and fairly set up, but depending on what region you head towards you may have a difficult time with the order of bosses you face. The first boss I faced was the cultist crow leader and he was a pain in the ass due to how his attacks covered huge portions of the ground and I hadn't unlocked that many upgrades for my dodge at the time. I came back a few hours later when I was stronger and after defeating two other bosses, and suddenly I had an easier time with him. For the most part it’s a really well balanced experience. There’s no RPG elements like in Dark Souls, so most of the time when you struggle it’s because you didn’t have the skills rather than being under leveled.
Alex Preston and the team at Machine Heart deserve a medal for how amazingly well put together Hyper Light Drifter is, and I wish them the best of luck for any future projects. Hyper Light Drifter is a highly noteworthy experience that I believe every gamer must try out. Even if they aren’t a fan of artsy indie games or extremely challenging games. It’s subtle and simple at times, but gets a lot done right underneath. This game is a masterpiece. In the end I give Hyper Light Drifter a 10/10 for being incredible
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