Hyper Light Drifter

The graphics and music and environmental design and storytelling are really good. This game's intro is one of my favorite pieces of media ever. In-game, the combination of dash and sword and gun mechanics are really fun to play with. It's one of the best singleplayer adventure games I've played.

However, playing on controller is a pretty big nerf compared to keyboard+mouse which I found kind of unfortunate. Doesn't stop you from completion (I did it) but I wish there was support for dual stick input. Also, the difficulty spikes pretty significantly in some places, and I found the lack of instructions for critical mechanics was not executed as well as it could have been (imo this only really works if the mechanics have a very strong element of existing intuition, like the items in Animal Well).

I want to like this game. I really do. The environments are beautiful, the soundtrack is lovely haunting, and it's clear there was a lot of love put into the game. However, there are so many things that just...aren't good.

The combat is okay. It's nothing special, but once you get the hang of it, it's fun and solid. While the different guns were cool, the starting pistol was just so much better than every other option that I kept it equipped almost my whole playthrough. The story, if there was one, seemed pretty standard: something destroyed the world, and you've gotta un-destroy it. I say "if there was a story" because there are no words in this game, and everything story-adjacent was just impressions. Still, I'm sure most of that is just coming from my own lack of insight.

Now onto the bad stuff. First, the map. It's utterly useless when above ground, and doesn't really make sense below. You also can't place pins or anything else that might improve it somewhat. Second, when you die, you don't go to a clear, set location, like a save point. It's usually the last room, but not always. Keep in mind also that you may die a lot. While this wasn't a very difficult game, [third] there is no indication for which attacks deal one damage and which deal two. Fourth, and also contributing to the death count, you get stunlocked quite often in this game. It's so frustrating to die in the middle of a combo, with ammo and health packs and a dash available, just because the game decided "fuck you". Incidentally, you're never taught that you can be stunned. I would say "fifth", but this is minor: all of the animations outside of combat take a little too long. Finally (off the top of my head at least), WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH CHAIN DASHING??!?!?!?! I'm not even going to get into how inconsistent it is, since this review is already way too long.

So, like I said, I really want to like Hyper Light Drifter, but i just can't.

Definitely fun to play, wasn't too difficult, and wasn't too easy either, felt right that it wasn't too hard to get a grasp of, the only thing I had to say was that it was hard to understand the story especially for newcomers if they only had pictures to go off of.

Beautiful game with one of the best soundtracks ever, as well as great environmental storytelling. There is almost no text in the game (every piece of lore is written in hieroglyphs that have to be deciphered, every character talks in pictures), so it can be difficult to understand at times. Also the gameplay suffers from a little repetitiveness. Still a great time though

10 of 10. Played well on Steam Deck. One of those great indie games that make question why AAA games can't come up with better mechanics.

Love the dialogue-free visual storytrelling. I think pixelart never looked this good. One of the best soundtracks of all time imo. Combined with the mystery aspect it creates a mesmerising atmosphere.

I've played this game on every platform I've owned, but never got around to completing my Steam copy. It's a timeless classic, and must play for anyone who loves environmental storytelling, great art direction, and solid vibes. I've heard the follow-up (Hyper Light Breaker) isn't shaping up to be a worthy successor, and that's a damned shame, as this game is right up there with other classic indie darlings like Bastion, Braid, Hollow Knight, etc.

Anyway, if you haven't played it, play it. If you didn't like it, my bad, and I hope you got it on sale. It's not for everyone, but if it hits right, you'll probably never forget your experience.

Gungeon with elements of hades but soulslike game progress. Well executed and just what I needed.

I get that this game came out when they were not that much indie games, but this is not a good game, and I don't understand how it became a classic
There is nothing making me care for the characters, not even the main one, so when the game is doing the same sequence over and over of "Oh no I'm coughing blood" I'm just like "can you move on already, I want to continue playing"
The core gameplay is somewhat acceptable, but full of tiny frustrations that made me want to quit the game so many times, like the marvellous idea of being stunlocked by ennemies. This game is never hard, it's bullshit, and that's not the same thing
I did not 100%, I don't think it would have been hard, just tedious, and I just finished it out of spite
No. Do not buy this game, not in 2025. They are way better games to be played, way more polished.

Top down action adventure RPG, with sword and gun combat. Stunning pixel art, futuristic dystopian vibes. Another one of those games that doesnt have any characters that speak english and forces you to figure out how mechanics, puzzles and progession work for yourself. Controls are tight and all the weapons handle great, plenty of hidden stuff for you to find long after you beat the game.

After finishing the game, I would not recommend this game. It a good practice to read the reviews and not rely on how many positive reviews a game have. If you read the positive and negative review, most of them agree the gameplay is weak. Mediocre at best.

The artstyle and music is the strongest quality of the game. but i feel it not worth your time and energy because how bad the gameplay is.

Fun at times but it ruined with one of the worst maps in gaming history. Not to mention bot respawning with full health is just a stupid mechanic

Challenging Gameplay, Stunning Soundtrack, Beautiful Visuals.

Hyper Light Drifter (HLD) is a perfect example of "show, don't tell." Its environmental storytelling is beautiful, provoking intrigue at every corner of its world, waiting to be explored. It's accompanied by a gorgeously stunning yet surreal soundtrack that left me breathless.

HLD doesn’t hold your hand; rather, it gives you the tools to prepare for the journey ahead. The enemies can be punishing, but strategy and patience are key to your survival. Exploration is handsomely rewarded; however, this game seamlessly turns exploration into moments of shock, wonder, and awe.

Combat in HLD is no joke, you truly feel the weight of losing health. Maintaining awareness of your enemy’s attack patterns is crucial. It’s a balance between using your arsenal and keeping your distance. Beating a boss feels like a triumphant accomplishment, a reward for persistence and hard work.
Find a boss too difficult? Try another direction to gather more Gear-bits and upgrade your weapons and skills in town.

I love this game because of the attention to detail; you can tell it was made with care. Its core message transcends words. It speaks to the soul of our emotions, allowing each person to interpret it differently. We all fight demons, how we fight them depends on what kind of Drifter we are.

Hyper Light Drifter is a diamond in the rough. I’d urge you to try this game at least once in your life.

Beautiful artwork, great soundtrack, fun combat, and a mysterious story made this game very enjoyable for me.

One of my favourite games. The art, music, character, and gameplay is felt deep.

I am on my second playthrough. The story is endearingly esoteric, and the whole game is simply a mood.

The soundtrack is legendary - literally have listened to it hundreds of times since I fall asleep to it constantly.

An evolution of the 2d Zelda formula, with wordless story and fluid combat.

fun game, the visuals and music are really beautiful too.

TL;DR, Single handedly my all time favorite game out of everything I currently own and probably everything I will own.

I first heard about this game way back a year or two after it came out, and even then it had an obsessive grip over me for a short while, even though I did eventually forget about it. Then, years later I rediscover this game while browsing through the store and decide to buy it a day later, and that was certainly the best decision i ever made. I love the art style with its vivid, bright neon colors and geometric shapes. I love the combat and the importance of planning your strikes instead of just button mashing. I love how the story and lore is abstract and for the most part up to player interpretation. I love this game with all my heart, it moved me to my very core.

That said the dash is a little janky but I got used to it.

This game is so beautiful. From the soundtrack which is perfectly mysterious and inviting, to the gorgeous colorful pixel art. I felt enchanted by this world and relished being able to wander through it. Thought its not particularly inventive or ambitious or grand and the narrative pieces don't ever really come together, this journey is one that stuck with me and lit my imagination on fire. Its much more than the sum of its parts.

Hyper Light Drifter is, I think, a bit rough around the edges but it is bursting with heart and vision. It is easily compelling enough to warrant overlooking some of its weaker aspects, like a pretty simple but mechanically very tight combat sandbox. I'm so obsessed with what Heart Machine was able to put together with this one. Hyper Light Drifter is another one of those extremely 'up my alley' games and I think if you give it a try you'll find something to love too. I highly highly recommend giving this one a go.

Didnt expect to like this game as much as I did. Lovely game, with a good amount of content. my only complaint would be that a couple systems are a little confusing.

I don't get the love for this game. It's a clunky, unresponsive mess. Combat feels terrible. One of the worst gaming experiences I have ever had.

Masterpiece. Indie games at their finest. The visuals in this game are some of the best I've ever seen. The audio is a close second. Truly an amazing game.

This game is an absolute masterpiece.
The graphic design, the effects, the music, the sounds, the lore, the gamplay, absolutely everything about it just shows the giant amounts of passion the developers have for the game.
Best wishes to the developers, they created one of the best videogames ever made :3

A couple years ago, I pirated this game and enjoyed it. So now I'm buying it on sale and playing it again because I think it's a good game

Beautiful art style, beautiful music. Fantastic gameplay as well. It's challenging, but not too difficult and anyone can get the hang of it.

This game is beloved by many, but it became clear very quickly it just isn’t for me.

I love when a game trusts its players and doesn’t feel the need to over explain everything. However, Hyper Light Drifter takes it a step too far and I was left feeling lost and uninterested. I have too many games in my backlog to play something that doesn’t hook me from the start.

I have requested a refund.

A bit of a reluctant thumbs up from me. The Game is beautiful - the visuals, the music, the atmosphere. All A+. Controls generally feel responsive and good. Some clunkiness with platforming around ledges, but I can forgive that. I found the textless storytelling in this game to be a breath of fresh air. (although I see why some would dislike this.) This game toes the line of being a Metroidvania. Although, It technically isn't because you can beat the game without a single upgrade. The first few hours were wonderful. Traversing the open world to find and clear dungeons until I could defeat a boss and get an upgrade. However, I soon found myself not knowing where to go next. Surely I must have missed a dungeon somewhere? I started back tracking and was able to find a couple I missed - but not them all. There are 4 more sections of the game that are all like this. In each zone, I conquered the obvious dungeons, but then found myself scratching my head and backtracking to find the next dungeon or node. Running around for dozens of minutes, in areas I already experienced, trying to find out where to go next. Frustration began to set in. The fact that the dungeons can be explored and found in various orders meant looking for a guide or walkthrough online and figuring out what I missed would be a chore in itself. That's where I ultimately gave up with this game - it just wasn't worth it. An amazing game - hindered by its own design and vague map. If Metroidvania's are your jam, I'd absolutely recommend Hyper Light Drifter. For others, I am a bit more cautious about recommending it.

This game lives in my bones now. It just does. Everything about it is so extremely good and it's going to be ingrained in my brain forever.

Great little indie game. Combat is simple but fun and quite challenging at times. Visuals are beautiful, one of the best pixel art-styles I have seen before. Story is just alright, you really have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to learn anything in this game. It's also quite short so I would recommend only picking this up on a sale.

souls like + classic zelda feel = 10/10 love letter to a bunch of classic video games. rewarding secrets, fun combat, good music w an awesome atmosphere and what seems to be an actually interesting story if you look for it

The underlying mechanics feel reasonable. The animation is neat with unique visuals that are sometimes pretty. The world presents itself as vast, desolate, and mysterious.

And yet, after my first play session, I'm mostly feeling apathetic toward the game. I think it's because the game leans too heavily on its mystery angle. I'm an hour in and I couldn't tell you the first thing about anything around me, or the character I'm playing, or why anyone would care about anything I'm doing in game. Maybe my character is saving the world. Maybe they're destroying it. Maybe they fear death. Maybe they desire it. Maybe they can't even conceptualize it. No clue.

I don't need a game to spoon feed me its plot. But every mystery I've ever enjoyed started with something relatable to hook the player before diving into more complicated things. This game's odd desire to avoid that fundamental of good story telling isn't doing it any favors.

Really, I haven't written a review for this game?
If you like pixel art platform adventure games I'd suggest you pick this game up at some point. The game wasn't expensive and probably lasted more than a dozen hours on my first playthrough. Whilst best played with a controlled I see they've added a couch coop option which appeals to me when younger cousins invade my house. I think the one criticism I have of this game is one of the cool synth songs has a dud note in it - it wasn't apparent to me at first, but when you hear it you can't stop but hear it again and again. The bosses weren't too difficult and the platforming, whilst difficult at times, was largely achievable once you reached a standard of play.

One of the most visually beautiful I have ever played.
Challenging but not frustrating, would highly recommend this wonderful experience to anyone who thinks they may enjoy it

Hyper Light Drifter is fantastic.

This game is easily one of the best games I've ever played.
Almost every aspect of Drifter is curated and pieced together meticulously to create one of the most enjoyable metroidvanias. There wasn't one moment in Drifter where I was bored, and not dropping my jaw at the sheer impressiveness of the pixel art.

You play as The Drifter. A fallen warrior who's purpose isn't even clear from the start of the game.
You'll find the combat is fast paced, and somewhat strategic. You perform dashes, and quick slashes to recharge one of the many types of firearms you'll find in the world. Ontop of upgrades increasing movement capabilities, and gear to flesh out your kit. You can even customize the Drifter with different clothing, and swords you find around the world.

Hyper Light Drifter is also partly an exploration game. The Land of Light is gorgeous yet presents a dying world, wrought with overgrowth and wartime novelties. Which consists of 5 main areas.
The main city hub, the mountain's divine path, the eastern seashelf, the midnight woods, and finally the wastes. These areas are huge, and contain so many things to find. There's tons to find here, including different characters.

Throughout Hyper Light Drifter, you'll come across other characters, denizens of this dark land.
You'll find not a word is spoken through the game, rather dialogue is conveyed through art. There's also very little there in terms of handholding, which leaves the story up mostly to your interpretation.

I was also more appreciative when i learned the creator, Alx preston, suffered from a terminal heart disease which inspired Hyper light Drifter, as well as the creation of the team. You can see how it's inspired the game in it's whole, how the Drifter suffers from his sickness.

All in all. 9/10 game, easily.
Buy it, play it. Reflect for days, weeks, months, maybe years.

Game very good, just imagine if Hyper Light Breaker was Top-down, a Metroid-vanoia, pixel art and actually good. That pretty much sums up Hyper Light Drifter.

Great game with stunning visuals and a great mood setting soundtrack.

The combat is difficult but enjoyable and the wordless narrative is fun to contemplate.

Great Zelda-like that has some deep, addictive, and difficult game play,1 bad thing is chain-dashing is hard to learn and is key for alot of the puzzles.

Although the game was very difficult to adapt to with the whole chain dash concept, once you get the hang of it it starts making the game very interesting and not to bad of a play style. It is a very challenging indie title, especially the boss fights. I give this a 7 out 10

Undoubtedly beautiful.
It's short but in a "quality over quantity" sort of way, and there are plenty of mysteries to uncover if you're craving more.
There's a rhythm to combat. Be deliberate with each action and you will eventually be running circles around your enemies.

Wonderful game, it's beautiful and colorful, and the storyline is intriguing, while still being a fun amount of challenge

Great Zelda-like that has some deep, addictive, and difficult gameplay. Most important of all, it's fun. Good game here.

i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it. i hate it. i love it!

I literally am only writing this, cause i see all the negative comments about this game

"This game feels bad to me" - Without ever explaining why it feels bad

"The combat is janky" - Says that in the same sentence of "Inability to spam", fights against multiple enemies feel bad to you? Why, explain, instead of having a short cut statement.

"Game feels unsatisfying and a hassle" Never played a game without it holding your hand before?

All these "reviews"are just your opinions, and are not constructive, or have in depth explanation, your influencing people who are curious about this game, with your short and dry opinions more then crustructive facts.

For me this game is visually amazing, the pixel art is gorgeous, the music is amazing, the story isnt laid out for you, its to be pieced together as you play, the combat is difficult if your not ready for it.

If you play expecting to just push through the game your gotta have a bad time, there are secrets everywhere which have upgrade materials for your abilities, health kits to find so you can stay alive, there is a place to practice your swordsmanship,its the same place you buy your new abilities, and they give short tutorials to make fights easier and give more to your arsenal.

The atmosphere of the game is kinda bleak, with some rays of hope in it, the world your in is not in a good spot, you see innocents die to cruel tyrants, but at least you get a chance to take those down, the only safe haven has a low population, but the people there are hopeful.

If your unsure about this game, get it on a sale, get a feel of it and how it works, and plays, give it a fair go, there is tons to find, to explore, heaps of secrets, and if you dont like it and your playtime is below 2hrs, give it a refund, dont let these people with their half assed reviews influence your decision.

The atmosphere of the game really draws you in,

Seeing Hyper Light Breaker really makes me come back and appreciate how beautiful this game was when I played it

Fun isometric action adventure game. Not much by way of customizing your character, but fun challenging game play that entices you to explore.

Short but sweet! Wasn't too hard, but I didn't play on ng+. I'll do that when I come back. Highly recommend!

Amazing. Breathtaking. I'm speechless. Very enjoyable combat, incredible graphics and soundtrack, a little bit of customization even. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes videogames.

It's been a while since I played this game (2016) - time for a replay - what drew me to the game was the combination of retro game pixel use and the strangeness of the setting.

The game is sort of like the original Legend of Zelda with a dash dodging ability.

It would have been nice if it had more NPC interactions, because it seemed odd that there is a town in the center of the map which remains static - but this isn't an RPG.

If you like fast paced combat heavy games then you will probably like this one.

Un metroidvania isometrico con muchas mejoras, dificil pero con una increible forma de amaestrar el gameplay. Al final terminas siendo un ninja con pistolas que repele disparos con su espada. Es un MUST