Some of them are on the more obscure side, but with how elegant the visual and audio design is, it is a joy to go through this world. That just makes it all the sweeter when it clicks and you blaze through a room of enemies without taking damage.Įven upon the story’s seeming conclusion, much more can be found in this world and secrets are basically everywhere. Unfortunately getting to the point is hard and battles can get brutal very fast. When you can wrap your head around the combat and throw in some of the useful upgrades for the sword and dash, it opens up in beautiful ways. A dash ability is also key, and features some tricky timing to link dashes together in succession. The ammo for the gun is refilled by attacking enemies and obstacles with the sword, so the two moves must be used in tandem for maximum effect. A sword is used for close range while a gun, at first a pistol but more guns can be found, hits at a distance. The combat is based around a complementary mixture of melee and ranged attacks. Tackling the Tower Climb challenge can unlock a new costume that makes finding secrets a little easier, while new weapons offer projectile blades and a freezing ability for more combat options. I lean somewhere in the middle, and thankfully the Switch version adds in a few new elements that are good for those people not as on board with the occasional bouts of unclear direction. That challenge mixed with the open-ended nature of the structure might not be for everyone. The structure makes it so you can attack north, east, south, and west at any point, and it was noticeable how the last direction I went to was a relative cakewalk, whereas my first one was hellaciously hard. The way to conquer it is by better understanding combat and movement, as well as learning the language of the world and its areas to unlock more abilities and boosts. This world is filled with fallen civilizations, tough puzzles, brutal enemies, and vile bosses that offer a steep challenge. The story is not told in words but in images that are evocative and powerful. In general, a big part of Hyper Light Drifter’s appeal is the mystique. Even in spite of that, I was hooked in, though a map that was more 1-to-1 in its representation of the world would have helped a lot. My first hour or so was rife with confusion, as I wasn’t quite sure what things did or really what the best path was. A lot is just beneath the surface, with various hidden objects, be they modules that help progress the story and unlock new areas or gearbits that accumulate like currency to unlock more upgrades. The only information you’re really given are basic controls and a loose direction of going in the four cardinal directions. To start, the titular Drifter is sick and ailing, thrown into the world to explore with minimal guidance. Even through some moments of being a little too open-ended for its own good, Hyper Light Drifter is an enthralling experience packed with many secrets, much to do, and some welcome Switch-exclusive content. And that’s without getting to the thoughtfully intuitive yet unexplained gameplay and the varied, deeper-than-it-seems combat. Probably won't get all the pickups, just the ones I bump into.Hyper Light Drifter is beautiful, from its minimalist 2D art to its tremendous, moody Disasterpeace score. Just thought if it did things more the Metroid way it would've been more fun (for me anyway). Yeah, I'll just keep going, not sweating it too much. Also, some of the shards and things are found in the area between the town and the main region teleporter, so it helps to go back to town sometimes and then proceed to the area again on foot, you'll find stuff you missed before.Īlso, get the chain-dash upgrade. If you really hit a wall, go back to town and explore a different direction, and you'll find stuff you didn't notice before. I felt a bit of frustration early on but I saw that if I just kept plugging at it end kept exploring every bush, ball, ledge, I kept finding more secrets. It's hard to find stuff and dryhump all the walls as it is.īe patient. I feel less motivated to hunt when the tools given are 'suboptimal'. Good to know that it's not supposed to be exact. Thanks! Already been doing the exploring.
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