PC User Reviews

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.

It grew on me over time and ended up becoming a favourite after mastering the controls. The map is lame but other than that it has one of the best soundtracks, art style, and gameplay for an action, puzzle, adventure game.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

^__^ Challenging action-adventure exploration within super gameplay > beautiful atmospheric pixel•sprite visuals and soundtrack adds to the immersive experience > playful action puzzles & fast-paced fair battles, as well as much secret chambers waiting to be discovered.

Clean boy, this game is good

What a masterpiece. There isn't enough good I can say about it, suffice to say it's a game that enjoys being a game. Like the ones from the days of it's inspiration. Truly 'Pixel Perfect' imo.

Good retro-feeling top-down game. It is has to categorize, but it's mostly an adventure game with some slightly difficult bosses. Nothing like a souls-like, but not braindead easy either.

Boring game with no story and strange controls. I was already angry at the game after one hour. Didn't have fun during that time.

The game is good, the gameplay is fluid, tasty and fun but the game is difficult especially on the bosses which requires a good reflex so that you can progress in the campaign .

One of my personal favourite games of all time, Hyper Light Drifter is a masterpiece **** which never ceases to entertain me, the amazing visual storytelling, the challenging combat and the absolutely beautiful soundtrack all pairs together to make a game which i believe everyone should play at least once.

No me ha durado ni una hora instalado: 1º falta de respeto, no se puede pasar la intro... en el año 2023. 2ºFalta de respeto, no se puede reconfigurar los controles, en el año 2023 3º Falta de respeto, pixeles como cabezas de niño tonto, en el año... Además de eso, el ritmo leeeentoooo y los horribles gráficos que no dejan distinguir los relieves o la profundidad, el juego es un despropósito general. La música no esta mal, pero se repite. Os he avisado.

Gorgeous and atmospheric game that is hard carried by its art design and environments. It's mystery is captivating and the gentle synth tones of its soundtrack are unforgettable. Gameplay doesn't really live up to that level, its serviceable and simple but no more.

This is one of the greatest indie games (or just game) ever made Amazing soundtrack and visuals, unforgiving difficulty, minimalist storytelling, awesome bosses, and of course: heart Masterpiece.

Unfortunately unplayable due to how motion sickness inducing the camera movement are. Really wish I could play, but there's no options that fix this issue.

Недавно заценил игру , понравилась , всё норм (все аспекты игры,сделаны на ура , за исключением деталей ) хотелось бы побольше локаций с видом на большие просторы мира.

Not balanced. Boss fights are very difficult. Why the difficulty has to be so high w/o any way to adjust it? But I guess that is what you get by trusting indie developers. Will never buy from the same developer for sure - hope that is what they wanted to archive.

É um jogo muito bom, a jogabilidade é muito boa, os inimigos são balanceados, é divertido explorar o mapa, os bosses são difíceis, de um jeito bom, não tenho muito o que falar só que é um jogo incrível.

The aesthetic and theme of the game are my reasons for loving this game, but it also is backed by some good bosses and secrets.

+ Atmosphere Style Level design Mechanics Music Enjoyable - Short Confusing graphics (sometimes) Healing delay Not much incentive for exploration Ridiculous achievement goals Ends with the boss defeat

Hyper Light Drifter is a 2D action role-playing game developed by Heart Machine. The player controls the Drifter, a character that has access to technology that has long been forgotten by the inhabitants of the game's world and is suffering from an unspecified illness.

good game .

I remember that I really enjoyed playing this game, but I always felt that there was a big deficiency in this game. There is a story in this game, yes, but the narration of this story with pictures is quite weak during gameplay if you ask me. During the game, sometimes I had a hard time understanding what I was fighting for, why I was going somewhere and stopping. It has a strong concept and gameplay, but I didn't quite get the feeling I wanted. This is the highest rating I can give this game.

Игра очень хорошая но сюжет на любителя и он по большей части будет понятен только после просмотра ролика на Ютубе.

Hyper Light Drifter is a masterclass in everything it does. Its atmosphere and aesthetics are top notch, with wonderful art direction, sound design and soundtrack. The game itself is phenomenal, taking a minimalist approach to its storytelling, relying on environmental clues, brief cutscenes and a few NPC "dialogue" interactions to give you an idea of the world you are adventuring through. The game itself could be considered tough by some, but it is not unfair, giving the player a suitable arsenal to defeat various enemies and bosses. The game gives the player some agency in how they progress, allowing the player to choose which direction they would like to move once reaching the hub area. If you were to take the northern or western routes first, this might account for the "difficulty" of this game. With this non-linear design comes many secrets and challenges down hidden paths. You will most likely not find all of the secrets in your first playthrough, meaning that a the new game+ provides opportunity to find what you may have missed. In Hyper Light Drifter, if your experience is anything like mine, you will be engrossed in the world that the game creates. The combat is crisp, difficulty is tough but fair, the worldbuilding is immaculate and my god that soundtrack adds so much to this game. If you like a top down action game in the 16 bit style, this game will not disappoint. My only gripe with the game is in its length and replayability. For a $22 (CAD) game, it is pretty short, with the average first playthrough taking around 12 to 15 hours. While many may not consider a new game+ to be a worthwhile part of the price tag, there are enough new aspects (wont spoil anything here) that a second playthrough NG+ is actually quite enjoyable. I created my account just to review this game. After having played it again recently after 2 years, I can say with certainty that this game is a masterpiece.

Well, the game is not hard at all. Don't know why people keep saying this. But it's also not fun at all. Was ok at the beginning, but the lack of progress is just boring. Most of the upgrades you can buy are useless and so you don't feel like your character is getting better at all. The worst about this game are the controls: Imprecise, unsatisfying and so slow. You feel like you struggle more to actually do the attack moves than learning enemy patterns and reacting to them. If you had the precise and fair controls of Hades, the game would be over in an hour.

HyperLightDrifter - 9/10 - {highly recommend} The game is [Beautiful, Fluid, Challenging, Artistic] => Pros: + Good graphics with beautiful art; + Fluid gameplay with skill mechanics and perfect combat; + Variety of enemies with creative and varied design; + Challenging in certain extent; + Unique and different map; + Secrets and the possibility to obtain skins through exploration; => Cons: - Its history is not very explained to the player in the course of of the game, and many points remain open; - There is a tremendous difficulty in obtaining all the keys because their location is secret, and is not on the map, just making you waste time to recheck all the places (several times); - The almost impossible achievement of giving 800 consecutive dashes in the training area to release a skin; => VERDICT: The Verdict is that, if you are looking for a challenging game with a very fluid and addictive gameplay, this game is the perfect bet, outside that he is very beautiful and gives the feeling of freedom, however, if you care a lot about history, you will be disappointed, and if you are looking for platinum, I can only wish you luck, but regardless of those factors, it’s worth playing and exterminating all who dare to get in your way, all for healing.

lovely game!!!! i love youuuu hyper light drifter

All though I didn't understand the story very well, I loved the movement, the visuals and the sound track. I really liked this game and recommend it

This game was a really unexpected surprise for me. I didn't knew what to expect, maybe an action game and that's it. But no, this game has some "Metroidvania" feels but in a Top Down View that really felt good to explore the areas of the game. Combat is amazing and you have plenty of variety to experiment on your own. The soundtrack is breathtaking, story is very cryptic and I like it that way. I can't stop thinking on how great this game felt the first time I played it. Loved every bit of it!!

Beatiful loooking game but the gameplay and level design is pretty simple it has great bosses but feels like it could be more than it is. Also **** boss rush.

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I liked this game and it was really worth it for its price. The combat is deep, fun, unique and. The exploration of this game is very tasty and rarely very 'complex', I'm not an open world fan but I liked this one. The story is well understood, something I personally don't like. The soundtrack is one of the weakest points of the game unfortunately, it is relatively 'unique', but I find it very difficult for someone to like it. I personally liked the graphics. I recommend it only if you like the gameplay.

Неплохая инди-игра, но она мне не очень понравилась, НО, это не значит, что игра заслуживает плохую оценку. 8 из 10.

Tough as nails, but beautiful in a colorful yet desolate way Hyper Light Drifter manages to pull the wordless narrative off with grace and aplomb. Though much of the story is up for interpretation, there is enough going on in each of the four major zones to keep the mind wondering. Details can be lost of those who don't wish to focus on setting though, as the ending will not bother tying everything up in a bow.

Great game, I had no expectations. Didn't even know what type of game it was. I booted it up and I haven't been able to put it down. If I may buthcer the analysis; think "Link to the Metroid Souls Past", that is what I got from this game and it was finework indeed. The markdown to 9 from 10 is because the controller detection os a bit iffy, and if my controller happens to disconnect I need to use the keyboard to go into the settings to change the settings to check for the ps4 controller, and only then does it start working again.

This game is incredibly precise and well-designed. It's a difficult game, but in like in Hollow Knight and Dark Souls, you'll practice and get gud. I didn't find it as punishing as those other 2 games, and it's much, much shorter. One thing I do really like about its design is that there are visual hints for the location of all hidden items, unlike in games where there is absolutely no clue that there's a breakable wall in a specific spot.

Great take on Zelda. Less puzzles, more focus on fighting than in Zelda. Fights can be quite hard. Original art style. An inspired and fun game.

This game was too damn hard 4 me. It has really climatic and nice looking graphics concept and fairy-like but crooked, dark world.

It's incredibly painful to come back to a game where the mechanics of the beta left me feeling so inspired and free, but the final product was so lacking. The soundtrack, visuals, mood, and arc are all extremely well executed, and are all shining examples of "how to do things right". But it all comes crashing down when you die for the thousanth time by getting stuck on yet another invisible wall, crash into yet another wonky parallax edge, or the frame jitter drops your input and you just stand there and eat it. I wish the team spent some of their enormous Kickstarter and pre-order money to pay for engine experts to help them address these issues.

okey this game is a beautiful game- love the soundtrack, love the art.. but only one thing the bosses are easy i guess or the difficulty curve are good... i can not wait for buy it on the switch

This game is just amazing, like really amazing. In my opinion - best game of all time. Stunning atmosphere, great design, best ost that I ever heard and hard gameplay, but not too hard to actually play.

Gameplay: - Good Story: - Bad Visual: - Amazing Music and sound: - Very Good Average time: - 11H Score: - 7 (Good)

The visual and music are superb in this game. while the story hints and the ending is greatly emotional and amazing.