Hyper Light Drifter – Nindie Spotlight – Dark and Brilliant Action
Hyper Light Drifter was a stunning Kickstarter campaign that caught the eyes of thousands of backers as it promoted an oldschool look and feel while displaying apocalyptic scenarios and locations that were hard to see and even tougher to swallow as you play. This is one of the best Kickstarter games to date, and it is an action adventure unlike anything else, as it combines elements of The Legend of Zelda, Dark Souls, and others.
My name is Jason, and this is your Nindie Spotlight for today: Hyper Light Drifter.
Hyper Light Drifter
Explore a beautiful, vast and ruined world riddled with dangers and lost technologies. Echoes of a dark and violent past resonate throughout a savage land, steeped in treasure and blood. Hyper Light Drifter is an action adventure RPG in the vein of the best 16bit classics, with modernized mechanics and designs on a much grander scale.
Hyper Light Drifter debuted on Kickstarter in 2013 and ultimately released in 2016, and it was met with massive praise for its stunning graphics, unique storytelling, and difficult action sequences. A title that sold itself from both the developer’s story and the in-game trauma, and it is wild just how intertwined the two actually are.
The Nintendo Switch version even contains secrets to obtain a new outfit, the Tower Climb challenge, the ability to freeze your enemies with the Crystal Shot, and the ability to master the deadly Blade Caster. The original game already has a ton of gameplay, but then Heart Machine decided to give us even more on the hybrid console.
The Stunning Visuals
One of the things that stands out the most in Hyper Light Drifter are the visuals, and that is because of the use of high-quality pixelatation used by Heart Machine. Not only is the game brimming with color and character, but each area represents a part of the story and lore that feeds into the overall experience. This is truly one of the most stunning indie games out there.
Hyper Light Drifter is split into five quadrants that all serve as their own unique biome, filled with unique enemies, fauna, plant life, and more, and I cannot stress enough how beautiful each section is. This coupled with the Drifter and the incredibly awesome dashing and attacking animations truly paint something special.
It is one thing to praise the visuals of an indie game, especially the top-tier ones, but in my opinion, Hyper Light Drifter is one of the prettiest games currently on the Nintendo Switch. The splashes of color, the post-apocalyptic visuals, the telling of a time before, and so much more truly show how much detail the team put into this project. Absolutely magical.
Tight Combat and Excellent Bosses
The other area of Hyper Light Drifter that is top-tier is the combat, particularly the boss fights. Thanks to the dashing ability and heavy combat slashing, the overall fighting is crisp and fluid in a way that is unlike any other game on the market. Even the first area with enemies tests your patience and controls immediately, and it serves as a great precursor for what’s to come.
When you meet your first boss, it is almost guaranteed that you will die… a lot. The bosses are not impossible, by any measure, but they are particular and you need to time your attacks precisely or else. This means you have to study your enemies, which makes the combat feel more militarily, as your deaths are clearly more your fault than the game’s.
However, there is no greater feeling than getting that final slash on a boss that you have been struggling with, and you feel stronger and more prepared thanks to it as you continue and move forward in the story. I cannot stress enough how precise the tight the combat is, and it also strengthens you as a player. This is the kind of game that by the time you finish it, you feel accomplished in so many ways. A game that fills you with the right amount of pride!
Hyper Light Drifter is simply a brilliant game, and the story both in-game and from the developer make this something truly special. The graphics are stunning and are some of the best-looking in the indie game world, and the combat is awe-inspiring, as it is perfectly fluid and beautiful while also being precise and brutally difficult.
The Switch received the Special Edition of Hyper Light Drifter in 2018, and it is definitely the version to get! If you have never played this wonderful game and are looking for a gorgeous and challenging title to keep you busy, look no further. This is one of the best indie games around, and I will die on that hill over and over and over again.
There is your Nindie Spotlight on Hyper Light Drifter. Check back again next time for a look into another great Nindie title. What are some of your favorite indie games? Let us know in the comments below! Thank you for visiting Nintendo Link. Happy gaming, everyone.
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