Overall, the atmosphere and theme of the game saves it from its lack of fair, fast paced gameplay … Expandīeautiful pixel art with excellent use of colour and a captivating, calming ambient soundtrack give Hyper Light Drifter it's identity.
(spoilers) An example of this is that the first boss of the game was very challenging compared to the second boss of the game which can easily be beaten on the first attempt. It feels random whether the next room or boss will be difficult or not. The first part of the game can contain areas much more difficult than the proceeding areas. Furthermore, the difficulty spikes seem completely random.
After attacking with your sword, your character has serious lag before being able to attack or dash out of the way of an incoming attack. This type of difficulty is only made worse by the lack of tools you have to make quick in puts. After being hit you character is also stunned for a short period by certain attacks leaving him opened to get pummeled and essentially die in one hit. There were many points in the game where i had no idea why i died or what i died too which was really frustrating after dying multiple times on a given area having no idea what to do differently. I love challenging games, but Hyper Light Drifters challenge seems to be artificial and unfair. However, where this game really falls short is its difficulty. You traverse through a world filled with new items and enemies to discover and the lack of hand holding really pushes the atmosphere and amplifies the feeling of discovering something new. You traverse through a world filled with new items and enemies to discover and To start off the art and atmosphere of this game is fantastic. To start off the art and atmosphere of this game is fantastic. If you prefer a game with a more linear progression and don't like grinding to find stuff or using guides, this may not be the game for you, but I've loved it so far. Personally, I went in blind then used guides and walkthrough when I got stuck, I don't mind using guides sometimes so this wasn't too much of a big deal for me. Once you know the visual clues to look for it gets a lot easier but some are still very easy to miss. There are a ton of hidden paths, some of which are a little TOO well hidden. This game uses no dialogue, it tells you everything visually, which is super cool but can also make it difficult if you aren't used to looking for these visual clues. Some of the items you need to find are super hard to find, many in hidden paths. The only thing losing it some points is just how un-beginner friendly it is. The controls feel great and the combat and exploration is very fun. The atmosphere and environments are incredible. The atmosphere and environments are I love a game with good art direction and boy does this game deliver, it is just so pretty to look at. I love a game with good art direction and boy does this game deliver, it is just so pretty to look at.