In my overview for 2016’s Hyper Light Drifter I wrote about the way it was a sport I created excuses for myself to maintain enjoying after seeing credit writing, “I didn’t do it out of necessity; I did it because I wanted to stay in Hyper Light Drifter’s world for as long as possible.” I like the colour, fashion, music, and general vibe of that sport, which is why I used to be so excited to lastly go hands-on with its not-quite-a-sequel, Breaker, and eventually have an excuse to exist in that world once more.
“It’s not a sequel – it is just in the world of Hyper Light. It will have common threads, themes, and shared components,” director Alx Preston says. “If you played Drifter you will see reappearing species and enemies and other stuff like that, but generally, you don’t have to play Dirifter to enjoy this. The story is encapsulated in its own way. But there are connections to it for sure.” Preston is much more ambiguous about its Drifter relationship when requested particular questions concerning the timeline saying, “It takes place not too far-off from [Dirfter] on both finish. It’s not prefer it’s going down 1000 years later. It’s inside a variety of the occasions of Drifter.”
Breaker retains the temper of Drifter, and its sound, although Preston says returning composer Disasterpiece was primarily solely concerned to start with, however it does general feel and appear completely different. Breaker is a 3D motion sport, and I made my means by a couple of brief runs whereas Preston watched and politely congratulates me on lasting longer than most. There is a fast sprint for normal motion and a separate fight sprint for closing the hole between enemies. I discovered little use for it in my brief time, however you can even pull out a hoverboard to maneuver rapidly over longer stretches and use a glider to forestall fall injury when leaping from excessive heights. Expectedly, contemplating developer Heart Machine’s motion historical past, it feels good, and although I died rapidly, I can already see the alternatives for talent enchancment.
In my first run, I used a private favourite, twin swords and a pistol, and for my second run, I used a single sword and one thing near a machine gun. You can combine and match weapons as you progress, which I’m grateful for as I might like to take the machine gun with the twin swords.
At the top of my playtime, I took on a boss named Dro. The gigantic wolflike creature with a giant glowing yellow sword launched himself by leaping into the world with unusual, staccato animation. It was as if he was deliberately leaving out frames, and it seemed superior. I didn’t get to see a lot else of him, although, as a result of he killed me nearly instantly. After leaping over a couple of increasing yellow assault circles on the bottom, I obtained in about two hits earlier than shedding all my well being. Preston was nonetheless well mannered about my run however didn’t supply the identical praise about how lengthy I lasted in comparison with after I was out on this planet.
“It’s going to be a thing where I have to figure out what to call it,” Preston says with a chuckle after I ask about if the sport ought to be thought-about a correct roguelike. “It has roguelike elements for sure, but it’s also an open world with extraction elements. You can go on runs and death matters, but it’s on a different scale than a normal roguelike.”
You try runs in Breaker, and there are randomized open worlds, however you set your schedule for a way you need to method them. You have a restricted time and makes an attempt to undergo a world and defeat its three bosses. If you fail you get a brand new world, however success additionally results in a brand new world. There can also be some company in while you go away a given world along with your earned belongings, which Preston says nearly makes it really feel extra like an extraction sport. It’s a mechanic that may undoubtedly make extra sense in follow however is troublesome to understand with just some runs, to not point out developer instruments to routinely transport you to Dro so he can instantly homicide you.
Hyper Light Breaker is deliberate for Early Access this summer season with the 1.0 launch marking its console launch. Preston, a Steam Deck fan, considers that platform a precedence if for nobody else however himself and affords a “never say never” response when requested about Switch.
