Maneauleau
Member
Great game visually and musically but also fun to play and explore and not too easy either. Go for it you won't be disappointed.
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Is Hyper Light Drifter worth it?
- Thread starter Fulminator
- Start date
Cross-posting from the GOTY thread:
1. Hyper Light Drifter ; A cross between Nintendo's Zelda and Platinum's combat and upgrade systems with a unique artstyle and soundtrack. Excellent pacing, world building, secrets and bosses. The only game I consider "perfect" this year. 5/5.
1. Hyper Light Drifter ; A cross between Nintendo's Zelda and Platinum's combat and upgrade systems with a unique artstyle and soundtrack. Excellent pacing, world building, secrets and bosses. The only game I consider "perfect" this year. 5/5.
It's a fantastic game. Currently working my way through it. Difficulty spikes a bunch at zone Boss battles. Took a peek at a walk-through vid, at one point; was surprised at how many secrets I'd missed.
Much of the game you need to figure out on your own; there's no VO or text-based story-telling. That includes interacting with town merchants. Loose visual interpretations. It's great.
Much of the game you need to figure out on your own; there's no VO or text-based story-telling. That includes interacting with town merchants. Loose visual interpretations. It's great.
30 fps lock was patched, but calling it glitchy or buggy would have been an exaggeration even at launch. But they regularly patched the game, so it's likely the things you listed are gone.
What do you recommend for controls in this game? I use a Steam Controller and tried a few setups but using the left trackpad to move the character didn't work that well. Wondering if I should use DS4 and D-pad or is the analog stick better?
My beef with the game is that it doesn't seem to have that much enemy variety at least so far. Also had trouble executing the chain dash but maybe I'll learn it.
My beef with the game is that it doesn't seem to have that much enemy variety at least so far. Also had trouble executing the chain dash but maybe I'll learn it.
UnluckyKate
Member
Amazing money and time investment
TheGameshark
Member
Yeah pick it up. Game has a really strong aesthetic and overall atmosphere. Alot of story and lore elements are quite frankly obtuse but I didn't really care. The gameplay requires you to be pretty quick and at times can be punishing.
Steve McQueen
Member
Afaik... no 60 fps on consoles and it's not gonna be patched in either. A shame, the combat is fast and I feel I died a lot of time due to framepacing.
sixteen-bit
Member
thanks for reminding me to buy it, op
wesleyshark
Banned
Great gameplay. Excellent music. Gorgeous artistic vision.
Buy it!
Buy it!
I liked it. I'm proud to have been a backer and I'm glad the game came to fruition in a way that seems to match what the creator envisioned from the start. I don't think it's the GREATEST game or anything like that, but it's a fun little Zelda-lite type thing with spectacular color use and some really fun, snappy combat which can be quite challenging at times. Certainly worth 10 bucks, even 15, if it looks and sounds like something you'd like.
15 bucks is decent money to some people, plus time investment is also a thing even if you have all the money in the world.
15 bucks is decent money to some people, plus time investment is also a thing even if you have all the money in the world.
dancrane212
Member
Head.spawn
Junior Member
Definitely.
Acquiescence
Member
Yes, it's fantastic. Worth playing just for the visual/audio combo alone, but luckily there's a formidable combat system to compliment the eye candy.
Easily my favourite indie game of the year. Wiped the floor with the likes of Inside, Firewatch and ABZU as far as I'm concerned, all of which seem to be getting much more representative in GOTY lists.
Easily my favourite indie game of the year. Wiped the floor with the likes of Inside, Firewatch and ABZU as far as I'm concerned, all of which seem to be getting much more representative in GOTY lists.
I didn't know this! Well I know when I will be replaying it again then.
Baron von Loathsome
Member
I absolutely loved it. The combat has a real sense of every move you make mattering, and that's on top of the gorgeous visuals.
PeterVenkman
Member
100%. The game is great - I restarted my play through when they dropped the 60fps patch and then restarted again when they dropped co op. Played through the whole game with a buddy - it's a treat. Highly considering jumping in new game + because I enjoyed it so much.
Steve McQueen
Member
Mmmm. Hope you are right. Pretty sure I read somewhere that the console versions are handled by a different company and they had a hard time getting 60 fps on consoles due to the engine ( Gamemaker ). Thought it has been cancelled for consoles but fingers crossed. This game deserves 60 fps.
forgeforsaken
Member
I had a lot of issues with it at launch, but it sounds like most of those have been addressed with patches. Things like time to use a healing item, dodge windows, etc all making combat more frustrating than it should be.
Apoleptica
Banned
You can always return it if you don't like it within 2 hours of gameplay.
Thanks so much for the info!
Mister Wolf
Member
Its a great game. Pick up that and Axiom Verge.
Killer Queen
Banned
Okay this thread has convinced me. Sold.
Yes, absolutely. It's my game of the year.
More like Zelda than Ys. You can "level up" your attacks at a store in town, but it's not like RPG leveling up. It's more like Bayonetta where you actually buy a move you can then perform. Ability to reflect projectiles, dash attacks, etc.
More like Zelda than Ys. You can "level up" your attacks at a store in town, but it's not like RPG leveling up. It's more like Bayonetta where you actually buy a move you can then perform. Ability to reflect projectiles, dash attacks, etc.
Pejo
Member
I'm down with that, thanks, I have the game sitting in my wishlist on Steam, looks like I'll pull the trigger when I get home.
Been playing it lately and its pretty good, just not loving it.
-Expect death...expect it often.
-Combat is pretty solid, but there is a huge focus on timing(especially dashing) wherein it can be really aggravating when your controls lock up for a second during recovery for any mistimed inputs. Windows are not very lenient and it can lead to a lot of expletives.
-Not a personal fan of the chunky pixel art, doesn't resemble a retro-feel at all, and I find it hard to parse out object depth at times. In many cases I also occasionally feel walls, barriers, and other environment details blend giving a "what am I looking at here?" situation which kind of irritates.
-Per the above, it takes conditioning to suss out how the environment hints at where secrets are located, switch statues, and invisible walls. Granted mileage varies, but once I started noticing the helpful iconography(like the squared dots that hint at secrets) I started feeling a LOT better about the game. Just took me a bit longer to notice them.
-Gun aiming can be a bear to aim properly on occasion. Manual aim can be tough to use in combat with such aggressive enemies and free fire can often just miss entirely. You get the feel for it, but it just never really felt comfortable for me.
-Map use and navigation is not great. It's functional, but not great.
I have several other nitpicks(including the music), but its a game that grew on me with time. Didn't really like it at first, but I felt much better about it with progress. So many others adore it, but nearing the end of the journey and I find it was merely good.
Edit: Had no idea a 60fps patch is coming to PS4...I may just hold off on wrapping this thing up until then(playing on PS4).
-Expect death...expect it often.
-Combat is pretty solid, but there is a huge focus on timing(especially dashing) wherein it can be really aggravating when your controls lock up for a second during recovery for any mistimed inputs. Windows are not very lenient and it can lead to a lot of expletives.
-Not a personal fan of the chunky pixel art, doesn't resemble a retro-feel at all, and I find it hard to parse out object depth at times. In many cases I also occasionally feel walls, barriers, and other environment details blend giving a "what am I looking at here?" situation which kind of irritates.
-Per the above, it takes conditioning to suss out how the environment hints at where secrets are located, switch statues, and invisible walls. Granted mileage varies, but once I started noticing the helpful iconography(like the squared dots that hint at secrets) I started feeling a LOT better about the game. Just took me a bit longer to notice them.
-Gun aiming can be a bear to aim properly on occasion. Manual aim can be tough to use in combat with such aggressive enemies and free fire can often just miss entirely. You get the feel for it, but it just never really felt comfortable for me.
-Map use and navigation is not great. It's functional, but not great.
I have several other nitpicks(including the music), but its a game that grew on me with time. Didn't really like it at first, but I felt much better about it with progress. So many others adore it, but nearing the end of the journey and I find it was merely good.
Edit: Had no idea a 60fps patch is coming to PS4...I may just hold off on wrapping this thing up until then(playing on PS4).
Bananastand
Member
One of the best games of this year. Loved it on pc, loved it again on PS4.
Messofanego
Banned
The bosses are awesome and the storytelling is great even if ambiguous. It's melancholic, much like Severed. The gamefeel is so good (makes sense since same person behind Samurai Gunn, Beau Blyth) with the combat. One of the best games of the year. Get it!
VICE did a cool piece on how the game is inspired by the dev's heart condition:
‘Hyper Light Drifter’ - Inside the Video Game Inspired by a Life-Threatening Illness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUT5SBZkVys
Mass Effect
Member
I'd say yes definitely. I only just really started, but I'm already loving the game.
And the game was only 30fps at launch? I didn't know that. I can't imagine that feeling good. I feel like this game needs to be 60fps for the combat, especially when fighting hordes.
I don't think you can use the d-pad. When I played it at a friend's we tried it and it didn't work (on DS4).
And the game was only 30fps at launch? I didn't know that. I can't imagine that feeling good. I feel like this game needs to be 60fps for the combat, especially when fighting hordes.
I don't think you can use the d-pad. When I played it at a friend's we tried it and it didn't work (on DS4).
HappehLemons
Member
I'd wait for the 60FPS patch (Unless it's already out..)
I'm not a big fan of pixel art in most cases, so I waited a while before I bought it.
Once I got around to playing it I loved it. It's a lot like the original Legend of Zelda if you played it. You're thrust into a world with little to no explanation about it, and just have to explore to figure it out. In most cases I see that as a negative, but not this time. The world is beautiful, the gameplay is challenging and engaging, and the upgrade system adds a lot of depth.
It's one of my favorites this year.
Once I got around to playing it I loved it. It's a lot like the original Legend of Zelda if you played it. You're thrust into a world with little to no explanation about it, and just have to explore to figure it out. In most cases I see that as a negative, but not this time. The world is beautiful, the gameplay is challenging and engaging, and the upgrade system adds a lot of depth.
It's one of my favorites this year.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Completed the game. Loved it.
It gave me the most honest SNES feels since back in the day. Not aesthetically, necessarily (they go for a more flat, abstract look rather than the cartoon outlines that were all the rage on SNES pixel art), but in terms of being a 2D game hinting at pathos but not being too dramatically bloated, it was just right.
Feels like the love child of Zelda: LttP and Super Metroid. Someone above said they don't get the Zelda/Metroid comparisons... but aesthetically? It's a top down sword game (once known as a "Zelda clone") with a moody, interconnected world with dark alien secrets below (that's Metroid).
It gave me the most honest SNES feels since back in the day. Not aesthetically, necessarily (they go for a more flat, abstract look rather than the cartoon outlines that were all the rage on SNES pixel art), but in terms of being a 2D game hinting at pathos but not being too dramatically bloated, it was just right.
Feels like the love child of Zelda: LttP and Super Metroid. Someone above said they don't get the Zelda/Metroid comparisons... but aesthetically? It's a top down sword game (once known as a "Zelda clone") with a moody, interconnected world with dark alien secrets below (that's Metroid).
I'd say so. Even though there are guns, you don't use them often enough to make mouse aiming too useful. Movement and dashing is easier with a controller too.
(However, I think they made some improvements to the keyboard/mouse controls so dashing isn't so awkward)
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