RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Hyper Light Breaker is a new video game that was initially released on Jan. 14 and published by Arc Games. This release is a new edition developed by Heart Machine that serves as the prequel to their game, Hyper Light Drifter. The version of Hyper Light Breaker that I played is currently available for Early Access, which means that improvements and frequent changes will likely be made to the game over time.
In Hyper Light Breaker, the player controls a “Breaker,” the character they play as, who ventures into the Overgrowth to defeat the Abyss King, the game’s final villainous boss, after defeating smaller enemies and bosses along their journey. It delves into an adventure-like journey where the player gathers resources, weapons, and armor to make their way through the world of the Overgrowth.
I played the game for around five days and did not make it to the point of defeating any of the “Crowns,” or the villainous bosses, of the game. I defeated some lesser characters that were in the way of collecting the prisms in the game, which are necessary when trying to beat the Crowns. However, defeating more characters increases the danger level of the game as the Breaker will eventually have to face the Abyss King.
The early stages of the game were fairly difficult because of the bad navigation features of the game. It was easy to get lost in the terrain of the Overgrowth when I began playing the game, as the map of the game is expansive and very dense. As I continued playing, battles with enemies became significantly more difficult due to this feature of the game. However, this quality of the Overgrowth helped keep the game more engaging and interesting during later battles.
Combat within this universe was a bit strange at first, as there are no guides for what to do once the journey through the Overgrowth begins. As someone who doesn’t play video games too often, I found that without armor and upgraded weapons, it was easy to get overwhelmed with fighting enemies.
Since there are no structural components or guides to the game, the player has to rely on themselves as they make their way through the world. Newer players or people who aren’t familiar with video games may not enjoy this feature of the game.
Features that Hyper Light Breaker succeeds in include developing its visuals and the maps that the player can explore. The game utilizes amazing visual effects, with harmonies between three-dimensional objects and colors to various designs and textures. Along with this, exploring the Overgrowth felt extremely immersive since the use of synth music tracks matched the map’s surroundings. I enjoyed taking my time to explore the maps of the game more than having to defeat new enemies.
Hyper Light Breaker is a great new video game for audiences of different skill levels to explore. I recommend this game to people who are looking into trying out a new video game or who have enjoyed the Hyper Light Drifter universe and other games from Heart Machine and Arc Games.