Hyper Light Breaker Early Access Review – Abyssal Depths

I’m equally captivated and annoyed by Hyper Light Breaker, Heart Machine’s newest venture. Gamers will likely recall the studio’s inaugural game, the applauded Hyper Light Drifter, known for its brilliant blend of retro-style sprite art with exploration reminiscent of the Zelda series in a dungeon crawling format. The world was shrouded in mystery and novelty, with its silent storytelling effectively conveying the emotional journey of the Drifter and their terminal illness – mirroring founder Alx Preston’s personal struggle with congenital heart disease.

As a fan, I can’t help but feel that Hyper Light Breaker doesn’t quite measure up to my expectations. While it shares some similarities with games like Breath of the Wilds and Tears of the Kingdoms in its 3D visuals, open-world landscape, and gliding aspects, there’s also a hint of resemblance to Hyper Light Drifter with its trippy sci-fi aesthetic and blend of close-range hack-and-slash combat with long-range shooting. However, the gameplay dynamics and world design seem to be slightly inferior compared to its predecessor.

Although the story may be somewhat weak at this point, unfortunately, the gameplay doesn’t significantly improve with Breaker’s loop.

Currently available on Steam Early Access, this game revolves around characters known as Breakers, who embark on a journey to the enigmatic Overgrowth to vanquish the Abyss King. The objective remains unclear, but it seems that defeating the Abyss King involves overcoming three powerful bosses called Crowns. However, getting to these bosses is no easy feat, as players must gather Prisms to unlock their gates. At first glance, this setup may seem straightforward, but upon closer inspection, it reveals intricate layers of complexity. Yet, difficulties arise not only from the initially impersonal introduction to the gameplay but also from other issues that become apparent over time.

1. What are the Breakers, and why are they named as such?

The Breakers are a group of individuals who have taken up a relentless mission to destroy the Abyss King. They got their name because of their destructive nature towards this powerful entity.

2. What actions has the Abyss King committed that warrant this unyielding quest to eliminate him?

The Abyss King has wreaked havoc and caused immeasurable destruction, leading the Breakers to believe that he must be stopped at all costs.

3. What will killing the Abyss King achieve, and how will it impact the world?

Killing the Abyss King is believed to put an end to his reign of terror and restore balance to the world. However, the exact outcome remains unclear.

4. How does the Overgrowth change completely after a cycle?

The Overgrowth undergoes significant transformation following each cycle. The specifics of these changes are not fully understood yet.

5. Even though early access games may omit important narrative details, having only the most basic setup doesn’t suffice. This game seems to be lacking in providing enough context for the story.

Despite the fact that some elements of the story may be missing in early access games, it appears that this particular game does not provide a substantial or satisfying backstory to set up the narrative.

The experience of exploring Overgrowth can be intensified by its enigmatic ruins, soldiers resembling mercenaries, peculiar alien creatures, and remnants of what appear to be ancient civilizations, leaving you yearning for more insights. Regrettably, Hyper Light Breaker offers limited backstory about the location, failing to introduce captivating mysteries to unravel beyond some structures that echo memories of Drifter. This lack of deeper lore is unfortunate. The initial journey through the landscape bathed in neon lights, with a brooding synth soundtrack setting the mood as you’re assaulted from all directions, can easily draw you into its atmosphere.

Despite the absence of extensive storyline at this point, the gameplay in Breaker still leaves something to be desired initially. However, once you’ve set up your equipment and embarked from base, you find yourself transported into Overgrowth for a “mission.” In this mission, you encounter three Crowns that need to be defeated, with Prisms strewn across the map. The number of Prisms each Crown demands varies, so it’s strategically sound to tackle the two-Prism enemy first, but if you prefer a challenge, you could opt for the three-Prism adversary instead.

Surely, given your modest, dull-colored sword and firearm, coupled with the absence of supportive talents and restorative items, a swift demise seems quite likely.

Regarding Prisms, they can either be discovered in secret underground chambers or acquired by defeating tough adversaries. But, beware! Killing enemies within Overgrowth will draw the Abyss King’s notice. He’ll retaliate by sending additional forces after you while escalating the Risk Level – as it rises, formidable mini-bosses such as the Engineer may appear to challenge you.

Absolutely, given your basic sword, gun, and limited passive abilities or healing items, it’s quite likely you’ll meet an early demise. However, there’s a catch – you get four chances to respawn, but each resurrection consumes one chance and sends you back to your starting point. Any equipment you have, whether it’s weapons or gear, will degrade with each death. Use up all your respawn chances, and even your high-tier Orange weapon that complements your setup effectively won’t last much longer.

When all four resets are used up, you’ll acquire the power to rejuvenate the world and initiate a fresh cycle. As a somewhat frustrating compensation, your rank advances, granting rewards such as Gold Rations. These can be utilized to activate passive enhancements for your character, including extended gliding and hoverboard durations, or the capacity to convert discovered Gems in the Overgrowth into healing charges.

In essence, although Hyper Light Breaker falls under the rogue-like genre as marketed, it also incorporates aspects typical of extraction titles. You’re able to withdraw from Overgrowth whenever you choose, but doing so earlier is advantageous because the withdrawal process involves defeating enemies and Elites for completion. It’s crucial to avoid finding yourself cornered by an Engineer who can launch a barrage of explosive shots and mines in a confined space.

Extraction doesn’t require any resources (rezzes), however, not using resources won’t let you finish cycles to earn Golden Rations as you level up. Alternatively, you can complete a cycle by defeating all Crowns, but the odds of doing so, given the current balance, are extremely rare.

On certain instances, transitioning from close-combat to long-range battles might seem clumsy, let alone striking at airborne adversaries.

1. Transport yourself into Overgrowth.
2. Locate nearby points of interest that contain weapons, guns, or other useful items.
3. Gather and collect these items (loot them).
4. Extract from the area before it becomes too risky.
5. Strengthen your arsenal by either spending earned currency on new equipment or waiting for vendors to restock.
6. Once you feel prepared, gather Prisms and, when you’re extremely confident, confront the bosses.

If something seems dull, it’s likely because it is indeed. The additional steps and turns that this game takes, which should ideally be a rogue-like adventure through a desolate yet captivating world, appear unnecessary. Even if you manage to find a rhythm of preparation, gathering the finest weapons and passive abilities at your disposal, the fact that these can be lost with just one or two deaths makes it feel like an unfortunate waste.

Keep in mind, prior to discussing other issues with Hyper Light Breaker, let’s focus on its combat system. Players who have experienced Drifter or any hack-and-slash game from recent years will anticipate a level of smoothness. Fortunately, the combat delivers on this expectation for the most part: two-handed weapons provide a sense of weightiness; dual blades feel quick and agile; and each weapon type has unique skills that prove useful.

occasionally, transitioning from close-quarters to long-range fights may feel clumsy, and dealing with flying enemies can be even more challenging. Some skills take an excessively long time to recharge, leaving enough space for enemy attacks to knock you down. Dashing seems alright, but the slow stamina recovery and limited number of dashes (which can be increased by acquiring more pips through gear) can be problematic when faced with tough mini-bosses. Parrying attacks is difficult more times than not.

As a fervent admirer, I find it somewhat disappointing not to encounter unexpected occurrences, apart from the challenges presented by the Abyss King or the occasional vendor who offers unimpressive treasures.

Even your adversaries can inflict shockingly severe punishment. Initially, just a few strikes can prove fatal before you’ve acquired any armor. The Overgrowth area seems to abundantly supply both ranged and melee enemies that can charge from great distances. To make matters worse, there are flying enemies that protect their allies while firing sweeping lasers.

In the heat of battle, donning armor certainly makes a difference, yet it doesn’t shield me from pesky adversaries who seem to have a sixth sense for landing right in my path as I leap. As for the bosses, I’ve only encountered one thus far, but let’s just say some fine-tuning is in order. Regarding the ammo for my ranged weapons, replenishing it isn’t an issue, but why there’s a surplus of continuously respawning minor foes is something that leaves me puzzled.

Apart from its scarcity of enjoyment, delving into the Overgrowth isn’t particularly engaging. The initial excitement of unearthing a new cave or map area fades swiftly as you’re primarily focused on gathering resources. Furthermore, the absence of spontaneous occurrences, apart from the Abyss King’s challenges and merchants offering mediocre items, further detracts from the experience.

As the Danger Level escalates, certain areas can pose a threat to your well-being, gradually draining it if you linger. These zones can be alluring… that is, until you haven’t yet gathered the treasures and find yourself in a hurry to get them. A bit more time before the health depletion starts would be great, and it would also be nice if I weren’t immediately bombarded with meteors and reinforcements when I’m scouting for upgrades. In simpler terms, it would be perfect if these hazardous areas allowed a bit of exploration without immediate danger!

” For now, it’s little more than a rough experiment which confuses progression for tedium.”

Expressing my feelings about Hyper Light Breaker might be an understatement. Despite being in early access, I found the graphics options to be quite disappointing. At first, V-Sync wasn’t accessible, so I had to manually adjust it through the Nvidia Panel. Fortunately, Heart Machine has included V-Sync since then and promised better performance optimization, which is reassuring considering the occasional frame rate drops.

Regardless of any future enhancements like balance adjustments, added content, a narrative to match the backdrop, or a livelier Overgrowth that’s not just about overwhelming enemies, Hyper Light Breaker currently has some significant design flaws. Although I can appreciate the intriguing world and combat mechanics, as well as the stunning visuals and music that create an otherworldly atmosphere rarely seen in games outside of this genre, for now, it feels more like a complex experiment than a polished game, where progression often feels more like tedium.

This game was reviewed on PC.

2025-01-20 17:41

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