String these two weapons together with some dashing and…nothing really happens, except a possible epic killing spree that looks awesome. The combat is executed really well, there’s that hack n’ slash element at your fingertips that’s easily prompted with just a mouse click, with the additional feature of using ranged weapons alongside the primary weapon using the right mouse button. It’s time to shop for attac…oh, I don’t have any purple triangles. The main thing that gets me about Hyper Light Drifter is how it’s essentially told through it’s visuals and music, like a wonderful thought provoking theatre performance. Eventually you get new weapons or upgrades available, be that from finding them on your adventures or from the marketplaces available, slowly progressing your character to become quicker, and stronger. As for The Drifter, you begin with an energy sword that can hack, slash, and chop. It’s quite clear that this game is slightly based on the, The Legend of Zelda franchise from way back to the Links Awakening period, with a iconic top down view of your character and world, and even the bushes are similar! The world surrounding you has a gentle 3D perspective, some walls you can scale, some gaps you can jump. The gameplay begins when you’re sat next to a campfire. The Drifter appears to be running from creatures, and we see this unwell person stood on top of some steps, facing what look like nightmarish titans bearing down on the character. Then comes forth your character, The Drifter, donning a long red cape, wielding an energy sword, and coughing up blood. You’re introduced to weird, puzzling symbols, or mechanics, which then lead to an explosion.

In fact, the story actually isn’t very clear at all. Hyper Light Drifter is a game that opens itself up with a very long and dramatic intro scene, for a while I wasn’t sure what was going on because there’s no voice acting, it’s told only through animations, still images, and impressive music. It’s a game with SNES styled graphics, breathtaking music, and a story you need to follow. A character holds an item of great value, and he must protect it, but he is ridden with an illness that he must find a cure for.

Hyper light drifter capes