r/hyperlightdrifter

SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD REGARDING THE ENDING

Wow.

I have really been into Metroidvanias lately and saw mentions of this game. At first glance I was really intrigued. I adore pixel art and top down games, so this looked like it was made for me.

I'm also a huge fan of zelda-likes, and when I realized that this game is more of that than a MV, I started to get really excited. I have a pretty big library of games to play through so I wasn't in a rush to get this, but then I saw it on sale for something like 80% off and instantly purchased it.

I dropped what I was playing (Messenger, which I was enjoying) because this game just looked that good.

I was immediately hooked. The cut scenes, the imagery, the soundtrack - everything is so good.

Combat is something that typically determines how much I enjoy a game, and this games combat system is just perfect. Everything handles so smoothly. It's perfectly tight while at the same time requiring some discipline with how you engage and react. It's like a dance. A beautifully fun dance.

I was slightly disappointed with there not being a "good" ending. I'm not someone who chases 100% anymore so after I beat the main sections and had access to the end, I went there. When I beat the final boss I thought for sure this was a bad ending based on not getting all the diamond things.

I was happy to go through the map again and get them all. This lengthened my playthrough from 8 hours to 15. And I'm not mad about that, in fact, I was actually stoked to get more time with this game on my first playthrough. But when I got the stuff and beat it again, I was a little shocked the ending didn't change.

I avoided all spoilers because of how much I loved this game so had no idea but I understand why the dev did this and still am not complaining, it was just the one thing about this game that felt off.

Excited to play NG+ eventually and someday try the alt version.

Can't believe I had no idea this game existed for a decade. It's easily in my top 5 all time.

I've heard a lot of good things about Hyper Light Drifter. I really like other indie games like Oneshot and Celeste, so I was pretty excited. I also made a vow to not use any guides or walkthroughs. First hour in, I'm absolutely wowed - I love the art, the combat is fun (if occasionally irritating), the controls feel great, and I really like the presentation.

I tried the East area first, and for a while I was having a great time making progress, until eventually I just got...stuck. Maybe it's a skill issue or the confusing map, but I assumed that I was missing something and would just have to backtrack, which is fine with me. So I left and went to the West area, where basically the same thing happened. So then I went to the North, where I'm currently at.

I'm genuinely not sure if I'm just being stupid or missing something, but the exploration feels like a lot of treading old ground and fighting the same enemies repeatedly until somehow something changes. I think it wouldn't be as boring for me if there was some kind of clearer goal than just "here's where the boss is, get there." I don't dislike having a character you don't know much about, but when the gameplay loop becomes boring and the goals feel arbitrary, I'm not very motivated.

All that said, it's a gorgeous game - brilliant atmosphere, fun mechanics - and I understand why so many people love it, but I'm not sure if it's just something wrong with how I'm playing, but for whatever reason, I'm just not having much fun. Is it just a me problem, am I missing something?

Edit: For the record, I do make an active effort to look for secrets. Celeste is one of my favorite games of all time, and it's full of secret spots, but 90% in this game I find nothing, even when pressing into every wall.

As a fan of hollow knight i was recommended this and bought on sale. I played about an hour and idk im not feeling it. Nobody actually talks and feel like I have 0 direction. For some reason I liked that hollow knight felt desolate and you just wander off and explore but I dont like that in this game.