Hyper Light Breaker

[b]FYI - I only started playing after the Buried Below update so I don’t know what the game was like before that. I also don’t play roguelikes often so I can’t speak on the genre too much.[/b] This is a fun game with a great foundation! I bought it because I’m a huge fan of Hyper Light Drifter (HLD) which is easily the biggest strength of this game. The world and style of HLD has been converted to 3D with modern graphics perfectly! I love seeing and hearing the familiar things while it being a slightly different type of game. It’s definitely in early access and still needs more tweaks and content added but what’s here works well! I wouldn’t call this your next big game just yet but treat it as a weekend-romp that is slowly growing. I’m not sure if a lot of folks are currently playing and I only found 2 groups once when I searched but they were private. Still fun to kill some time with, alone. If you like HLD, you’ll definitely appreciate things about this game! Overall, I’ve had a lot of fun with it! Is it exactly the sequel to HLD we wanted? No. Are they changing genre and chasing a few more trends than we’d like them to? Sure, but they’re doing it with their own spin and that’s the right way to do it. I've seen documentaries of Heart Machine and I trust that these guys really have the passion. I know they can do it! [b]Recommendations for the devs are below…[/b] [b]Improve performance[/b] - Plain and simple. Continue working to fix lag and stutters. I get it with more enemies and attacks on screen. I don’t think this is [i]that[/i] graphically demanding of a game and I have a GTX 3080 that should absolutely be able to handle it without issues. I’m sure other folks have had worse experiences than me, though. [b]Make double-jumping more reactive to button presses[/b] - Not sure if this is a glitch or intended but I can’t double-jump as quickly as I press the jump button. I have to wait a split second after doing my 1st jump to do my 2nd; otherwise, it’s a single-jump. [b]Include a plunging attack[/b] - Too many times have I come upon a group of enemies from atop a hill and thought it would be great to start the fight by aiming for one of them and come down with a surprise attack! I would hope for some control over where we land or make it intuitive enough to get a sense of the landing after repeated use. I know the jump attack we have now is useful for airborne enemies but I think the devs can find a way so it can coexist with a plunging attack. [b]Let us be able to pick up the health flowers while gliding[/b] - We can already bust through the boxes of Bright Blood on the glider. I just thought this would be a nice, convenient detail to have so I don’t have to dismount every time I want to pick one up. [b]Be able to customize the glider[/b] - Doesn’t have to be too much stuff but maybe some broad things like the color and shape? [b]Allow finer movement controls on the glider[/b] - I’m not a fan of how when you get on the glider, you have to wait a few seconds to actually turn it properly. Like the movement sensitivity starts at 0 and slowly goes up after 5 seconds. Just let us make sharper turns immediately with it. I might have a tree in my way when I get on and don’t want to have to look for the nearest field to dash into just to not hit anything. [b]Have some kind of glider-related activities in the world[/b] - This was a quick thought I had since we’re on the glider so much. It would be cool to have a ramp that leads to a floating ring and we get Bright Blood for jumping through or something. I’m not exactly sure where to take this but more use and mechanics with the glider would be awesome! [b]Show our breaker wearing a piece of armor when we equip armor[/b] - I guess this would also call for our weapons to be shown since those are invissble too but I thought it would be cool. [b]Add Steam achievements[/b] - A fun set of achievements can only help you! The devs had a great set of achievements in Hyper Light Drifter so I know they can make another great set. [b]Be able to customize the UI[/b] - Another option that isn’t huge but is only appreciated at the end of the day. I thought it would be nice to have the symbols/icons for my abilities closer to my character so I didn’t have to look away from combat too much. [b]Be able to zoom the camera in and out[/b] - I don’t have too much issue with the camera as it is but it’s another nice feature and would help prevent enemies from disappearing behind you during combat. [b]Let us loop through the start menu using the shoulder buttons[/b] - Currently, the tabs stop scrolling if I get to the farthest left or right tab and it doesn’t loop back around if I keep pressing the shoulder buttons. It’s a small detail but plenty of other games allow this. [b]Make the music more prominent[/b] - Sometimes I forget this game even has music. It seems less frequent and doesn’t last as long which is a shame. It’s there but just feels like it doesn’t come on very often.

You’re trying to level up as quick as you can. You’re very low on hp, have no meds, and an angry mob wants to kill you. You succeeded in leveling up, and then it hits you: the holobite screen; you freeze in place as the enemies maul you to death. Sound like something straight out of dumb ways to die.

Unfortunate news is that the game's scope has been trimmed down and the project is coming to an end with a final update in January to wrap it all up for a 1.0 version. Okay game if you buy on sale, you can get plenty of fun out of it. If you were hoping for more I doubt they team will continue to work on it further post-launch. The massive amount of layoffs and news following soon after paints a pretty clear picture the team can no longer afford to continue developing it.

[h1] Finding its Depth [/h1] I recommend the game if you're willing to ride the Early Access roller coaster. With the first major early access release, the developers have put the gameplay on solid, rouge-like, ground, and proven they can iterate on their concept and incorporate player feedback. I would like to see the Overgrowth, environments, biomes, etc. change more, but I see a lot of potential for how the game will grow with Early Access. More details buried below. [h2] Crafting Builds [/h2] For runs to stay interesting there should be multiple, interesting, viable builds, and this update made significant changes to the economy and progression systems that are making this possible. While in the Overgrowth, there is a leveling mechanic that boosts stats and grants a choice of 1 Holobyte (a perk) from 3 random choices, offering flexibility for how you design your builds. Between runs, you can re-roll perks on the gear you find, offering more flexibility. Combined with the different classes/characters and their own perks, there are many opportunities to craft interesting builds. As the developers add more Holobytes, gear, classes, status effects, synergies, etc., I could see some very cool builds coming together. That being said, there is room for item balancing (eg. crit builds feel OP, Holobytes that grant healing on crits, combined with gear that boosts armor and healing on damage make you almost invincible). It can be easy to run out of ammo for Rails; maybe melee attacks should recharge battery? ;) [h2] Environments [/h2] The Overgrowth is growing - there are new vertical structures, abandoned buildings to explore - and there are some cool views to be had once you climb to the top of a tall structure. Gliding around on your hoverboard is smooth and fun. However, I would like to see the environments of the game developed significantly. The Buried Below update added caves...that unfortunately are as underwhelming as the Underground Labs that have been present since release in January. Currently, you may discover an elevator or cave entrance that opens up to one, single room that is identical between runs with some possibly challenging enemies and a few resources. I would like to see these spaces expanded; I'm thinking of Tunic's mines, maybe Breath of the Wild's shrines, but of course Hyper Light Drifter's underground zones, where cramped, maze-like spaces change the feel of the game dramatically. I would like to see the "Overworld" of the Overgrowth diversify. I hate to keep comparing to HLB, but I think about the golden heat of the Eastern swamp zone, and how different that felt from the forests of the west. The current procedural generation system is ok, but the biomes are *too* connected, too continuous; you get some sparse trees and crystals, but you never feel like you're navigating a dense forest, a biome truly separate from the desert or swamp you might see off in the distance; those other biomes are too close, too similar. Thinking of rouge-likes I've played over and over again - RoR2, Dead Cells - running the same levels (maybe with some minor variation) over and over is not necessarily boring. With procedural generation in the mix here, exploration is part of what makes each run interesting (adding Fog of War was a good idea), but the balance is important. Can the developers combine the same biomes in interesting ways for each run?

It was a little rough at launch but already has made major improvements, they are good developers with a good track record, they have already shown they can and will listen to feedback about the game. Its already a very fun game that has just a few bug quirks as is and it looks only upward from here.

While the game is in early access, it is already a very fun roguelike experience with smooth combat and fun exploration. Unlike many other early access games, the devs are very much willing to listen to the community and implement changes based on feedback. I wish only the best to Heart Machine as they continue to work on this fantastic game.

I would not have recommended this game to most until now, sorry friends who I convinced to get it. It is in an excellent state moving forward, but the early access HM is using is certainly unconventional. Strong recommend all the same, changes have been consistently and resoundingly positive.