Hyper Light Breaker is an exciting new chapter from Heart Machine, following the success of Hyper Light Drifter, the cherished isometric RPG that won over players with its engaging gameplay, rich story, and stunning visuals. Rather than sticking to the same formula, Heart Machine has chosen a fresh direction for Hyper Light Breaker, introducing a lively 3D art style that pays homage to the original. This new installment not only revamps the visuals but also enhances the experience with a roguelike framework set in a procedurally generated world, transforming the gameplay experience. Additionally, unlike the solo journey of Hyper Light Drifter, this prequel allows up to three friends to join in on the adventure together.
Game Rant had the opportunity to dive into the co-op gameplay of Hyper Light Breaker, teaming up with two members from the Heart Machine team. This experience allowed us to explore many aspects of the game in a group setting. In contrast to our previous solo preview, which focused solely on the combat mechanics, playing alongside friends showcased some of the game’s standout features. However, solo players can still find plenty of enjoyment, as the game adjusts its difficulty based on the number of participants.
Exploring Hyper Light Breaker’s Hub
We started our preview by exploring the game’s central location, The Cursed Outpost. Here, players can engage with different NPCs that are tied to the game’s meta-progression. Vendors in this area offer equipment that helps players enhance their builds for their current adventure. The key NPCs are conveniently located close to one another, making it easy to adjust our build before venturing into the Overgrowth. Additionally, there’s an Affinity system with NPCs, where gifting them items can unlock perks such as discounts or a wider variety of goods.
In this setting, the key NPC is Pherus Bit, who offers players a selection of SyComs. These SyComs serve as robotic companions for the Breakers, forming the core of their character builds by determining their base stats and special passive abilities. Although selecting a SyCom does guide a Breaker towards a certain class archetype, there isn’t a strict class system beyond this initial choice. Breakers have the freedom to use and equip any gear they discover, independent of their SyCom.
You can also utilize a unique currency discovered during your runs to buy EXE Abilities here. These are the meta-progression upgrades in Hyper Light Breaker that remain with you between roguelike runs, unlike weapons and gear. These enhancements provide valuable bonuses, such as boosting the Breaker’s stamina, allowing for extra medkit storage, and extending the hoverboard’s duration, among other benefits. As you accumulate these passive upgrades, life in the Overgrowth will gradually become more manageable.
After we wrapped up our exploration of the hub, we made our way to the teleporter pad to gather our party. The co-op experience in Hyper Light Breaker is designed to be friendly, allowing players to join or leave games seamlessly. Each player has their own loot instances, so friends can jump into each other’s sessions whenever needed to tackle a tough boss and then easily return to their own adventures.
Hyper Light Breaker Has Impressive Build Variety
For our preview, we decided to try out Goro along with his Sniper SyCom. While Goro is a little more fragile compared to the other characters, his impressive ability to drop explosive cubes that crush foes quickly made him a standout choice. In addition to selecting a character and SyCom, we explored the different gear options to enhance our setup. Hyper Light Breaker offers an unexpected range of weapons, featuring everything from claws and swords to huge hammers for melee, as well as pistols, submachine guns, and shotguns for ranged combat.
We were also presented with a variety of Amps, which are crucial pieces of equipment that offer strong active abilities. One Amp could grant players grenades, while another could call in a temporary drone to assist in combat. We even discovered one that creates a shield and enables healing while dealing damage.
Lastly, we could equip Holobytes. These pieces of equipment yield a powerful assortment of passive bonuses that are often core to devising a strong build. One memorable Holobyte, Boost Shell, allowed us to reflect projectiles at attackers when we dashed. Holobytes often have interactivity like this in combat and strongly emphasize various playstyles.
Hyper Light Breaker’s Roguelike Loop Is Great With Friends
In Hyper Light Breaker, the main goal of every run is to take down the three major Crown bosses. However, it’s crucial to explore the Overgrowth in depth to enhance our meta-progression and gear up for the upcoming battles. We mapped out a basic route of key landmarks to check out as we head towards the first Crown, using our hoverboards and gliding through the game’s stunningly vertical landscapes.
Unlike numerous roguelikes that create a sense of urgency, Hyper Light Breaker’s increasing difficulty is primarily determined by player achievements. This method feels more balanced, as it pushes players who are performing well instead of penalizing those who are having a tough time. When the action became overwhelming or we wanted to head back to the hub, we could call for an extraction at a telepad. Similar to Witchfire, players must defend against waves of enemies while the extraction timer ticks down. It’s an intense and high-pressure scenario, especially if we’re trying to escape from a challenging situation.
The combat in Hyper Light Breaker is fast-paced and lethal; simply hacking and slashing won’t get you far. Even when teaming up with two others, we had to be strategic, mastering our parries and timing our dashes perfectly to stay alive. Additionally, there’s a stagger mechanic that connects with certain builds. Once enemies take enough damage, they become vulnerable to a finisher that restores your gun ammo.
Hyper Light Breaker’s Crown Bosses Emphasize Group Dynamics
The Overgrowth is filled with a diverse array of enemies, ranging from massive elite foes that act as minibosses to flying adversaries that challenged our aim with a pistol. Each encounter brought new challenges that put our skills to the test. Naturally, the Crown bosses in Hyper Light Breaker showcased the pinnacle of the game’s combat mechanics. Despite their different themes and attack patterns, each Crown boss seemed to counter every play style effectively. They could strike from a distance, deliver powerful blows up close, and overwhelm us with swarms of minions or environmental threats. While combat in the overworld was more spontaneous, these bosses pushed our team to work together, enhancing our support and damage-dealing abilities.
Battling the Crowns was definitely the standout moment of our preview. Their adaptable design promises to keep things fresh as players experiment with different builds. We managed to complete a successful run in just under an hour, which seems like a great pace for a multiplayer roguelike.
Hyper Light Breaker seems like the perfect game for friends who have enjoyed titles like Risk of Rain 2. It’s simple to gather a group and start playing, and the game’s emphasis on exploration, along with its relaxed time constraints, enhances the feeling of adventure and discovery that made Hyper Light Drifter so appealing.