The first game in the Hyper Light franchise, Hyper Light Drifter, had a generally positive reception when it released back in 2016. So much so that the game released on just about every gaming platform possible, including the Nintendo Switch and iOS. The success of the first entry was enough for Heart Machine to continue building its world and today, it announced Hyper Light Breaker.
The most noticeable change with Hyper Light Breaker from Hyper Light Drifter is its visual style. The first game leaned into the 16-bit, isometric action RPG type of world and level design. But it still managed to feel like a robust 3D release despite it having a pixelated retro aesthetic. Hyper Light Breaker, on the other hand, is moving to a fully immersive 3D world and promises exploration.
The description of Hyper Light Breaker points to an open world. Promises for this new world, called the Overgrowth, include “massive, open biomes” along with “deep labyrinths” where you’ll fight to take down the game’s antagonist, the Abyss King. This new world could end up doubling up on the original game’s length of roughly eight hours for main story missions, and upwards of 30 hours to 100% it. And, unlike the original, there could be additional DLC down the road.
Hyper Light on the horizon
Hyper Light Breaker has a release set for 2023 and is being published by Gearbox Publishing. It isn’t clear if this release date includes the Spring 2023 Stem Early Access window. However, you can still wishlist it at this time or visit its official website. Additionally, there’s no information as to what engine the new 3D look might be running on. However, with the move to a full 3D game and Gearbox as the publisher, some form of Unreal Engine wouldn’t be a bad guess.
