Heart Machine’s Hyper Light Breaker is a sequel to the developer’s indie hit Hyper Light Drifter. The difference is that it’s a third-person hack-and-slash shooter with a procedurally generated open world. Early access has been delayed, but new gameplay and details are available courtesy of an IGN preview.
The story of Hyper Light Breaker involves the Breakers taking down the Abyss King. Each Breaker is a playable character with unique abilities, and to reach the Abyss King, they must defeat bosses in each biome. However, to get those bosses to appear, you must activate beacons, which mostly involve combat encounters.
There’s no predetermined order of beacons – all biomes are open from the start, though some are tougher to explore than others. You can wander around, battle enemies, obtain materials for upgrading your weapon (with some kept after a run), and investigate various structures in the colorful world. There’s a day/night cycle and some indicators of enemies becoming stronger in your current run.
Compared to Hyper Light Drifter, there’s a wide array of weapons and abilities. Along with a two-handed sword and hammer, there are also pistols, rifles, claws and a giant cube to drop on foes. Interestingly, even if your run ends in a few seconds, you’ll always be rewarded, though further details weren’t provided.
Some bosses are showcased, though their strength isn’t representative of their early access version. However you choose to explore the world, story progression is tied to the bosses. If you want to know more about the Abyss King and the Neverdie Curse, you must defeat them.
Hyper Light Breaker is out in Fall 2023 for PC via Steam Early Access. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.
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