Hyper Light Breaker, the roguelite prequel to the critically acclaimed indie darling,Hyper Light Drifter, is finally out in Early Access. Fans have been anticipating this game for a long time, with many eager to see what developer Heart Machine had to offer, especially after its phenomenal work on the aforementionedHyper Light Drifterand the excellentSolar Ash. However, while many have taken to the game, there has been a lot of negative discourse surrounding it.
Hyper Light Breaker’scritics' reviewshave been largely positive, but the story is very different over on Steam. While not every Early Access game launches to Overwhelmingly Positive reviews - and Steam’s black-and-white review system lacks the nuance some games require -Hyper Light Breaker’sreviews have been surprisingly negative. Of course,for a title as anticipated asHyper Light Breaker, and one coming from such a prestigious studio, there are plenty of explanations for the low review score.
Hyper Light Breaker’s Reviews Explained
The Game Is Getting Panned By Players
To the surprise of many,Hyper Light Breaker’sreviews are awful. Currently, over onSteam, where the game is currently in Early Access for about a year according to the developers, it sits at a Mixed review score, with just over half of its total reviews being positive.With well over a thousand reviews, this doesn’t bode particularly well, especially considering the pedigree of the developer behind it. This isn’t uncommon for a new Early Access release on Steam, but typically people give them slack as it’s implied that the experience is not yet complete.
However, for most people, especially thanks toHyper Light Breaker’srather large $30 price tag, the experience is so bad that it warrants a negative review warning off prospective players. It is a shame, as there is obviously a lot of potential for a roguelite as gorgeous asHyper Light Breakerto succeed, especially considering its developer’s impressive track record. Of course, it is important to state that there are a lot of extremely positive reviews, many of which are glowing. Nevertheless,when there is such a stark divide between the positive and negative reviews, it’s worth taking note.
There are plenty of reasons why people are upset with the Early Access launch ofHyper Light Breaker. While a small minority have criticized the game for being too woke,the majority of criticisms are genuinely valid as they largely target the game’s performance and inconsistent gameplay design. While players’expectations forHyper Light Breakerwere low considering its Early Access state, its many failings, documented extensively in its Steam reviews, are still, nevertheless, a shame.
What People Don’t Light About Hyper Light Breaker
Many Are Criticizing It For Being Too Hard
One of the most prominent complaints aboutHyper Light Breakersurrounds its approach to difficulty.Many have found that the game is completely unbalanced, with enemies capable of wiping out the player in a matter of hits. This is exacerbated by the lack ofmedkits inHyper Light Breaker- as well as its entire approach to healing - and the game’s progression system, which feels too incremental rather than substantive. Additionally, players have complained about the lack of content and how exploration can, at times, feel a little sparse.
Many have also complained about the game’s combat system as a whole and the confounding implementation of its parry system. Players canparry inHyper Light Breaker, and doing so will stagger an enemy and even recover a bit of health. However,people have found there is little point in parrying, as they are almost always swamped by enemieswhich will attack simultaneously, making it impossible to parry them all. This increases the level of difficulty, which, as aforementioned, is one of the biggest complaints.
Other problems include but aren’t limited to, progression taking too long, the durability system being too unfair, thelack of bosses, and the enemy AI. Of course, Heart Machine has already confirmed that many of these aspects, including the bosses, are already being worked on.
All of this is underscored by a plethora of bugs and technical issues, as well as missing features such as graphical settings. While that is standard fare for an Early Access title, many have found it unacceptable considering the price tag. Fortunately,Heart Machine has confirmed that it has big plans forHyper Light Breaker, with it intending to add much more content and fix a lot of these issues. However, for now, fans are not pleased withHyper Light Breaker’stechnical state or its gameplay.
Why Reviews Shouldn’t Really Matter (Yet)
It Still Has Lots Of Time To Improve
Frankly, while all the criticisms ofHyper Light Breakerare absolutely valid, and those upset with the current state of the game have every right to request a refund, the reviews shouldn’t dissuade those excited about the final release. The game is, after all, in Early Access, and the developers have already stated it will be for at least a year. As a result,not only is there plenty of time to implement a lot of the content players want to see but also to fix the majority of problems people have been facing in the game’s launch period.
It is clear that Heart Machine is determined to fix these problems, as it has already spoken out about the Mixed review score on Steam and the issues players have identified. In a chain onX,Heart Machinebroke down all the issues mentioned by players and its intention to fix them. This isn’t Heart Machine’s first game, soplayers should feel reassured that it will, eventually, address them. The developer even announced that it will be putting out a timeline of how and when it will fix each problem.
WhileHyper Light Breakermay not be worth investing in now, players should keep an eye on its reviews going forward. It is possible that the reviews never shift and the game’s score remains where it is. However, it is likely that the review score will improve, especially if the developer continues to invest in it. People need to remember thatHyper Light Breakerhas only been available for a short while, which means that Heart Machine hasn’t had much time to implement any major changes. Hopefully, it will soon, andHyper Light Breaker’sreview score will skyrocket.
