Published , by Nick Tan
Published , by Nick Tan
Hyper Light Breaker is already shaping up to be one of the shining stars of the roguelite genre. Developed by Heart Machine, who you might recognize as the creator behind Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, this multiplayer, extraction-based action RPG features challenging combat and a beautiful art style that doesn’t shy away from a neon color palette. I had the opportunity to check out the game in a 30-minute, hands-on demo at the Day of the Devs event in San Francisco during GDC 2024. And while the three-player co-op mode wasn’t quite ready for launch, it still left a powerful impression.
The demo didn’t reveal many details on the plot of Hyper Light Breaker, though as a prequel that takes place several decades before the events of Hyper Light Drifter, it exists on the same planet and has familiar lore. Compared to the drifters in the original game, the main cast of characters here are called breakers, described by the developer as warriors on the frontline. I started the demo in a rundown settlement that serves as the game’s central hub, a stopping point between runs in the dangerous Overgrowth. Though I didn’t have access to the multiplayer lobby nor the numerous shops in the outpost, the full game will allow you to expand the hub over time as you bring back resources and defeat bosses.
For the demo, I was locked into playing Vermillion, a standard breaker with a low difficulty rating of one out of three. The selection screen had options for other characters like Ravona, Rondo, Goro, Taro, and several more, so it looks like different breakers could have distinct abilities or controls that are more challenging to master. Before a run, I was able to select between three loadouts for Vermillion — Soldier, Summoner, and Tank — and choose from an array of active and passive skills called holobytes. Some of the better options allowed me to deflect incoming projectiles during a dash, double critical hit chance, or become invisible for a short period of time.
Even with a trusty sword and a sidearm, though, surviving in the Overgrowth is a trial by fire. Don’t let the playfully bright color scheme fool you. Enemies have no qualms surrounding you in a flash, and long-ranged snipers can catch you off-guard if you dash in recklessly. Each run gave me roughly fifteen minutes to explore the hilly forest environment, filled with ruins that had valuable crates and chests, so I felt like I needed to rush. But that resulted in my run ending in less than a minute.
After learning my lesson, I became much more methodical, making sure that I dodged and parried enemy strikes while having the battery of my sidearm as fully charged as possible. Facing foes while behind large pieces of rubble also blocked the numerous projectiles flung in my direction. I thought about hunting down one of three elite enemies, who are marked by a skull on the map and need to be defeated before being allowed to face the boss, but without any health packs remaining, I decided not to push my luck. When I felt like I had gathered enough resources in the area, I located a shrine that opened an extraction point nearby. That also caused the sky to turn red, with a notification blaring across the screen stating that the Abyss King had been alerted to my presence. Luckily, I was able to reach the extraction point before meteors fell on my head.
It’s unclear whether Hyper Light Breaker will be as challenging as it was in the demo, since it was a single-player experience for a game meant for three-player co-op. The environment I explored was also fixed across multiple runs, but in the full release every trip to the Overgrowth will come with its own procedurally-generated world. You will also be able to improve the rank of your breaker over time and spend resources at the hub to earn permanent upgrades, like additional health kit capacity or increased chances for better gear drops.
Hyper Light Breaker is set to release on Steam Early Access in Summer 2024 and can be wishlisted on the platform. The developer plans to have the game remain in Steam Early Access for about a year before its official release. Heart Machine will provide information on possible console releases at a later date.
This preview is based on a hands-on PC demo at the 2024 Day of the Devs: San Francisco Edition event during GDC 2024.