HLD has no name for it but this is the thing that the Drifter seeks, and we do not learn why until the end of the game. The Drifter follows the Dog through, and sees the Diamond (the “cell”, the “entity”, whatever you wish to call it). Before the Dog and the Drifter, a tower rises from the sea of blood. A diamond-shaped halo around its head marks it as a divine being. This informs us that these Giants were a part of the ancient world and were destroyed when the world was. Their silent howling faces blow away like dust in the wind. Clutching the gemstone hanging around his neck, he watches the Giants slowly melt as if with the passing of time. He runs up a stairway and comes face to face with terrifying Giants. His blood transforms into a shadowy demonic entity which chases the Drifter. The Drifter stands erect and defiant until he coughs and spits up his own blood (the allegory of Alex Preston’s own condition). Then the Drifter mysteriously appears in their midst. We see their twisted, alien bodies like flotsam in a sea of blood. We first see a pre-apocalyptic world, until four glowing lights are activated, triggering a massive explosion that demolishes the world and kills millions. They’re like archetypal figures in this vision. The sequence introduces us to several key elements of the story: the Giants, the Diamond, the Apocalypse, the Shadow, the Dog, the Drifter himself. Hyper Light Drifter opens with a wordless animated sequence. I am grateful to him for turning his emotions and experiences into creating this intensely personal work of art, rather than mere frustrations and anger. Yet, I know that my poor health isn’t comparable to Mr. I myself know a little bit about being in and out of hospitals, and in and out of good health, having had a kidney removed due to a genetic defect when I was seventeen, leaving me with debilitating kidney stones, careful hydrating, medical procedures, and monotonous trips to “specialists”. It is a personal story, such as few will find relation to. Set in this interpretive context, we can come to understand Hyper Light Drifter from the outside and rarely from the inside. That’s something I’m keenly familiar with… The biggest component here is my ability to tell a story I can identify with, expressing something personal to a larger audience, so I feel more connected and have an outlet for the many emotions that crop up around life-altering issues” This gives me a certain perspective on life, and plays into the stories I want to tell… The main character in Hyper Light Drifter suffers from a deadly illness, one he is desperately seeking a cure for. A plethora of digestive and immune system problems have left me hospitalised on numerous occasions, often near death. “I’ve dealt with serious health issues since I was born: congenital heart disease, to start. The game he created, Hyper Light Drifter, was born from his experiences with his health and hospitalizations and being close to death. HLD is an indie game and as such it has a singular vision at its heart, the vision of its director and key developer, Alex Preston.Īlex has heart disease. Let’s recall from the get go that this is apparently a very personal game to its creator. Much has been said about the storyline and storytelling of Hyper Light Drifter, with most of its detractors bearing down upon the plot of the game and how it is (or rather isn’t) told. “Life is fleeting therefore, life is beautiful.” -Takafumi Ide I’ve never been a part of funding a Kickstarter project, but I would have been proud to be a part of this one. The project reached and exceeded its original funding goal in a single day. Some 24,150 backers were involved in its Kickstarter project (according to the in-game credits). It delivered on all my expectations, and apparently on the expectations of many, many others. Hyper Light Drifter is everything I wanted it to be: a brief, gorgeous, surreal, abstract, acid-colored throw back. Originally released on Steam in March ’16, this indie insta-classic launched on PS4 and Xbox One in this July. I don’t often get jealous of PC gamers but when I do it’s because they got to play Hyper Light Drifter before I did. This article is available as a well-read review on our YouTube channel!Ĭlick here to see all audio reviews on this site.
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