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If we all think about what the rogue-lite genre encompasses, we could narrow it down to certain key elements: replayability, trial-and-error gameplay aspects, challenging runs with rewards that make subsequent playthroughs a bit easier, and a few other staples. However, Hyper Light Breaker throws a new element into the rogue-lite blender to create an even grander adventure. At a recent hands-on preview event, I had the opportunity to try some of the things coming to the early access period of Hyper Light Breaker and let me tell you, it’s already looking like one of the most in-depth, addictive, and bombastic rogue-lite games out there, and in turn, a strong start for the genre in 2025.
Into the Overgrowth
Before I talk about the elements some might be familiar with, let’s talk about the biggest selling point of Hyper Light Breaker, or at least what hooked me during the preview: its large maps. Usually, rogue-lite games stick to smaller maps or stages. Hyper Light Breaker, however, changes the formula considerably by adding a procedurally generated open-world element to it. Instead of having small corridors or roads to traverse, you have a large map you can explore on foot, on a hoverboard-like mount, and with a glider. At first, it might not seem like a huge change, but it is. I didn’t expect this addition to shake up the formula so much. And even better, it hooks me harder than any other rogue-lite I’ve played recently.
Before a match starts, you have the usual preparation phase. You’re at the game’s hub, where you can buy upgrades, discover some story beats, select your character, and change your equipment. After that, you go to the launch pad, where you and other players can dive into the Overgrowth. Once you land, you’ll quickly notice that exploration will be different. You don’t have branching paths like in Slay the Spire or a road to traverse like in Darkest Dungeon 2. It is a huge open world with no boundaries, and you can choose to go in any direction. Yet, that doesn’t mean the game will just drop you into this world blindly.
Initially, an open-world rogue-lite might seem daunting. We’re used to the comfort of following branching paths to reach the boss. Here, Hyper Light Breaker kept that familiar gameplay loop. You can’t go straight to the boss when you land. Instead, you need to gather a few things to summon it and then make your way to it. In that sense, it didn’t feel too different from other rogue-lites, which I liked. Yet, the way you approach each objective felt more fast-paced, chaotic, and engaging.
At Your Own Pace
My hands-on preview focused mainly on taking down the Crowns, the bosses of Hyper Light Breaker. Accompanied by two other teammates, we entered the Overgrowth, and Heart Machine’s Lead Technical Artist, Len, explained how you need to gather Prisms to face the Crowns. Prisms are located around the always randomized maps of the game. Usually, the main goal should be heading toward the Prisms, but the team explained to me how there are many more things to discover in the Overgrowth. From places that hold equipment to vendors and even treasure chests, each map has a lot of things for players to grab and improve their subsequent runs. Since the time was limited, we marked a Prism on the map and started heading toward it.
Right off the bat, I noticed how smooth the combat was. While the team was explaining how traversal worked, a group of enemies attacked us, and I started whaling on them with my character’s raccoon hands. I only used one character during the preview, but I saw each one had a normal attack combat, which you can also pull off in the air, a ranged weapon, grenades, and two special skills. I can’t say much about how each character felt, but the one I used felt fantastic and responsive.
Once I was familiar with my character, we headed toward the first prism. We found some loot, keys, and other things on the way. Throughout our run, I noticed how our wanted level kept growing, sort of how No Man’s Sky works. The more you defeat foes, the more challenging things will get. Fortunately, you can mitigate this by extracting earlier, but I’ll delve into that later. In any case, we headed toward the objective and started a fight against tougher enemies, which dropped our first Prism. After that, we located a locked room that we opened with a key and got our second Prism, which opened the Crown Gate.
Here, the team presented me with two choices: stay and keep fighting or return to the base. The latter one surprised me. Usually, rogue-lite games only allow you to return to the hub once you die. Here, you can do it at any time, which is great. Instead of waiting for the inevitable end, you can postpone it, return home with your loot, and drop into the Overgrowth once more to continue the fight. It might seem like a simple addition, but it is more significant than you think.
Taking Down the Crowns
One crucial thing about Hyper Light Breaker, and something Len explained during the preview, was the importance of giving players time to familiarize themselves with the open world. In other rogue-lites, you have these modular adventures where what matters is the moment-to-moment gameplay a bit more. However, in the open-world approach Hyper Light Breaker is taking, getting to know the world is more important, which is why when you extract and jump back in, the world will be the same. From what I gathered, you get a new map after defeating the bosses of losing all your chances. Thankfully, it didn’t happen to us. So, with that explanation out of the way, we dashed toward the Crown Gate.
As soon as we entered the room, we were greeted by a blade-wielding bipedal wolf who was already slicing at my teammates. Initially, the fight seem straightforward, with a few easy mechanics to memorize. The boss had a few charged attacks, a 2-3 hit combo, and so on. However, the more we damaged it, the more challenging everything got. In the blink of an eye, this boss fight turned into a bullet hell reminiscent of some bosses in Returnal. Yet, the Crown kept doing its normal combos and a few new skills that made the fight quite hectic, but in a good way. I kid you not. In all my years playing rogue-lite games, Hyper Light Breaker seems to be going for some of the most unique boss fights we’ve seen. I was only able to face one Crown, but it was more than enough to enthrall me.
Once the boss fight was over, we returned to the extraction point to get our hard-earned loot back home. Since my preview time with Hyper Light Breaker was almost over, we decided to jump for one more quick round and just roam around the map. Nothing new happened here, but I just wanted to continue hitting enemies left and right because the combat was really that smooth. It is challenging but rewarding, and for a co-op game, it is highly responsive, too. Undoubtedly, it was the highlight of my short run.
A Strong Start
While Hyper Light Breaker is launching on early access, my preview made me feel it had even more content and polish than other early access titles. Out of of al the things I experienced, combat, boss fights, and exploration were the best. However, there are many more things that I was eager to discover. The lore seems interesting enough, and the fact that you have to slowly discover it is intriguing. The art style deserves a standing ovation. Usually, many rogue-lite games aim for a gloomy look, but the color palette here is a marvel. Overall, everything is fantastic, and it already seems like Hyper Light Breaker will have a strong start when it hits the digital shelves on January 14, 2025.
Ultimately, time will tell how this game’s journey will unfold. Yet, it looks quite promising right now. It has all the elements that a proper rogue-lite needs. But beyond that, it enhances the formula by taking on a grander scale. Furthermore, the small additions like being able to extract at any time and playing everything co-op are perfect. As someone always looking for a new rogue-lite, I’ve found a new place to call home. And the best thing about it is that it is already brimming with content for its early access period. I bet the road ahead will get better, and I’ll be there to see this game’s growth because it truly is a unique experience.
