I'm hoping Hyper Light Breaker can pull a Hades and hammer out its flaws when it finally lands in Early Access later this year

When you release a sequel to a hit indie game, do you play it safe and stay true to the original vision, or do you take a chance and go off in new, interesting directions? It’s a tricky question that many studios have had to face throughout the years, and while taking that leap to greener pastures may lead to greater success, it’s not without risk. Enter Hyper Light Breaker.

Hyper Light Breaker is a third-person action game, complete with open world maps, rogue-like elements, and a healthy dollop of difficulty. This word salad may sound long, and tasty, but its a notable mention right at the top as the last Hyper Light game – Hyper Light Drifter – was a totally different beast. It was a pixel art top-down action RPG. Breaker looks different, it feels different… and it’s an altogether different beast.

Having played the game’s demo at both Day of the Devs and GDC, Hyper Light Breaker feels totally solid ahead of its early access release later this year. Combat is decent; a bit better than Genshin Impact but not quite as good as Nier Automata – two games that (according to the developer) were inspirations for Hyper Light Breaker’s new direction. It’s this core combat experience that was the highlight for me, as judging from my all-too-brief hands-on time with the game, it is not without fault. In dashing from one dimension to the next, it feels as though Hyper Light Breaker may have slipped a little.