Last updated on January 4th, 2026 at 04:47 am
Hyper Light Drifter – Entertainment Game Review
Hyper Light Drifter is a Entertainment/Action/Adventure game from Abylight SL, first launched in 25th July 2019.
It’s rated 12+ and currently has 6,581+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Hyper Light Drifter Stand Out
Finally, Heart Machine's award winning slash-'em-up arrives to iOS in the most polished and refined version yet, the Special Edition.
► Winner of the Audience Award and Excellence in Visual Art awards of the prestigious Independent Games Festival.
► 14 + nominations among the Best Visual Design, Best Audio and Best original Game categories.
► 9/10 Destructoid – A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.
► 9.5/10 Game Informer – The combination of soundtrack, art, and combat creates a rabbit hole worth your full exploration.
► Eurogamer Recommended – Heart Machine's slash-'em-up is punishing and precise – and incredibly beautiful.
► 9/10 GameSpot – It is more than simply pretty; Hyper Light Drifter uses its visuals to both guide and relax you. The grandest vistas calm your pulse between difficult, breathless combat sequences.
► 8.5 Polygon – Hyper Light Drifter deftly mixes contemplative moments with breakneck action.
► 5 Stars Darkstation – The top-down action-RPG Hyper Light Drifter is an amazing game: gorgeous, a fascinating world to explore, tight controls, beautiful music, and the faith in the player for you to figure things out on your own.
Echoes of a dark and violent past resonate throughout a savage land, steeped in treasure and blood. Drifters of this world are the collectors of forgotten knowledge, lost technologies and broken histories. Our Drifter is haunted by an insatiable illness, traveling further into the lands of Buried Time, hoping to discover a way to quiet the vicious disease.
Hyper Light Drifter is an action adventure RPG in the vein of the best 16-bit classics, with modernized mechanics and designs on a much grander scale. Explore a beautiful, vast and ruined world riddled with dangers and lost technologies.
Features:
● 120 fps gameplay on iPad Pro / 60 fps on iPhone and iPad.
● Compatible with MFi controllers.
● Game Center achievements.
● Haptic Vibration.
● From each character to subtle background elements, everything is lovingly hand-animated.
● Easy to pick up, difficult to master; enemies are vicious and numerous, hazards will easily crush your frail body, and friendly faces remain rare.
● Upgrade weapons, learn new skills, discover equipment and traverse a dark, detailed world with branching paths and secrets abound.
● Evocative soundtrack composed by Disasterpeace.
● All the content from the original game + more weapons, enemies and areas from the Special edition.
This Entertainment game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Hyper Light Drifter is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 30th October 2021
Recent improvements include:
Improved compatibility with 120 hz screen refresh rate on the new iPhone and iPad models.
Download & Availability
Hyper Light Drifter is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get Hyper Light Drifter on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
Been playing it for years and have no plans of stopping.
Amazing 10/10 would recommend found this due to Indie Cross episode 2 also amazing they should made Alan Becker in Indie Cross 3.
Hyper light Drifter is critically acclaimed masterpiece that is entertaining for all ages and backgrounds. The game uses a unique means of communicating to the player in game through pictographic depictions of in world lore leaving the player to reflect deeply on the hidden meanings behind the characters in the game. You begin your adventure as the Drifter a character with a mysterious background that is facing a declining health. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the Drifter is set on a arduous adventure to restore peace to the world while dealing with a terminal illness. The game covers themes of loss, death, grievance, hope, and acceptance all without a single word being said in the game. The games use of imagery is that of artistic masterpiece as the pictures in game convey these explored themes. The game uses unique but retro pixelated graphics to its pinnacle as it actively creates its own color aesthetic which players will find themselves appreciating every time there is a scenic view. The landscapes in the game are beautiful with many emotions to be conveyed to the player. Enjoy the game and happy drifting.
It is impossible to complete and cant focus on the mane boss because all of the other enemies attacking us so fix the west boss.
This game is absolutely amazing, the sound track is beautiful, the game controls are smooth and feels smooth, the graphics and cutscenes are amazing and you can really tell they put a lot of passion and time into this game. The bosses and maps are creative and very detailed. If youre bored at home and have the extra cash on you, buy it. You 100% wont regret it. 10/10 game.
Just got this game yesterday and Ive had so much fun with it. Definitely worth the price. It can be a little tough with touch controls. It would be great to have the ability to remap the buttons and change the size of them. Lots of hidden rooms that can be easily missed. Had to watch a walk through video to complete the north and we still missed some items and keys. The map can be hard to understand but starting to get the hang of it we think. Overall a 5/5 game easily.
Great feel and gameplay. Just started but we feel we finally found a game we can sink a good amount of time in with a controller.
For a this normally console/pc game we're impressed how well it translates to mobile. Stunning gameplay and graphics this game is beautiful.
We keep coming back. Graphics are delightful . The game is challenging and fun even if you dont have the required patience to find all the secrets yourself. We resorted to watching a walkthrough or two. The game unfolds gradually and the story emerges without any text.
This game is really the coolest. We love the atmosphere so much and the gameplay manages to be both simple and engaging. The art is absolutely beautiful with vivid colors and creative environments. You can really see the inspiration from older classic games in the retro style, yet it also feels new and innovative. It's just a joy to play. Whether it's progressing the plot, wandering around admiring the scenery, or searching for secret passageways (which there are many to be found), it is a very enjoyable experience.
Got this game on Switch a few years back and it became an instant favorite. For only $5 this port is an actual steal. Buy it immediately.
Absolutely beautiful. Takes a picture is worth a thousand words to the next level.
This game does a good job showing but not telling. In fact there is no dialogue to this game. Through visuals and music cues you move about the game. We haven't gotten far into the game as of yet but so far it's very good.
Really fun game, but Im playing with a controller.
Amazing game though if you want to have the super dash unlocked – you may need to soam the dash + robot emote to get it to work reliably, otherwise its a little bit of a hassle and confusing way to activate the super dash. :) great game though.
We usually never leave a review. But this gamethis game was a BLAST! Loved the mystery, loved the combat, loved the puzzles. It was challenging and rewarding. Great job.
Really appreciate the Apple TV support.
Ive been looking long and far to long for an actual good game for the iPhone and we finally found it!! This game is perfect 5 out 5 hands down. Graphic perfect, story perfect, control perfect. Im actually wanting to play this game even when Im not playing it, if that make sense haha. Wish they would be a part two! Same graphics thou! Buy this game now.
We love this game. Its easily one of our favorite indie games of all time. It reminds us of games like Dark Souls and The Legend of Zelda with its punishing but fair combat, secrets scattered around every corner, and its ambiguous story that makes you figure it out through the gorgeous art style made for this game. The combat is some of our favorite with how many tools you have at your disposal and how fast you can glide around the arena with the dash. The music is the cherry on top. A perfect compliment to the games art and combat. Im currently doing a ng+ run and find we have to be either incredibly careful during a fight or make the fight last as short as possible so as to not die quickly. 10/10 will play again.
We love this game, we hate so many games with in-app purchase.
An excellent port that fully realizes the game on iOS.
First off, Im biased in this review because we have finished Hyper Light Drifter on every platform besides iOS and Switch (next one). Lets talk atmosphere first. Its lush, every pixel tells a story and portrays such a detailed environment despite the limited complexity. Disasterpeaces music and the ambient sound design is phenomenal and fully immerses you into the world. The storytelling is simple, using images to frame a timeline of things. Theres hidden monoliths that use a imaginary language to provide more lore into the world, and theres a mysterious intrigue into the symbolism in many of the side characters afflictions, attitude towards you, and their picture-book stories. Gameplay is about 80/20 positives to negatives. The combat is smooth and challenging, yet easier to adapt to than say a dark souls title. The upgrade system is hidden around the play space and makes for fun exploration moments. The various weapons and skins (which do provide gameplay benefits) found in the world are incredibly fun to use. Negatives are a bit nitpicky. For example, the touchscreen controls are frustrating and set-in-stone. You cant edit them to be slightly farther apart, and the aiming/walking uses the same controls so while using your gun, shooting targets near a ledge will sometimes have you walk off them and take damage. Most of the negatives can be rectified by using a bluetooth controller though, the issue with the same moving/aiming controls have always been an issue with every platform. If youre using a controller, the right stick is useless. Its probably an intentional design choice to replicate the old zelda movement/attacking scheme though. Anyways TL;DR 9/10, 4.5/5, pretty much our favorite game of all-time, would definitely recommend a controller over touch screen though.
Simple review: literally our favorite game of all time.
One of the most beautiful games Ive ever played. Learning the lore as there is no talking is a bit difficult. But Id recommend this game to ANYONE! The upgrades are helpful, but not the goal of the game. Its a wonderful play and Ill be going through again. Seriously consider giving this artistic piece a try. If you need help there are YouTube videos, if you like finding secrets. This is a great game. Secrets are everywhere. Its a unique game and we cant say how good it is enough. 100/10. Among the greatest mobile games out there.
Love the pace of the game, quick tutorial, and then they throw you in, key PRG game ingredient, please make a sequel to this game.
This game is FANTASTIC for anyone who loves to be intrigued with vague mysteries and gorgeous art while exploring a strange world. While the story feels simple it leaves a lot for the player to just sit and think about what it could mean and what happened ro devastate the world. Along with great gameplay and a gorgeous sound track this game is way too cheap. Buy it for mobile or pc RIGHT NOW GO DO IT.
Im happy to see this game on the market for purchase here. Its fantastic and fascinating. One of our favorites of the past gen. Indies. Sword and shooter style is something we dont see too much so very unsaturated gameplay. Feels like old Zelda.
Been waiting for this for years now. We knew it would come some day, and even though this was not heart machine, this developer has seriously hit the mark on this port. Wonderfully done guys thanks for bringing this to us, Im sure you love the game like we all do and it shows.
5 Stars…super enjoyable! Please make other games similar to this one.
Unlike other games we would just sit around stuck at a puzzle not knowing what to do at all and having to research it but in this game puzzles just snapped into our head we just know what to do at first we were skeptical because we were confused about what was happening then everything started to clear out the game is really good the combat is challenging Ive had a hard time with it but so far Ive gone through one section of the map its been really fun we suggested.
We really liked this game, combat felt good and satisfying and story was great but some might not understand unless they look a bit deeper into the lore.
When us and our sister had watched the video this game it was weird but the creator was dying and he wanted his name to be remembered thats sad and the game is really about any and everybody should play this game.
Ive had a lot of fun with this game recently and would totally recommend it.
We have always hated mobile games. We know this was technically released on pc and consoles but the the port to phones is fantastic. Its a rouge-like/souls-like game and we love it.
We purchased this at launch on PC and Switch and it has always been a banger. The soundtrack? Full of certified BOPS. The gameplay? Intense and fun. The world and art is so gorgeous. All and all worth the low price.
Its very good and we recommend it.
Ill admit we were skeptical at first, but the game won us over. Great mechanics, love the soundtrack, and had just the right amount of challenge where it didnt feel impossible but gave you sweaty palms. Highly recommend to use a controller with this one, as it will be a much appreciated quality of life improvement. Keep it up Heart Machine.
Hyper Light Drifter is an enjoyable pixel scroller with solid combat, interesting story, difficult enemies, and well-made graphics and mellifluous soundtrack. Although there is little to no dialogue, the game itself is so well-presented that you are aware of whats happening around the game world while still being kept in the dark as to the Who and the why. The combat and gameplay is not as fluid as on PC but its still well-transitioned. Overall, HLD is a good game and its worth your time. 5 stars.
Imagine Zelda with a darker storyline and much faster gameplay and you have Hyper Light Drifter. This game is unflawed, especially when playing with a controller. Amazing play, especially since it can be played offline it was excellent during our flights from point A to point B. If youre looking for amazing gaming experience, look no further.
Our favorite! So much hidden stuff.
Game is beautiful. Only narck is that the joystick cant be set to one place on the screen, rather than reacting wherever your finger is. Other than that, love the game. Thank you.
The music, story and everything is amazing, the only problem we have is that the joystick is strictly dynamic without a static option, which itd be awesome if there was an option for it, its hard to move in the same direction consistently at times.
…but the ending was predictable and shallow. We literally asked the screen, thats it?! Wish the payoff matched the rest of the game, which we really enjoyed.
Hi, having issues we're not seeing anywhere else. Love the game but sometimes it runs at 2x speed for no reason. Could be an issue with 120hz Ipad? Using a 2021 Pro and everything is sped up.
Title. This is the third time we bought this (PC, Playstation, and now iOS), but having just gotten a new mac with an M1 Pro chip, the game does not properly display in full screen, hence why only four stars.
The map and navigation its so confusing that Im distracted from the actually fun aspects of the games. Youre always doubting where you are on the map and constantly having to check it to make sure youre understanding it correctly. Makes it a chore to play the game.
Please hide the home bar on newer devices. Until Apple gives users the option to do it ourselves, its up to app developers to do it, so please get on it, Abylight. It never goes away while playing the game and is extremely distracting. Also despite having improved compatibility with 120hz screens, the game still runs in slow-mo if you dont limit your devices fps to 60 in Settings. Game itself is great, ive played it many times and have all the achievements on steam, this version is more than serviceable aside from the minor issues.
It was hard to enjoy. We hope Ill like the game more down the line, but currently we dont like it.
We are first going to emphasise that this game would probobaly be amazing on ipad but you have to use the ipad buttons on macbook aswell. Not to mention the scaling is incorrect for the macbook. We would not recommend playing this on macbook but nice looking game.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 1.1.7
- Size: 812.59 MB
- iOS: 13.0 or later
- Languages: EN, FR, DE, IT, JA, KO, PT, RU, ZH, ES, ZH, TR
- Content Advisory: Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence, Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes, Infrequent/Mild Realistic Violence
- Developer: Abylight SL
Last updated: 30th October 2021 | Genre: Entertainment, Action | Developer: Abylight SL