![]() ![]() Did I mention it also sets the perfect mood for mellowing out and writing reviews? Needless to say, it’s hard not to get infatuated by each tragic track long after your first playthrough. (The piano version of Panacea is particularly praiseworthy.) These tracks build up organically, too, as you approach enemies, climaxing in a high paced panic that’s always sure to keep the adrenaline pumping. Composed by mastermind Richard “Disasterpeace” Vreeland of Fez fame, the subdued score is nothing short of breathtaking, evoking a melancholic, yet surprisingly relaxing tone throughout. In fact, there isn’t a single word of dialogue, most of its narrative secrets buried deep beneath the backdrops - sweeping vistas teeming with wildlife, fallen Titans, and crumbling ruins of civilizations past.Ĭomplementing its emphasis on visual storytelling is one of the most wonderfully atmospheric soundtracks to ever grace the airwaves. Everything from cryptic cutscenes and deadly premonitions to garbled tales spun by NPCs is told entirely through imagery. ![]() That’s because Hyper Light’s journey is better experienced than told thanks to its insistence on visual and interpretive storytelling. To say much more would be a disservice to anyone interested in playing, not to mention tread heavily upon spoiler territory. You’ll spend most your time exploring ruins ravished by time and reactivating ancient technologies in hopes of confronting the darkness and discovering a cure - assuming one even exists. Players clasp on the cloak of a lone drifter afflicted by a terrible sickness, burdened with visions of a malevolent force threatening to lay wake to the world. A pioneer in visual storytelling, Drifter combines the artistic merit of experiential games like Journey with the exploratory gameplay of SNES era classics, creating one of the most enjoyable adventures the Nintendo Switch has to offer. I’m happy to say developer Heart Machine carries on this torch of innovation with their retro-inspired action RPG, Hyper Light Drifter. Games like Dead Cells and Crypt of the Necrodancer proved two disparate genres can be combined into one addictively symphonic whole. Earlier this year Celeste proved storytelling in platformers doesn’t have to resort to the damsel in distress trope. Yet every now and then an indie comes along that challenges the status quo, proving you don’t have to sacrifice one element for the benefit of another. Story, character development, graphics (heck, even grammar) can all take a backseat as long as the gameplay’s good and high score chasing’s fun. The kind that pushes one’s reflexes to their limits and hands towards carpal tunnel. I’m talking the quarter pumping, joystick grinding kind. Not the ‘strong flavor’ kind associated with eating tainted meat. ![]()
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