Hyper Light Drifter
5 Indie Ports That Should Come to Switch
Hyper Light Drifter is a 2D action game that draws inspirations from the likes of Diablo and Nintendo’s own Legend of Zelda series. You play as the Drifter, a mysterious character suffering from an illness who can use technology thought long gone by the inhabitants of the game’s world. The game uses fairly ambiguous storytelling as you glean bits and pieces of history and lore for the world as you wander. The combat of Hyper Light Drifter is one of its strongest points, providing a quick and responsive 2D system similar to that of something like Hotline Miami. You have the ability to hit enemies from range with guns, but instead of picking up ammo you replenish ammo by hitting enemies with your sword. This leads to a demanding system that constantly keeps you on your toes and having to stay on the offensive.
This, combined with Hyper Light Drifter’s gorgeous pixel and sprite presentation, really makes it reminiscent of classic 8 and 16-bit games. The soundtrack is also a mix of old school sound with haunting piano melodies, making the entire experience a bit melancholic. Hyper Light Drifter gives you an interesting and mysterious world to explore, while its gameplay systems and presentations evoke the feelings of classics like Link to the Past. It’s yet another indie game that’d feel right at home on the Switch, and it may be the most likely of the bunch to come to the system.
A Super Smash Bros-esque fighter called Brawlout coming to Switch actually features the Drifter as a playable character, meaning he’ll have an appearance on a Nintendo console at least. At the same time the creator of Hyper Light Drifter, Alx Preston, did say he was “looking into” bringing the game to Switch during an exchange with a fan.
