Developer Heart Machine has unveiled Hyper Light Breaker, a cooperative rogue-lite spin on its acclaimed 2016 action-adventure game Hyper Light Drifter. The game is now aiming for a Steam early access launch in the summer after experiencing several delays.
Hyper Light Breaker was originally announced in March 2022 with an initial early access launch planned for the following spring. However, it faced delays, first moving to autumn 2023 and then to an unspecified date in 2024 to ensure the game reached its full potential.
In an interview with IGN, Heart Machine confirmed that Hyper Light Breaker will launch on Steam this summer and is expected to remain in early access for approximately a year.
Hyper Light Breaker differs significantly from its predecessor. While Hyper Light Drifter was a 2D, top-down single-player adventure focused on exploration and challenging melee combat, Hyper Light Breaker is a fully 3D rogue-lite adventure. Players can tackle hordes of enemies and gigantic bosses in frenetic third-person combat, either solo or cooperatively with friends online.
The game features a vast, ever-changing world called the Overgrowth, comprising massive open biomes and deep labyrinths. Players can navigate this world using wall-dashing, hoverboarding, and gliding as they strive to defeat brutal monsters, create new builds, survive the mysterious Crowns, and overthrow the almighty Abyss King.
While there’s no mention of a console release for Hyper Light Breaker yet, it’s possible that Heart Machine will share more details as the PC early access period progresses.