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'Hyper Light Drifter' devs' next game goes rollerblading across clouds
The developers of Hyper Light Drifter have introduced their second game, and it's about as strange as you'd expect... if not more so. Heart Machine has offered a brief peek at Solar Ash Kingdom, a game that blends a "surreal" world, "massive enemy encounters" and, importantly, "wild high-speed traversal." From all indications, it's like rollerblading on acid -- we hope you like gliding effortlessly through the clouds on your way to attack giant eye creatures.
Some of the best indie games ever are coming to Switch
It's clearer than ever that the Nintendo Switch is becoming the go-to console for indie game developers. Nintendo has unveiled launch plans for a spate of well-known indies in addition to launching a dedicated Indie Channel for news. You can expect classics like Undertale (September 18th), Supergiant's Bastion (Sept. 13th) and Transistor (November), the mobile hit Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP (October), and the multiplayer chaos of TowerFall (September 27th, complete with characters from Celeste). And those are the more established games -- there are other hits on the way.
'Hyper Light Drifter' is another indie game coming to Switch
Nintendo wasn't done with the indie game announcements after its #Nindies live stream earlier today. At an event and on social media it revealed three more ports coming to the Switch soon: Hyper Light Drifter, Nidhogg 2 and Crashlands. All three are GameMaker Studio titles, so it's not surprising they're coming to Nintendo's convertible console now that the development tool has Switch support built-in. Hyper Light Drifter is confirmed due this summer in the eShop -- after missing out on a hoped-for Wii U release -- while the other two are scheduled to arrive later this year. Abylight Studios is in charge of the port and said it's working with GameMaker creator Yoyo Games since this title "pushed the technical envelope." If you'd like an early peek, the original developer tweeted a brief, blurry clip of the game running on Switch.
'Smash Bros'-style game 'Brawlout' is coming to the Switch in late 2017
The indie fighting game Brawlout emerged around EVO 2016 to wow casual fans with Super Smash Bros-like combat while sneaking in more advanced mechanics for competitive players. Fans finally got their hands on it in April when it launched in Early Access on Steam and have toyed with the game's first six characters for a few months. Today, the game scored a double coup: Not only is it set to come out on the Switch later this year, but it's also adding another character -- the titular Hyper Light Drifter from this year's indie instant classic.
Log off now before today’s Steam’s summer sale leaves you broke
Your wallet is about to get a bit lighter. Or, if you lack self-control, a lot lighter. That's because over the next 13 days games on Steam will be marked down dramatically during this year's summer sale. The first crop includes up to half off the Final Fantasy franchise and 70 percent off underwater indie charmer Abzu. Hyper Light Drifter has been discounted by half as well, and if you wanted to explore Mafia III's version of the Luisiana bayou, now it'll only cost you around $15.
Indie game award finalists include 'Hyper Light Drifter' and 'Inside'
Now that media outlets have handed out awards to blockbuster games, it's time for the indies to shine. The Independent Games Festival has posted the finalists for its main competition's 2017 awards, and there are a few competitors who clearly stand out from the pack. Both the retro hack-and-slasher Hyper Light Drifter and bleak side-scroller Inside are nominated not only for the Seumas McNally grand prize, but also the audio and visual design awards. Other titles receiving multiple nods will definitely sound familiar if you've been following the scene, including the hacking-themed puzzler Quadrilateral Cowboy and the chaotic food hit Overcooked.
High-profile Kickstarter games see delays, port cancellations
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, was crowdfunded to the tune of $5.5 million last year, with an ETA of March 2017. It promises to be a spiritual successor to the Castlevania series, but this week, project lead Koji Igarashi (known colloquially as IGA) personally announced via Kickstarter that the game will now be pushed back to "the first half of 2018." The delay, IGA says, is because the game is currently at risk of not "meeting [his] quality standards." To that end, he's adding additional developers to the team, who will hopefully be able to put the project back on track. He also offered his apologies to anyone affected by the delay.
'Hyper Light Drifter' special edition comes with a SNES cart
I know what you're thinking -- another special edition for an indie game? Sure it's been done before, many times, but the Hyper Light Drifter Collector's Edition looks pretty sweet. It comes with a cyan "SNES cartridge," a 24-page manual, a 24-inch by 18-inch world map poster, a box to store it all in and a digital code for the game. That manual is particularly welcome; a full-color booklet with information on enemies, drifters, and tons of beautiful artwork. The SNES cartridge is in quotes because it's just a non-functional piece of art. Also it's a North American-style SNES cartridge, so if you owned a European or Asian console, it won't look very familiar to you.
'Hyper Light Drifter' is set to launch at the end of the month
Heart Machine announced via Kickstarter on Tuesday that its forthcoming retro 2D RPG, Hyper Light Drifter, will be released at the end of March. The game, with a style that harkens back to 16-bit action-adventures, follows a helmeted hero as he hacks, slashes, dashes and shoots his way across a massive, dream-like world map in search of a cure for his debilitating disease. Heart Machine is offering HLD on Mac, Windows and Linux through Steam (though there is a small chance the Linux build will be delayed slightly). You can check out the latest trailer below.
