Hyper Light Drifters magnificent sound
I first played Hyper Light Drifter 4 years ago, it quickly
became one of my favorite games. Recently, during some stressful times,
I decided to listen to it's soundtrack again. At the end, I cried.
Hyper Light Drifter
The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where nature has overtaken most structures and the survivors have either gone mad and murderous or gone into hiding trying preserve what's little left of the old world. It hits every point for me: great exploration, hard but fair challenge and combat, simple but fun mechanics, awe-inspiring art and animation. And of course its dialogue-less story.
Echoes of the dead world
What really made this game so special for me though in its music and sound design. Composed by the great Disasterpeace, the music stands on it's own unlike anything I've ever heard. The uniqueness and the impressionistic style of it perfectly intertwines with the cryptic and beautiful world of Hyper Light Drifter.
The music captures the feeling of every space you encounter - be it vast underground catacombs or a calm forest growing on the remains of giant war machines, the echoes of which you can hear in the distance - transitioning seemlessly from one area to another. The game also knows when to use silence, leaving you with the ambience of the area.
Replaying the game I noticed so many new details, nearly every area
has some effect on the soundtrack, you can hear the crackling of
thousand year old trees and the slight buzz of ancient technologies.
And this guy playing his guitar :)
My favorite track is titled "Panacea", the feelings it envokes in me is unmatched by any other music-piece. It perfectly captured my melancholic mood. It let me cry out all of my frustrations and I'm grateful for that.
I don't like spoilers. And this post was as spoiler-free as I could get it. I didn't show any big encounters, any big reveals. But I hope you will look more into this game and listen to every little detail on your playthrough!
