Hyper Light Breaker Devs Go Behind the Scenes on Its Development

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2016’s critically acclaimed action RPG, “Hyper Light Drifter”, captivated players with its unique visual aesthetic, intriguing narratives, and impactful sound design. Now, the developers at Heart Machine are preparing to recreate this immersive experience anew in the form of “Hyper Light Breaker“, which will be available for Early Access soon. Unlike its predecessor, “Hyper Light Breaker” takes a different approach, moving into 3D, adopting open-world roguelike gameplay, and delving deeper into its backstory.

Prior to the Early Access launch of Hyper Light Breaker, Game Rant had a chat with various members from Heart Machine about the game’s development process. Among those interviewed were creative director Alx Preston, senior gameplay engineer Chris Forseth, lead technical artist Len White, art director Danny Moll, senior designer Ben Strickland, lead producer Michael Clark, audio lead Alex Johnson, and composer Troupe Gammage.

A Whole New Dimension for Hyper Light Breaker

Hyper Light Breaker brings a revolutionary change rather than an evolutionary one for the series. It retains the familiar feel while offering a dramatically altered gaming experience by using procedural generation to significantly improve the concept of an open-world roguelike game. Additionally, it shifts the franchise from a 2D to a 3D perspective. The fact that ‘open-world roguelike’ might not immediately convey what the sequel is all about is also part of this revolution.

Q: Let’s go back to day one. What was the initial pitch for Hyper Light Breaker?

Preston: “Fully 3D Open World Rogue-like with the Hyper Light IP.”

Q: How has that initial idea changed between then and its upcoming Early Access release?

Preston: We’ve made countless improvements across all aspects of the game, including running mechanics, day-night cycles, equipment, and combat skills, but the fundamental concept, rooted in “Open World Roguelike,” has remained constant.

Q: What did the first week, months, and year of the project look like?

Preston: We’re focusing a great deal on developing essential battle mechanics and intricate procedural generation systems. It’s all about hands-on experience – you need to experiment with these aspects, as they can’t simply be understood through written descriptions. We’re also delving into the question of what elements should be custom-tailored or carefully selected (bespoke/curated), and what aspects will strictly rely on mathematical calculations for generation.

Q: What has the last year of the project looked like?

Forseth: Swift adjustments and numerous bug resolutions. Various components began merging into a more unified structure, which is an exciting sight to behold.

Preston: Chris’ remarks ring true! The fact that this game is heavily focused on systems makes it exciting to see your long-term plans of having everything interconnected come to fruition. However, the real magic happens once all the systems are connected, at which point you can fine-tune them to feel just right.

The World of Hyper Light Breaker

What were some major hurdles in shifting to a completely 3-D, procedurally generated design? How did the procedural generation of Breaker differ from Drifter’s handcrafted environment?

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What obstacles were encountered during the transition to a fully 3-D procedural approach? In what ways does the procedural generation of Breaker contrast with Drifter’s manually designed world?

The major hurdle in procedural generation is the lack of complete control over the placement and arrangement of elements within the world. To prevent combat and movement from being hindered by randomly generated terrain and the positioning of significant environmental features, we had to repeatedly adjust and fine-tune our algorithms and data. Furthermore, we devised a directed procedural system that enabled us to sketch out broad layouts for maps, which were then transformed into their final form through procedural means.

The art style in Hyper Light Drifter received a lot of acclaim. So, let’s discuss the visual design of Hyper Light Breaker and how it has evolved. The significance of preserving the unique aesthetics from the initial game was also crucial.

In this rephrased version, I aimed to make the language more natural and easy-to-read by using a conversational tone, while still conveying the same information as in the original text. The question has been slightly restructured for clarity, making it easier to understand the relationship between the two games and the importance of maintaining their aesthetic consistency.

Moll: We’ve poured a lot of work into transforming the impressionistic, painterly pixel style of Hyper Light Drifter from 2D to 3D, all while crafting an array of fresh environments and structures that could realistically fit within the intriguingly mysterious world and abandoned technology of the Hyper Light universe.

Was the mechanical aspect taken into account when altering the artistic style and dimensions of Breaker, and to what degree? Additionally, how significantly has this modification impacted the mechanics of the game?

In essence, Preston wasn’t aiming to replicate the experience from “Drifter” exactly; instead, the goal was to evoke the same sense or atmosphere in a three-dimensional format. There are numerous requirements and considerations that distinguish a 3D game from a 2D one.

Could you explain to me the overall approach taken for enemy encounters in Hyper Light Breaker, and if Drifter played any role within this concept?

Strickland: Maintain clear differences among the roles of adversaries and ensure each individual interaction is clear and easy to understand. Complexity comes from arranging and rearranging these components in various environments and scenarios. The designs for Drifter were basic, sharp, and I believe this simplicity carries over into Breaker as well.

Discuss briefly the strategy we employed when developing Hyper Light Breaker, drawing upon the successes of Solar Ash. How did we expand upon the achievements of Solar Ash in creating Hyper Light Breaker?

In White’s words: White: The world in Solar Ash is a collection of distinct sub-worlds. Similarly, we’ve fashioned the Overgrowth in HLB as a composite of various unique biomes for you to discover. Moreover, the movement mechanics, particularly when riding your hoverboard in Breaker, have strong similarities. I believe some insights gained from balancing exploration and combat in Solar Ash were beneficial during the design process of HLB.

A: Could you share some details about the challenging boss fights in roguelike games, focusing on the Abyss King in particular? What makes him unique or difficult for players to defeat?

As a Film Enthusiast: I’m thrilled to share that during our Early Access phase, we’ll be adding more characters to the roster, but at launch, you’ll get the chance to square off against two formidable opponents. The first is Dro, a colossal, blindfolded wolf, armed with a menacing sword. She’s agile and aggressive, leaping, slashing, and stomping across the arena. When injured, she retaliates by unleashing a barrage of projectiles in a “bullet hell” fashion. The second is Exus, who possesses fiery abilities, turning his arena into a whirlwind of flames as he charges at players with swift punches and hurls fireballs. Get ready for an intense battle!

At the initial release of Early Access, The Abyss King won’t appear as a boss battle; instead, we’re saving him for a later stage in the game. However, his influence will be palpable throughout each Cycle. Engaging him could lead to him bombarding the world with meteors, deploying groups of enemies on you, and sending potent assassins to chase you across the map.

Publishing Hyper Light Breaker

Was the participation of Gearbox San Francisco (now known as Arc Games) likely to significantly alter the development approach for Hyper Light Breaker, in comparison to its previous version?

Clark: To achieve grander aspirations, we required an ally like Arc Games, who could offer the institutional backing they’re known for, without encroaching on our creative independence. From the start, Arc has been a steadfast supporter, offering feedback and assistance, while we take charge of game creation. Our initial backers for Drifter were our long-standing community that helped fund it over a decade ago. In contrast, our supporters for Breaker hail from Arc Games.

How significant is the change in approach for Breaker, considering the alterations like a new engine, genre, publisher, style, etc.? Was procedural generation beneficial in reducing workload compared to Drifter’s more handcrafted world, or did it introduce additional challenges instead?

White: Procedural generation offers an incredible amount of diversity, but it comes at a cost: control over the game’s design. For our particular game, it was crucial. From the beginning, we aimed to create a roguelike experience with high replayability, and procedural generation was the key to achieving that consistently throughout the game. Without it, creating the desired level of replayability would have been extremely challenging.

Procedural generation provides an abundance of diversity in our game, but it also means relinquishing control over certain aspects. Given our focus on creating a roguelike game with high replay value, procedural generation was indispensable. Initially, we wanted to ensure the environment reinforced this replayability throughout the entire game. Without procedural generation, achieving such replayability would have been quite difficult.

Strickland: It’s a different kind of hurdles I have to deal with. Even though I don’t have to meticulously design countless levels, procedural generation pushes me to consider the rules governing my world; what should remain consistent for a satisfying and complete gameplay experience, and what can be more flexible. We aim to avoid over-regulation so that each ‘seed’ doesn’t turn out identical, but we also need certain boundaries.

The Sounds of Hyper Light Breaker

Question: Will the soundtrack for Hyper Light Breaker adopt a similar minimalistic, electronic style as that of Disasterpeace’s soundtrack for Hyper Light Drifter?

Troupe Gammage: The success of “Drifter’s” soundtrack and game can be attributed to the exceptional harmony between their audiovisual elements. Our aim is to replicate that elusive blend of visuals and audio that made the original game so captivating, which necessitates a fresh, 3D open-world aesthetic. I would liken our approach to “electronic maximalism.

As a passionate cinephile immersed in the world of Hyper Light Breaker, I can’t help but marvel at how skillfully music and sound design are utilized to set the game’s captivating mood. The composition seeks to elicit feelings of exhilaration, suspense, and immersion within the game’s universe. Each note and sound effect is carefully crafted to transport players into the heart of this electrifying action-adventure experience.

Johnson: In my opinion, it’s about capturing moments and transitions in emotions. As a player, it’s the shifts in feelings that make an impact, while prolonged emotions can feel tiresome. This is something that Drifter did exceptionally well – you genuinely experience the suspense and drama as the game unfolds into a challenging battle. On the other hand, Breaker takes place in an open, procedural world, and our goal was to capitalize on this advantage. We designed dynamic systems that create these experiences naturally, focusing on seamless transitions between exploration, combat, and relaxation.

In our exploration, we identified specific instances where we could distinctly evoke a sense of wonder, similar to the first ride in an elevator within an unfamiliar realm. Regarding the audio design, our aim was to maintain a balance between vibrancy and authenticity. We consistently imagined the sounds originating from genuine devices and characters within this world. To enhance richness, we employed vintage methods such as FM synthesis, frequency shifting, and ring modulation. These techniques contribute to the world’s clarity and color, complementing other methods that create an impression of aged realism.

Troupe Gammage: In this open-world game, players will experience awe and wonder as they explore, thanks to its stunning landscapes generated procedurally, even taking the development team by surprise. During close encounters and within the main hub, we aimed to delve into the rich culture of the Hyper Light universe. What instruments did they create with their available technology? What ancient voices from the past would still resonate in the present day?

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2025-01-09 21:11