Hyper Light Drifter

Released: 3/31/2016

Explore a beautiful, vast and ruined world riddled with unknown dangers and lost technologies. Inspired by nightmares and dreams alike. Hyper Light Drifter is a 2D Action RPG in the vein of the best 8-bit and 16-bit classics, with modernized mechanics and designs on a much grander scale.

Critics

Steam

Metacritic

Score Breakdown

84.2

Critic Average

50 reviews

Steam User Score

18,529 reviews

Metacritic User Score

507 reviews

Disparity Breakdown

Steam Disparity

-8.8

Metacritic Disparity

+3.2

Combined Disparity

-2.8

Average of both sources

Review Timing

27 launch window (54%)23 late (46%)

Review summary

Updated May 8, 2026

Based on 50 scored critic reviews, critics give this game an average score of 84.2/100. Critics score this game 8.8 points lower than Steam users and 3.2 points higher than Metacritic users.

How these comparisons are calculated

Sources behind this summary(5 recent of 50)

Justin NationviaNindie Spotlight
Dec 6, 2018Late review
90/100View review
Steam 93.0/100 · -3.0 ptsMetacritic 81/100 · +9.0 pts
Kinglink Reviews StaffviaKinglink Reviews
Sep 27, 2018Late review
80/100View review
Steam 93.0/100 · -13.0 ptsMetacritic 81/100 · -1.0 pts
Tom BainesviaThumbsticks
Sep 24, 2018Late review
80/100View review
Steam 93.0/100 · -13.0 ptsMetacritic 81/100 · -1.0 pts
Álvaro Oliveira AlmeidaviaLokoo Reviews
Aug 3, 2017Late review
95/100View review
Steam 93.0/100 · +2.0 ptsMetacritic 81/100 · +14.0 pts
Matthew GiganteviaGameGrin
May 11, 2017Late review
90/100View review
Steam 93.0/100 · -3.0 ptsMetacritic 81/100 · +9.0 pts

Hyper Light Drifter

Released: 3/31/2016