Hyper Light Drifter 
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CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF HEART MACHINESep 15, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsA decade ago, we began a journey that would lead to the birth of Heart Machine - a game studio committed to crafting immersive, vibrant experiences that resonate with players on a profound level. As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, we reflect on our history, achievements, community, and the exciting future that lies ahead. THINKING BACK Glitch City, Kickstarter, and Hyper Light Drifter In 2013, we took a leap of faith and launched a Kickstarter campaign for our debut project, Hyper Light Drifter. Little did we know that this campaign would not only secure the funds needed to bring our project to life, but also ignite a beautiful connection with supporters, players, and community members who believed in us from the outset. Fueled by a need for camaraderie and knowledge, we spent those early days of Drifter’s development as a part of Glitch City, a then-small collective of independent game developers, artists, and creators all working together out of Alx’s basement. Those early days and (often) sleepless nights vision were critical in defining our design philosophies, studio culture, and grassroots community connections - setting the stage for what was to come. Our Heartfelt Gratitude to Our Early Contributors To date, thanks to the incredible support of our community, the Kickstarter for Hyper Light Drifter remains one of the most successful game projects on the platform. It smashed through the initial funding goal of $27,000 and ultimately raised over $600,000. To our early backers who believed in us and our vision, and those fellow devs who helped us through endless rounds of playtesting and feedback, we extend our deepest gratitude. Your unwavering support enabled us to bring our dreams to life and emboldened us to continually push the boundaries of game design. Special shout out to core Drifter team members: Alx Preston, Beau Blyth, Teddy Dief, Casey Hunt, Rich Vreeland, Akash Thakkar, Sean Ward, Lisa Brown, and Cosimo Galluzzi. The critical reception following the release of Hyper Light Drifter was incredible - beyond our wildest expectations. We never could have anticipated the accolades and recognition it received, or the impact it made on players far and wide. It was humbling, and affirmed our dedication to continue to make great games to share with the world. Moving Into a New Dimension We started development on Solar Ash about a year before the multi-platform release of Hyper Light Drifter. Early on, we joined forces with Annapurna Interactive, whose expertise and resources facilitated our exploration of 3D game development. Over the next five years, Annapurna's support played a pivotal role in bringing this ambitious project to fruition. The vastness of the game's ethereal landscapes and fluid movement mechanics opened new avenues for worldbuilding and storytelling. To date, Solar Ash continues to engage new players and inspire returning ones to create beautiful works inspired by the game. It is following in the footsteps of its pr...Hotfix for April 4thApr 4, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsThis update fixes an issue where you could no longer zoom out/in in the map screen.Hotfix for December 30thDec 31, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsThis update contains a fix to input device assignment when playing coop.Hotfix for December 5thDec 5, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsThis update contains the following fixes: Fixed an issue with pink gates Fixed something missing from the ending of the game Fixed some menu nav issues Nominate Hyper Light Drifter for the "Labor of Love" Steam Award!Nov 22, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsIf you know anything about our studio's history or the personal story of Alx Preston, our founder / creative director, you'd know that our flagship title Hyper Light Drifter is a true Labor of Love. Hyper Light Drifter is based on the vision and inspired by the life of its lead dev, Alx Preston. Alx was born with a congenital heart disease, and throughout his life has been hospitalized with digestive and immune-system issues relating to this condition. Alx conceived of Hyper Light Drifter as a means "to tell a story can identify with, expressing something personal to a larger audience, so more connected and have an outlet for the many emotions that crop up around life-altering issues." (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/02/hyper-light-drifter-heart-disease-inspired-alex-preston) Alx and a talented team of friends and collaborators Beau Blyth, Teddy Dief, Casey Hunt, Rich Vreeland, Akash Thakkar, Sean Ward, Lisa Brown, and Cosimo Galluzzi, together formed the studio Heart Machine, and successfully released Hyper Light Drifter in 2016. It is now 2022. Heart Machine has grown to a much larger studio with a new title Solar Ash under its belt and another project well underway: Hyper Light Breaker, the 3d multiplayer roguelite spiritual successor to Drifter. But we still haven't forgotten our humble, heartfelt beginnings with Drifter. Still now we are actively troubleshooting, responding to feature requests / inquiries, and making improvements and additions to Hyper Light Drifter and its world. If you loved this indie game, or feel moved by our studio's journey, please consider nominating us for this award! Hotfix for November 17thNov 17, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsThis update contains the following fixes: Made it more streamlined to switch between keyboard and gamepad input Fixed an issue with loading save data that was preventing previously cleared Barriers from re-clearing Hotfix for November 10thNov 10, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsThis update contains the following fixes: Achievement unlocking crash for some players Removed broken crystal shot weapon (Special Edition exclusive) Fixed Bully achievement Hotfix for October 27thOct 27, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsThis update contains the following fixes: Addressed issue with playing coop with keyboard+gamepad Addressed a crash that could occur at the end of the game Hotfix for October 19thOct 19, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsThis update was made specifically to fix a crash that could occur with late some game content.We Are OFKAug 18, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsGreetings, Drifters! We have rare news: Some time after we released Hyper Light Drifter, our teammate Teddy Dief set off on their own, to explore different realms of game design and storytelling, building a new team from our native Los Angeles. I’m excited to share that today, the fruits of Teddy & team’s labor is released: We Are OFK https://ucbee250c2f7a9416a16cd6ed6d3.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/ABq3He07fQmOWpbu0aQGrQUzwQAF64mOW606trmIlDuO5MhfIEMTY8EKVK16YCik97qY0eH8BnALPOmiKpmDG-6sh8ENc5Qd2xBhqjpf4tD82mVjBp7pL-nAprmOEBzMP0XBZEn9BClI4v18XmMQZ-BRpCi_ljtJ4aXcXgFPjnrWwzsmf_5bRXZGdxhaSnEPnyiMGobXOy9_bEu312Nu98RuJJCDF_QFDdbs5yzIwce3JV-LgoAPU_MyJHyRxgJat_v_mg6lD4tTZCKmL-Us9kGgqfARldckPd9cA1yT_BMlBtVpUaqW2QPADNXx2ZQMTc3qoWtFTgkp3x0DtyP2lzS2-ygFVY8HXhWT2DtHeCVU89-o1RNguxI4Xfl-290PmqT9vFJz2TuZI_6xUdDf6Zye6ggjpWBGh2p_QsR4i1Y9hcWQF-H4s0i2DK5G-HX8DLq18dovgBdBz1ks1FaiflGc/p.png A musical origin story & Interactive E.P. from Los Angeles indie pop band OFK. A story of the creative process, and the things that get in the way, created by a cross-industry collaboration of game designers, animators, pop musicians, and live television actors. STORY Itsumi Saito just moved Downtown and broke up with her long-term girlfriend, leaning into her dream of making it in music. But juggling practice, friends, a brutal commute to the west side, and a full-time job... Itsu struggles to establish herself in the cutthroat music scene of LA. When she talks her way into a shmoozy Hollywood party and befriends a rising music producer, she sees a chance to bring her dreams a little closer. We Are OFK is the origin story of a new, real virtual band OFK - told in 5 episodes, delivered to you weekly and included in your purchase of the game. MUSIC OFK is, in fact, a proper “virtual band”. If you’re a fan of Gorillaz, Hatsune Miku, or K/DA, you know what I mean. The music is glittery-yet-somber bedroom pop, and you can listen to 2 songs now, with more released in the weeks to come. Check out OFK on music streaming services https://uccee6ddd18fe6afd0e0b05fa2a2.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/ABoOmTcB8sbtOGmVY3JDX-kFjJjtkY2RF4ozxhXDtu33x9JcZpzZAoP4TzjpRfgH9RumOIR2SENoW35nALE-QgpHpeZZA_UCE1dX24QTcJqdHLGXeqIXHKqmat0HCA6d3oAlsOlR5v6IRCGPwPjFQ4TvWKCm3E-DCG83ZGAnE_xyQ9VNlj_kjpx4YKyE7z3JP0uhaXAuyZb0TBMSV29nHVclprSlo-lLqQSCT9QqGFCCUP0wmis7IJpXiCUs65gOE7fnRfj1TUtGQebKRe1FMV29ozphJY5gCHjl4wIOPqezYUvBsdjXE0Blin5N--yrzN2V5XZESFGUyGtCIoHac54o0pKnFnIjqJm0W4EdWsTRYg_w58eSHDpB-e0g0F8H7Nc/p.png GAMEPLAY We Are OFK is a interactive narrative series, much like watching a television show, but reaching into the world now and then to guide the characters. You will argue over lyrics, send sad texts, and play Interactive Music Videos of OFK’s debut E.P. Features 5 Episodes of the interactive animated series 5 Interactive Music Videos: with debut tracks performed by OFK Fully-voiced interactive dialogue from a star-studded cast Emotional texting, thirst texting, meme texting, emoji spammin...Hyper Light Drifter follow-up Solar Ash is out nowDec 2, 2021 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunHeart Machine's Solar Ash is out now, inviting players on a skating adventure to kill giant bosses. It's a follow-up to their previous game, Hyper Light Drifter, but this time around they've swapped the 2D style for 3D, and are sending you out into a big open world. I'm very much looking forward to jumping into its lush and colourful alien landscapes. Oh, to be a sci-fi skater. Read more The best action games on PCFeb 7, 2020 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunEveryone loves a good action game. It’s the driving force behind so many of our favourite PC games, but only a few can lay claim to being the best action games of all time. That’s why we’ve compiled this list – to sort the pulled punches from the bestest biffs that PC has to offer. Whether it’s the joy of pulling off a perfect combo, riding the wave of an explosive set-piece or the hair-raising thrill of dodging enemy attacks in slow-motion that gets you going, there’s an action game here for you. (more…) Mutant Year Zero and Hyper Light Drifter free on Epic Games StoreAug 16, 2019 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun Another week, another free game on the Epic Games Store – two, even. Until next Thursday you can grab the tip-top tactical action of Mutant Year Zero: Road To Eden and the top-down zip-zoom explore-o-action of Hyper Light Drifter for free. MYZ is a wild freebie, both because it came out less than one year ago and because it’s chuffing lovely. Our former Alec (RPS in peace) proffered plenty of praise in his Mutant Year Zero review but I, a fool, did not heed his wisdom until a demo came along this year to show me oh yep, it is great. Now you can see that in full for free. Don’t be as daft as me. (more…) In my memory, Hyper Light Drifter is a perfect piece of video game storytellingAug 16, 2019 - EurogamerHyper Light Drifter is free on the Epic Store right now, and it's just the excuse I've been waiting for to return to this dark, enchanted world. I haven't really played Hyper Light Drifter since it came out, so the game that exists in my mind is probably subtly different to the game that sits somewhere on my hard-drive. No matter. In my memory, Hyper Light Drifter is the perfect piece of video game storytelling, and I think the reason for this is sort of perverse and interesting. Let me be more specific. Hyper Light Drifter strikes me as being the perfect piece of video game environmental storytelling. And to play straw men for a second, I have an idea in my head of how environmental storytelling should probably work in most games. The world of the game should be filled with doodads. Things to click on to get an animation or a reaction, sure, but also text files, audio logs, emails carefully salted with spelling mistakes, desk furniture with pictures of absent people's cats, material culture to pick through and collect and examine later on in some menu or other. In my mind, Hyper Light Drifter has none of that. Or almost none of it. I can't be sure, but I don't really remember reading very much as I played through this game, working further and further into a world where nature was increasingly corrupted by some grim form of technology. I don't remember triggering any audio logs and learning (one of four) about someone's first day working in a sinister government instalment. I don't remember uncovering a chain of memos, or an ancient series of tablets listing episodic prophecies. (I do remember the very odd conversation, which played out in static images, and taken as a whole were one of the game's rare weak elements.) Read more Your next free games on the Epic Store are Hyper Light Drifter and Mutant Year ZeroAug 8, 2019 - EurogamerShould your increasingly insurmountable library of video game freebies still not quite be tottering enough for your liking, Epic has revealed that Hyper Light Drifter and Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden will be available for nowt on its store next week. For those that need an introduction, Hyper Light Drifter is the work of developer Heart Machine, and originally launched on PC back in 2016. It's an utterly triumphant top-down slasher that mixes evocative exploration and puzzling with tough, evasion-based combat. All of which unfolds across an enigmatic, beautifully crafted world that's ripe with mysteries and and secrets for the curious adventurer to discover. It impressed Eurogamer's Christian Donlan enough for him to whip out his pulsating Recommended stamp when it passed across his desk for review in 2016. Read more Solar Ash Kingdom announced by Hyper Light Drifter devsMar 13, 2019 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunAlmost exactly three years after launching Hyper Light Drifter, Heart Machine are ready to announce their next game – Solar Ash Kingdom. Right now there’s not much to go on beyond a pair of screenshots, a short teaser trailer and a brief chat between developer Alx Preston and IGN here, but it’s an unsurprisingly striking-looking game. While it’s not a sequel, it does share a palette with Hyper Light Drifter, bringing us another strange world painted in deep purples and cyans, and another caped protagonist, this time surfing through clouds in the third dimension. Take a look for yourself below. (more…) Steam Summer Sale recommendations: 2018 edition!Jun 26, 2018 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunThe old quote is wrong: neither death nor taxes are, it seems to me, as terrifyingly certain as the Steam Summer Sale. Yes, once more we can add to the heap that is our backlog by buying games for, what, five quid, on average? But there are so many to choose from that it’s easy to get flustered, so who better than the staff of RPS to hand-pick the best ones for your consideration (rhetorical question; do not answer)? Check out the full list below for a mix of games that should suit all pockets and tastes. (more…) Daily Deal - Hyper Light Drifter, 60% OffMay 6, 2018 - AnnouncementToday's Deal: Save 60% on Hyper Light Drifter!* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Tuesday at 10AM Pacific Time Jelly Deals: Hyper Light Drifter is 60% off todayFeb 22, 2018 - EurogamerA note from the editor: Jelly Deals is a deals site launched by our parent company, Gamer Network, with a mission to find the best bargains out there. Look out for the Jelly Deals roundup of reduced-price games and kit every Saturday on Eurogamer. Hyper Light Drifter is a gorgeous 2D action RPG that arrived to some pretty high praise back in 2016. It also happens to be Humble's current limited time discount. The game is discounted down to 5.99 / $7.99 for a limited time. At the time of writing, there's about one day and six hours left to pick it up at this price. Humble Monthly subscribers get an extra 5% off that price, too. Read more… Daily Deal - Hyper Light Drifter, 50% OffJan 20, 2018 - AnnouncementToday's Deal: Save 50% on Hyper Light Drifter!* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time
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