I think the themes of hyperlight drifter are specifically based in the fear of death and how some react to it differently. With each boss representing a different way of how a person can respond to the inevitability of death. The Anubis that follows the drifter is most likely a grim reaper like figure who has appeared to the drifter and the guardian as a warning of their impending death, however the Anubis is not a threat, it’s simply leading the two to their death as it knows their lives are coming to an end. The fact that the Anubis is not antagonistic is perhaps the most significant aspect of the themes of death as the game implicitly tries to send the message that you shouldn’t fear the inevitability of dying as it’s a natural part of nature. I actually believe that The mural of the four races holding lights that connect them together isn’t supposed to be worshipping the Anubis, After all The four races united to create the immortal cell in the hope of finding immortal life which is to say that the four races feared deaths and sought to avoid it. The light that surrounds the Anubis in the centre of the mural is a symbolic barrier that separates the Anubis from the four races. perhaps to symbolise how the four races united together in the hope of avoiding death. That is why In the end the mural breaks apart and all lights turn off, with the immortal cell gone the four races are not only free from the cataclysm that destroyed the old world but also free from the fear of death The boss of the north(hierophant) is a tyrannical cult leader who represents the use of religion as a way to deal with the fear of death by convincing followers of the idea that ceremonial sacrifices such as the ones that involved the breaking of hatchling eggs are necessary for avoiding death, when you defeat the hierophant it’s revealed that he was two people trying to seem more imposing than they actually were. This could a symbolic way of showing how they were charlatans who convinced the people of the north that their despotism was divine and righteous. That could be why everyone leaves when you defeat the hierophant, they realise the hierophant was never a god and that they were wrong for believing in them. The hierophant could also act as a warning for the drifter of what happens when you seek to avoid death so hard that you begin to believe in mystical ways of cheating death. The cult used infant sacrifices and the drifter in run is chasing the immortal cell, while the two are different things they both assume that their goals will save them from death. The boss of the east,(the hermit) Could be a representation of selfishness in the face of death. The frog people that invaded the east enslaved the people living in the east and the hermit has shut itself from the rest of the world, constantly engorging on people to live. The hermit fears death so much that it hides away in a cave and is willing to kill and eat people for its own well-being. This could also be warning for the drifter of what he could become if he allows his fear of death consume him to the point that he’s willing to hurt innocent people for his own benefit just to survive At first I was not sure what the boss of the west could represent however I’ve come to the conclusion that (the hanged man) represents the willingness to continue living even when living is worse than dying. I think this has to do with how the west seems to be infected with the crystals that continually grow and preserve people who are trapped inside them and it’s seems as if the hanged man himself is infected with crystals himself. In that sense the hanged is so afraid of death that even if he is in constant pain from this crystal like infection, he still continues to live because he doesn’t want to face death. This could be a warning for the drifter of the kind of life he could have if he doesn’t come to terms with his anxiety around dying and how the refusal to accept your death could lead you to living a life so painful that you’d be better of dead. And finally I think the bosses of the south are meant to represent the idea that you can avoid through science. Every boss in the south is a mechanical robot and we see how the people of the south were experimenting in creating synthetic life, which ultimately failed and left everyone including the land dead and barren. Perhaps a final statement for the drifter that not even science can help cheat death. In the end, The drifter and the guardian are both characters who are desperate to save themselves from the illness that’s killing them, and the story is ultimately about how the drifter has to come to terms with the inevitability of his own death and that the quest for the immortality is futile. With The final boss judgement being the embodiment of the fear of death that haunts the guardian and the drifter. That’s why when the drifter kills judgement, he aswell destroys the immortal cell as the drifter has come to terms with his mortality. The drifter dies but he dies at peace with himself knowing he saved the world, with the final shot of the world now at peace being a way of showing how despite the drifter’s death, life goes on.
Dang that’s honestly pretty thought out I just kind of wish the creators would really clarify any of their story but I kind of love how mysterious it is
I also see in each area the five stages of grief, one for each area: Denial lies East, for the Toads cared not for death or were simply ignorant of the dangers because, finally, they could get the hyperlight from the otters. The Hermit lives in complete, placid isolation...in a false idyll where he is safe, fed and "alive". Anger lies West, with the Warring Raccoons. The assault of the blue folk still remains with them, especially their general with his persistence even amid a terrible hyperlight infection. Unable to let go of the fight, they war on for it is all they can now to stave off death...yet "live" they don't seem to either. Bargaining was the Lizards' deal, who thought to evade death through artifice. Their attempts to enhance biology (likely to survive better than ever), building mechanical wonders and automata seems like a means to circumvent death, bargaining their very nature to elude their end. That "offer" ended up their downfall in a most karmic fashion. Depression, believe it or not, is the avian's fate. Those who are gripped with strong negative emotions are easily led by others...and a zealous cult, no matter its heresies, fans the flames of life all the same. Embracing nihilism and such vile religion to lift themselves out of their depths set their home and culture on fire so much, the shadows they cast smothered all. Lastly, there is Acceptance...which we find, fittingly, in the Drifter at the centre of it all. Embracing death, means to live...thus it is that, by sacrificing his life and accepting their end, the Drifter allowed Life to return to the world. They might die, yet they died having lived to their fullest while allowing the world to be freed from the nightmare.
The story really hits home when you find out it's allegorical to the creators own life of battling an incurable illness that will one day kill him, and his struggles to accept that and do something meaningful for others despite the pain.
My favorite interpretation of the story is that the jackal is anubis, and each of the 4 regions and cultures reflect how people react to the fear of death. The birds in the north turn to religion to save them. The raccoons to the west fight back against death. The lizards to the south use technology to prevent death. And the frogs to the east turn to gluttony, thinking that they might as well live lavishly in their last moments. Anubis appears before the drifters because they are going to die and wants to guide them to the afterlife, and brings them to the land of light in order to provide them with the answers so they can die at peace instead of being left with questions.
interesting how the most peaceful area is the center town, in the middle of all four failed societies. The town is directly on top of judgement’s boss room, but they undoubtedly have the best lives of anyone in the other regions. It’s a subtle way of saying, “maybe the best way to accept death isn’t to run away, try to control it, or try to fight it, but to simply accept it and move forward knowing it’s there.”
@@marselo1316 why people cannot claim eternal life because they can't? that is such overrated thing to say death is not peaceful or nice it's cold and indifferent and one day nothing will be remembered
What I love the most about this story, is that the 4 civilizations didn't end. They didn't go to war, and kill each other: they traded knowledge and secrets Then, when something came to disrupt this growing prosperity, they didn't crumble in the face of adversity. Not at first anyway. They did everything right. But at the end, it wasn't enough. The fights with the giants were won, but at a cost, and that led to their inevitable downfall to the forces either within, or that bordered them, and had just never gone away, simply a cancer in remission. Even then, that wasn't the end for them. Before the Drifter appeared, they were rebuilding in the center. Now, of course, they were all still in great danger of the BBEG, and were surviving through the charity of other Drifters. But still, they were surviving. Fundamentally, the story of Hyper Light Drifter is a story of survival against all odds. Of embracing change, other cultures. Even, at the end, Death. All things often considered 'other', but here we see what is to be feared more is the repudiation of these things.
It’s a very optimistic story! Even if the past civilisation was destroyed in an apocalyptic cataclysm, life goes on and the people are still united in a new society which is why I don’t think the ending itself is as sad as it might seem. Yeah the drifter died but they destroyed the immortal cell and saved the world, and with that life goes on.
The dialogue of the elder lizard in the south makes it seem more like the lizards only discovered the underground labs. Not necessarily that they created them.
I also like the theory that the south was where the titans were manufactured. The one that looks like it's being taken apart could also look like it's being assembled.
It makes sense as well when you think of judgement as a rogue AI and the perfect cell as a nanomachine meant to rejuvenate their bodies. Essentially they were used to gain more test subjects perhaps. Also I believe the disease is judgement breaking down the host to increase the amount of nanomachines as well as study the creature. I believe the jackal to be some sort of security protocol to restrict judgement and that's why it had to do everything in a parasitic way through the lizards.
@@rykroesethis is also supported by there not being lizard skeletons in the labs, instead they look human. In general I think the blue people came from there, and that they are an artificial species made to fight the other races by the immortal cell, which then. Through the eons malfunctioned slowly turning then into the dirks like we see in the game. There are also no lizard statues in the south unlike all the other directions, which again suggests that they weren't the main people of the south. I have been thinking about this game for the past like, 6 years or so. And I have been convinced this is what was intended since late 2018
@@Bootleg_Megumin But how about the lizard picture on the united races fresco, and big statues of four races at the central dungeon? Its probably spend a lot of years, so generation of lizards forgot about their past before disaster and war
When I searched for this I didn't expect to find a video so recent, good to see this masterpiece hasn't been forgotten over these 6 years. You really did the game justice with this video. It was already my favourite game but this gave me a new level of understanding and appreciation for certain details I had overlooked. You topped it off perfectly by describing it as "art", truly no better word to describe it. Having played through Solar Ash for the first time just a few days ago to help bridge the gap towards Hyper Light Breaker, I noticed very similar thematic elements to HLD, mainly in that embracing the certainty of death is what allows you to live life. Don't act in a vain attempt to delay death, act in understanding that you, and everyone, will one day die, as it will truly allow you to cherish what you have now, and hopefully inspire you to help leave those that come next with a world more beautiful than the one you left behind. Heart Machine have truly cemented themselves as my favourite devs, and to do that in only 2 games is seriously impressive. I think it's because their games describe life so perfectly; beautiful and tragic. Thanks for giving me a place to air my thoughts, never had an opportunity to talk to anyone I know about this game/dev, but they definitely deserve more eyes on them. Also, not really sure this is the best place to address this, but my thoughts and prayers go out to you and your partner. No one deserves the pain you've been through. As long as you're doing what you love, and in turn providing others with something they love, then he definitely would have been proud of you. I can't pretend to know it will get easier, but I do know he would have been happy to see you both happy.
Hyper Light Drifter is one of the most impressively beautiful games I've ever played, and because of that, I will always have massive respect for Heart Machine and the stories they create. This was a very good explanation of what I never quite understood properly, and now I feel at peace with this story. Thank you good sir.
I want to give a shout out to @Harrison-Consoli for his wonderful presentation of the story of the game. If you were left unsatisfied by my telling (which I wouldn’t be surprised by) and/or are wanting more on the story of Hyper Light Drifter, check out his video! It’s beautifully put together and way better than mine! th-cam.com/video/TqOjrYOOLNk/w-d-xo.html If you didn't like the length (or storytelling in mine), you might like the video made by @LocalContentShow as it's much shorter. Give it a watch if you'd like! th-cam.com/video/sgRe79q2tzo/w-d-xo.html And as I say in the video, if you've got any interpretations/thoughts/feelings or would like to point out something I missed, feel free to! I'd love to hear them! Thanks for watching!
I love your take on the story, although it's sad that we will know what is the true story, I love the fact that everyone can understand the story how they feel. Merry christmas!
@@crancha7721 Honestly this game does a great job on its storytelling since it's so abstract that you fill in your own pieces and I felt that made for a much more personal story than most stories that spoon feed you info, not to say those are bad but I felt a personal connection to this game's story that I haven't felt in any other game
What wondered me about this game back in 2016 was the deep references to Ghibli's movie Nausicaa, and the backstory about facing illness like Bionicle, after all Judgment and Makuta Teridax are the same, the personification of cancer. And the ethereal music being techno for the futuristic societies and piano for the emotional, and the creativity of using animals kingdoms. I need more stories like this.
The best synopsis of this game available. This type of storytelling is my favorite because taking time to look through the lands and piecing this information together, building a timeline is the best way to tells story. It makes me truly inhabit the world. I wish I had people to talk to about this game and build a version of this world in my mind.
Idk, man. I would look at the last couple videos and say I've gotten plenty of views these past couple months. Lol. Appreciate the support though, dude! Happy to hear you enjoy these so much! Thanks for watching and Happy Holidays!
As someone with a chronic illness, (not terminal, but if left untreated, I would probably die a slow painful death anyway) the events or plot of the story didn't really matter as much to me as the drifter's suffering in of itself. He accomplished what he set out to do, and died anyways. While that fate lies before all creatures, it perhaps feels more poignant for those who suffer disease and illness. Fortunately, HLD demonstrates that even when confronted by death, there are guides and friends that help you forge a path, which not only gives the time you have left more purpose, but shows that the suffering you're going through can be included in the life you live.
I kind of thought about it, but I'm not totally sure I will just yet. If I do, it's going to be later in 2023. I've got a few things lined up for the first couple months, but I am keeping an eye out for Hyper Light Breaker info. Can't wait to see more on that! Thanks for watching!
I'm glad you ended up going through with making a video on this game. It's a genuine piece of art and more people should know about it. Your video gave it the respect it deserves
I've seen every single HLD video essay on TH-cam, and i came across this video today with zero expectation whatsoever. And I was quite impressed by how fluent your narration felt, it's unlike anything I've seen from an HLD analysis. Honestly this is time well spent on TH-cam and i loved it
Ngl, this video made me want to experience the game and almost cried at the end. Is sad but also nice to see the blue dude last view being a beautiful scenery before darkness after saving the world. It's basically "Dying as a Hero" story with a mix of "Acceptance of Finality". Great work, I hope to see more. You should try to do Lobotomy corporation & Library of luna they are both connected with rich lore and banging soundtracks.
I played this game twice. Once around when it had come out, and another time after I had been diagnosed with Leukemia and it became an entirely different experience. What was once a game I greatly enjoyed, became a piece of art I tie very closely to myself. While the Drifter may not have been able to see the next sunrise, I managed to be able to - not succumbing to my own decay. The game really hit me different after being put in the situation I was. It makes me very happy to randomly come across people still recently covering this game :)
I just started this game to give me a break from a slightly harder game. Thanks for detailing the backstory for me, I'd never have been able to do it myself
Wow, what an amazing video! I haven't been mesmerized by a video game plot narration for a long time but you managed to do it. It absolutely amazes me how indie games are able to tell such convoluted stories without using hour-long cut scenes or in depth dialogues. What also amazes me are the people who are curious enough to dig deep into the world of the so thought small game and show it's actual potential through piecing together what has been scattered throughout the in game world by the developers. You are doing a great job by shedding light onto such gems that are often overlooked. I wish you continue doing such videos as they are always very interesting to watch. Merry Christmas!
I watched the documentary made by the indie team that developed it and the meaning the game had to the creator is enough to make you emotional, I highly recommend watching it. They used a game engine I had been using since I was 17 (gamemaker) and I actually wrote a decompiler for the version it was made on at first. Doing so allowed me to look at all of the assets (sprites, backgrounds, etc) and code that they wrote. I learned so so much doing this, some of the things they did to use the engine was genius part of me wishes I still had it but I promised to delete it after learning what I could. I did the same thing with the original Spelunky game which was made on gamemaker 8 and I still have the source code project for just because of how much it means to me (was the first game I used to learn from). Alex Preston is an amazing guy who made an equally amazing and incredible game and I'm so glad it's getting the attention it deserves.
Great video putting all the info together! As a fellow fan I really appreciated learning a bit of new stuff, I can't believe I never noticed the area with the eggs! However there are some things that I believe you might've gotten wrong: It's very interesting that you think that the south Titan is being dismantled as I never thought of it that way, but I believe that it's being constructed. In the west, we see that the blue people were fighting alongside a Titan, so therefore I think that the Titans were deployed from the south alongside the blue people (and those are the skeletons we see in most other areas since they weren't preserved in crystal, and that also means that the raccoons didn't fight them previous to the cell's explosion). I also liked your take on the enemies being mutated blue people as I again never saw it that way. I don't think there's any evidence to support it but it seems plausible. The south Titan may also be in repairs (as we do see four Titans in the cutscene, and there's the whole mess with the west skeleton that we have no answer for) but that leads me to say that it would be very strange for the lizard scientists to somehow have their facilities operational enough to bring down the whole thing underground, but then disappear without finishing the repairs. The disappearance of the lizards is not something I had ever given much thought and your take on them being destroyed by their own creations seems likely. That would explain why the lizards we see in the game didn't know about the facilities, as they are perhaps descendants of non scientist lizards that lived somewhere else, back when the world prospered. I guess It's also posible that the Titans, blue people and other monster broke loose with the explosion as there is really no way to tell for sure. There are also a couple of claims in your video that I am curious to know what evidence you support these on because I can't recall anything that would prove them. Firstly, that the wellspring is the thing floating above the citadel. With it dissipating as the cell is destroyed, I always saw it as the cell's influence vanishing, wether that is the disease or something else. And secondly, that the drifter is from a far off land, which seeing as he seems to be one of the blue people or a descendant of them I struggle to see how he wouldn't be from the nearby area. Some blue people had to have survived so perhaps they did settle in a further away land? But my main critique of your analysis is that you talk about Judgement as some separate entity that corrupted the cell and I just disagree. I think it's pretty clear that it's a manifestation of the cell's power itself, inferred mainly from the library room in the north, the actual chamber that contains the cell which clearly reassembles Judgement, and of course the fact that when the drifter slays it we can infer that it all may have been a vision and he is seen saying the cell instead. A big part of the story is about how the cell shouldn't have been created, and I think that a separate entity being the one that corrupted it undermines that point a lot. Sorry if I came off a bit harsh, as I still think your video is great and these are just some nitpicks. Cheers!
This was an amazing summary of the story of this game and went into great detail about many things I didn't really know or wasn't clear on even after having played and immensely enjoyed the game. I'm super glad I found your channel and watched this video, it is really really well made and you have a very elegant editing style that totally suits the tone of the game. Very excited to see what other games you cover in the future, I'll stick along for the ride~
I was introduced to the game as a child, and it was my true first realization on how important it is to not confine art to words pointlessly. It showed me how much emotion can be conveyed perfectly and beautifully through visuals and weaponized even more effectively through music to guide you to *feel* exactly what they want you to feel. As a little kid, who was always more of a visual thinker and aspiring to be a artist, I was enthralled. I knew they story was calling for me to discover it, not holding my hand. For some reason, I could relate to the main character; they had something looming over them always, just as I felt I had. Very different situations of course, but I adored the game. I am the youngest of my siblings so I’d always watch my brother play it, curious about the beautiful visuals. Whenever I tried to play it I’d get my ass kicked, but I still had fun watching and listening to the music. Thanks for dragging me back into my Hyper Light Drifter fixation. Haha I’m trying to wrack my brain as to how I understood the story as a kid. I was very aware of the concept of death since a toddler, so that wasn’t something new for me. But I think I could sense the reverence the Jackal character was given, and saw it as a entity wishing to guide all those dying to the path that could make they finally rest peacefully once they did die. Also so one would not die alone, which I thought as comforting. I indeed thought that the ones who wanted to take the power that this Jackal entity had, had them all wrong. They do not hold the power of life, not absolutely at least I think. They are just a observer and a guide, and they respected the laws of life and death. I think judgment in a way is the Jackals other half, the calm of the storm if that makes sense. A sort of force that pushes back all those that desecrate the order of life and death, and in a way, the Jackal themself. Anyways….. that’s all my thoughts at the moment.
Thank you very much! Happy to hear you enjoyed! Someone else recommended Fear & Hunger recently! I took a look at it, and it seems really interesting. Not sure if I'll do a video on it, but if people keep requesting it, I'll take a look at it! Thanks for the request! And thanks for watching! :)
This was impressive man. I got really far in hyper light drifter but didnt beat it yet. I still wanted to see this to get a better understanding of whats happening
Hey dude. I've only found you videos recently and since watched all of them over a couple of days. It's hard to listen to your shout outs to your little one. Having one of my own has changed me a lot and I can't imagine how I'd deal with losing them. It's probably the only thing that really scares me. But I make sure I do listen to the shout outs. Thanks for making the videos.
Man, it's crazy how *everything* changes when the little one is born, isn't it? Lol. I remember my parents telling me when I was little that, "You just don't understand what it's like to be a parent," and I understood that I didn't understand, but I didn't really understand until I had a child of my own, y'know. I hope that all makes sense. Lol. Anyways, thanks for the kind words, man. I appreciate it! This is going to be the last shout out I do for Kieran. I was never fully on-board with doing them cause I felt that they didn't actually add anything to the video, or the game, or the game's story. It felt like all I'd be doing is milking his existence and passing for clout or sympathy, and while I've had some people share their condolences and some very kind words with me, my feelings towards the shout outs haven't really changed since I've started doing them. I won't hide his existence, but I'll remember him on my own. :) Long story short: thanks, dude! Appreciate the kind words, and appreciate all the time you've spent watching! Give your little one a little extra love for me! :)
i love this game, its one of my favorite games of all time. and something felt ... off the whole video even though i love and adore your content. then i reached the outro and you hit the nail on the head. words really struggle to do thisfrankly masterpiece of a game justice.
Thank you so so much for concluding a mysterious world into clear language. The story of Hyper Light Drifter is expressed so abstractly that I found myself couldn’t figure them out. But I was shocked to see how intense the game is after finished watching your video. Thanks again for sharing your understanding. And I really love this game.
For the same reason there's endless fan made content on Undertale (because they want to stay In their beloved world as long as possible) , I'm always on the lookout for any Hyper Light stuff I can get my hands/eyes on. I freakin love this game. I probably play through it twice a year and I listen to the soundtrack all the time. Definitely my favorite indy by a mile. Point being, there's nothing! No animations, no fanfic, all the collective fan art on the web can be looked through in about 30 seconds if you're taking your time and the only gearbitz/collectable video on TH-cam is incomplete. When I went to ETSY to buy some merch there's T-shirts and nothing else☹. So, yeah. Thanks for the video. I'll take whatever I can get.
Thanks so much for this. I tried to piece it together for myself through the gameplay, but it was cryptic and though I got some of the same feelings you expressed, I didn't understand the plot points of the history.
What I found most jarring in this story is going to talk with NPCs about their problems, and thinking "So once I kill the boss, they should be okay." After doing it and going back to see them, though, nothing changed. Their story remained the same. It made me to feel somehow that no matter what good I did to remedy the evil, the pain the characters had experienced would never go away. I wasn't put off by it, though. It felt more real than any game I had played because of it. There was something beautiful in fighting against evil even though it might never be vanquished. I had time to really consider the nature of that world, and how insignificant my actions seemed to every other character. No matter what I achieved, each character had their own story to tell, and seemed so consumed by it that whatever I was doing was hardly relevant. Ultimately this created a greater drive in me to help them, to do so much good that everyone would be free of their pain and have new, happier experiences beyond it. As I watched the end cutscene, And saw the world finally cleansed of the dark entity that plagued it, I inwardly celebrated the potential I hoped I had given the world, the ability to move on from their tragedies and live happier lives. But, thinking about it more deeply, that dark creature wasn't the cause of every evil. Corpses of the otters would still float in the waters of the lake, and the toads would still scour the land in search of those who remained. The eggs in the monastery were still gone, that sole survivor still in hiding. The greatest evil, it seemed, was brought about by the actions of people who lived in the world, rather than the entity that brought the plague and the titans. It made me wonder what lasting effects my own actions might have had on others' lives...
Beautiful, I thought nobody would actually explain the lore behind this masterpiece...it falls so perfectly in line. I have to say, it is my favourite piece of media because of how it lets u openly interpret it...I can say that it is such a base solid that it could rival Star Wars if in the hands of a proper writer. The neon-sh-punk astatic is something I have never seen anywhere else.
SQUATCH AAAAAA You are back! Merry Christmas to you and I loved your Final Station video (watched it during work hours). I have yet to watch this video but your videos are always a blast man. Have a good 2023!!
Thanks so much, General Duckie, and Merry Christmas to you too! Happy to hear you're enjoying these! There will be plenty more to come for 2023, so keep an eye out! :)
This vid finally allowed me to properly understand the story of this amazing game. Now I know that the story is just as good as the gameplay and art style. Thank you
When I got covid I couldn't go to work for two weeks and I spent about 90% of that time playing hyper light drifter. It's one of my top three favorite games of all time.
That was amazing, I was thinking that I knew everything about my favorite game ever but you managed to tell me some lore pieces that I missed or never took the time to think about. Splendid work and I cant wait to see what you come up next
Thanks, man! It's tough sometimes, so it's always nice to be recognized for that. Imagine what it would be like if I didn't work a full time job on top of it. Lol. Happy Holidays, Goberino! Hope you have a good one! :)
Hyper Light Drifter is one of the games that imo changed the indie games industry forever. Its so monumental in its glory and influence. I can't wait for Heart Machine to release Hyper Light Breaker soon. I need to see how/if it ties in with the previous title.
One of the things I would like to add to this (even though it’s probably been mentioned by now) is that the indie studio heart machine was formed by a person suffering from a heart disease. This game is a reflection of his experience having to face every day knowing he could just suddenly die at any moment without warning. It’s why death is a major theme through the entire game. I forget the name of the video, but there is one that goes into it in depth. It talks about how the different areas may represent different aspects of escaping death. For instance, the east may represent the ideal of trying to become bigger than death and overcome it, no matter the consequences on the people around you. Hence the world basically ends, the toads feel threatened after the titan attack, and they take advantage of the weakened otters to pillage all their stuff in an attempt to be prepared for whatever comes next.
Great video, definitely enhances the game for me even like 6 years after playing it. Think you could do Iconoclasts, Hob or Tunic? Those are games with somewhat vague in-game stories that I think could be good fits for your channel (and they are good games in general).
Iconoclasts has been requested/recommended a few times over the years, but I just haven't had the time to look at it. Maybe if some time frees up this year, I'll finally get to focus on it! We'll see what happens! I've heard fantastic things about Tunic, but just like Iconoclasts, I just haven't had the time to take a deeper look. I've never heard of Hob. I just took a quick look at it, and it looks like it could be fun! Another game to add to the pile. Lol. We'll see if I ever get time to play it! Haha. Thanks for all the requests! And thanks for watching!
I like how in the end, your sword is left stabbed into the crystal. The sword being a very prominent part of the Drifter, is almost like losing a piece of yourself, your defense. Which sort of paints your soon awaiting death.
Thanks, for your voice and speach. I tear at the last part. Was WONDERFULL. Thanks for your existence. I hope someone, give too you, some thing you need, in feelings, like you did it to me, a completed unknow. A Drifter.
i remember when you had like 5k subs making hotline miami videos it pleases me to see you rightfully grow this much and i hope that you continue to do so
Man, you've been around for the long haul then, huh? That's so crazy to me! Thanks for all the support through the years! If it wasn't for people like you, I wouldn't still be doing this, so it's all thanks to you! :)
@@SquatchGamingChannel thank you man,i remember finishing hm,the best game i ever played,then craving lore and finding your channel,i watched every single one of your videos,you were producing top quality content from the start,and you were and still are the best youtuber talking about indie games,keep up the good work man💪
I saw this video and went like 2 minutes and and reinstalled this game and man I've had such a blast, when I first played this game I kind of brushed it off as a cute little game with amazing pixel art, I couldn't find anything, didn't understand what I had to do, I never even knew the game had upgrade modules. If it weren't for this video I wouldn't have given this game the second shot it absolutely deserved
Thid reminded me a thing i heard long ago in a podcast - people talking how would a hyper light drifter animated show coukd be Best description was "it has to be three episodes and cost infinity dollars to make". As while the game is pixelart it is breathtaking scenary and combat - so if it were to be animated no expenses should be spared
I think the jackals IS (the original part of) the "perfect" cell, a symbol for the immortality that four races desired, this can be seen in the intro where the four races combine their light (their capabilities) to create the jackal, but it transforms into something completely different and brings about death instead, but at the same time it also brings a form of immortality with it, the one that drifters poses, they die and then they wake up before their death has happened, (the following part is speculation) I believe that the system they created to spread the effects of the perfect cell caused the disease in drifters which grants them an imperfect, painful sudo immortality. In the visions that the drifters all have we see them trying to reach for the cell just to be held back by corruption, the cell being a symbol of true immortality and the corruption being what they got, also notice that only those affected by this ailment have visions of the corruption and the jackal, they both being part of the cell, and in the final moments of the game we can see the jackal glitching out as the cell is no longer in working order, and in the later vision we see the jackal as the doors close in front of it (which is where it first came from in the intro), being forever unattainable the same way true immortality is.
I know the feeling: I wanted to get this out before all of my family gatherings. Managed to do it by the skin of my teeth. Lol. Happy Holidays, Sokaras! Hope you have a good one! Thanks for watching (when/if you do)
When I first saw the opening cutscene, as well as the Judgement cutscenes you get when you collect 4 modules, I misinterpreted it as a premonition for what was to come and thought I would bring about the destruction of the world. I had this feeling that every step was bringing me closer to a terrible fate, but it was like I couldn’t look away, I was compelled to keep going. It’s what drove me to collect every module and monolith before facing judgement on my first playthrough, thinking that maybe if I did everything there was a hope of somehow avoiding this fate… turns out I had completely misunderstood the vision, but it doesn’t matter, the experience was still amazing despite this - or perhaps because of it?? I recently remembered that they were making a sequel to this game, which I had avoided learning about because of spoilers. But after watching what trailers and descriptions I could find, I can’t help but feel a little… disappointed. The animated trailer is dynamic and exciting, but take a step back and the fighting seems kind of routine and meaningless. The gameplay trailer seemed so focused on combat, there didn’t seem to be any indication of a story tying it together. I had to look in the heart machine dev notes to get a better idea of the story, but even then it feels really vague. I hope I’m wrong, but it feels like Breaker is missing the essence of wonder and mystery that made the first game so captivating. But again, this is all just a very surface-level impression based on not much information, so I would love to be proven wrong.
I 100%'d this game recently and god damn, I had to watch an actual video to understand certain things and you can bet I'm double dipping here! Keep up the great work! Just a silly question: Given we're getting Risk of Rain Returns (and it seems it'll have some extra material) will you give a try on it too in the future?
Yeah, it gets pretty difficult to understand at times. Honestly, I'm still not entirely sure about some of the stuff in that cryptic intro! Lol. Just goes to show that we can also improve and learn, and it's a good day when we learn something new! :) Not a silly question at all! The only silly question is one that is unasked. I'll be honest: I was a little disappointed to find out that Hopoo's new game was a remake of Risk of Rain 1. I was expecting an entirely new game, but it is what it is. I am interested to see if they're going to expand on the lore in the first game a bit more to give us more answers to some questions that we have, like stating *exactly* why Providence attacked the UES Contact Light and maybe getting some other logs of the other creatures on Petrichor V. But I don't expect too many new things. I may play it a bit just to have some fun though. It is a super fun game! What are your thoughts on it?
@@SquatchGamingChannel I'm kinda mixed tbh. Game's presentation looks incredible but I'm afraid it'll be just a very "traditional" remake, without much thought about the lore or unanswered questions. Personally I'd like to see an adjacent story, something like on space that could resonate with ROR but enough to not hit Gearbox's lawyers attention lol (maybe with their permission they could do something like a Acrid's platformer/metroidvania game lol Or another game set on Deadbolt universe. I just want more RoR tbh :( Merry Xmas btw!
Yeah, it does *look* gorgeous, that's for sure! I just reread the update they put out with regards to the game, and they've said they're going to be adding items from RoR2 into the game (I don't thin it's a stretch to say Lunar Items may make an appearance), which makes me think that there will be new logbook entries, but those could very much end up being the RoR2 logbook entries copy-pasted into the game. I guess we'll just have to wait to see. That would be pretty interesting! Maybe something telling how he got caught by the Void Reavers? I'd play that for sure. I agree though, I would prefer something new over something we've already seen before, but I'll hold out judgement until we get more information! At the very least, I hope the game is fun to play (which it should be - Hopoo has always delivered on that front) Merry Christmas, Griffsen! Hope you've had a good one! :)
I love this video so much and a lot of it makes sense. However, I am inclined to believe that the rifts mentioned in the north monolith is referring to the rift between people perhaps specifically due to the religious schisms of the region. After all the full text before and with it and after reads: TRANSCENDENCE FAITH IN MORTALITY (of IMMORTALITY)/RIFTS CRAFTED, DANGEROUS POTENTIAL/A FOUNDATION FOR FAITH & VIOLENCE/A LOSS OF SELF, A NARROW PATH TRAVELED. Could also be rifts between different species even once not of the bird kind. But who knows?
@@SquatchGamingChannel oh yeah, on your last video you asked if the new update to haiku adds more stuff, it adds some interesting bits of lore, there is also a statue that you have to get to within 23 minutes or something ridiculous like that, not sure if it adds to the lore but it's there, just thought I would let ya know, can't wait to see what's in store next
Nice! That's good to know! Good looking out, man! I've got a rough schedule for the next couple months, but not sure how things are looking around March/April. I might take a dive into Haiku then... We'll see!
I remember feeling.. sad, empty at the end.. it was a surreal experience for me, a long, hard experience.. but in the end.. I've accomplished the task.
I finally know the full story never played the game but came back to this series to study it from time to time . i love lore vids ONE other that reminded me of this game was immortal planet when it dropped witch had similar feels in a way and leaves stuff to be discovered by playing. now i see why the sequel to this game has the other races in it . cant wait!
I think the themes of hyperlight drifter are specifically based in the fear of death and how some react to it differently. With each boss representing a different way of how a person can respond to the inevitability of death.
The Anubis that follows the drifter is most likely a grim reaper like figure who has appeared to the drifter and the guardian as a warning of their impending death, however the Anubis is not a threat, it’s simply leading the two to their death as it knows their lives are coming to an end.
The fact that the Anubis is not antagonistic is perhaps the most significant aspect of the themes of death as the game implicitly tries to send the message that you shouldn’t fear the inevitability of dying as it’s a natural part of nature.
I actually believe that The mural of the four races holding lights that connect them together isn’t supposed to be worshipping the Anubis,
After all The four races united to create the immortal cell in the hope of finding immortal life which is to say that the four races feared deaths and sought to avoid it. The light that surrounds the Anubis in the centre of the mural is a symbolic barrier that separates the Anubis from the four races.
perhaps to symbolise how the four races united together in the hope of avoiding death. That is why In the end the mural breaks apart and all lights turn off, with the immortal cell gone the four races are not only free from the cataclysm that destroyed the old world but also free from the fear of death
The boss of the north(hierophant) is a tyrannical cult leader who represents the use of religion as a way to deal with the fear of death by convincing followers of the idea that ceremonial sacrifices such as the ones that involved the breaking of hatchling eggs are necessary for avoiding death, when you defeat the hierophant it’s revealed that he was two people trying to seem more imposing than they actually were. This could a symbolic way of showing how they were charlatans who convinced the people of the north that their despotism was divine and righteous. That could be why everyone leaves when you defeat the hierophant, they realise the hierophant was never a god and that they were wrong for believing in them.
The hierophant could also act as a warning for the drifter of what happens when you seek to avoid death so hard that you begin to believe in mystical ways of cheating death. The cult used infant sacrifices and the drifter in run is chasing the immortal cell, while the two are different things they both assume that their goals will save them from death.
The boss of the east,(the hermit)
Could be a representation of selfishness in the face of death. The frog people that invaded the east enslaved the people living in the east and the hermit has shut itself from the rest of the world, constantly engorging on people to live.
The hermit fears death so much that it hides away in a cave and is willing to kill and eat people for its own well-being.
This could also be warning for the drifter of what he could become if he allows his fear of death consume him to the point that he’s willing to hurt innocent people for his own benefit just to survive
At first I was not sure what the boss of the west could represent however I’ve come to the conclusion that (the hanged man) represents the willingness to continue living even when living is worse than dying.
I think this has to do with how the west seems to be infected with the crystals that continually grow and preserve people who are trapped inside them and it’s seems as if the hanged man himself is infected with crystals himself. In that sense the hanged is so afraid of death that even if he is in constant pain from this crystal like infection, he still continues to live because he doesn’t want to face death. This could be a warning for the drifter of the kind of life he could have if he doesn’t come to terms with his anxiety around dying and how the refusal to accept your death could lead you to living a life so painful that you’d be better of dead.
And finally I think the bosses of the south are meant to represent the idea that you can avoid through science. Every boss in the south is a mechanical robot and we see how the people of the south were experimenting in creating synthetic life, which ultimately failed and left everyone including the land dead and barren. Perhaps a final statement for the drifter that not even science can help cheat death.
In the end,
The drifter and the guardian are both characters who are desperate to save themselves from the illness that’s killing them, and the story is ultimately about how the drifter has to come to terms with the inevitability of his own death and that the quest for the immortality is futile. With The final boss judgement being the embodiment of the fear of death that haunts the guardian and the drifter. That’s why when the drifter kills judgement, he aswell destroys the immortal cell as the drifter has come to terms with his mortality.
The drifter dies but he dies at peace with himself knowing he saved the world, with the final shot of the world now at peace being a way of showing how despite the drifter’s death, life goes on.
Dang that’s honestly pretty thought out I just kind of wish the creators would really clarify any of their story but I kind of love how mysterious it is
I also see in each area the five stages of grief, one for each area:
Denial lies East, for the Toads cared not for death or were simply ignorant of the dangers because, finally, they could get the hyperlight from the otters. The Hermit lives in complete, placid isolation...in a false idyll where he is safe, fed and "alive".
Anger lies West, with the Warring Raccoons. The assault of the blue folk still remains with them, especially their general with his persistence even amid a terrible hyperlight infection. Unable to let go of the fight, they war on for it is all they can now to stave off death...yet "live" they don't seem to either.
Bargaining was the Lizards' deal, who thought to evade death through artifice. Their attempts to enhance biology (likely to survive better than ever), building mechanical wonders and automata seems like a means to circumvent death, bargaining their very nature to elude their end. That "offer" ended up their downfall in a most karmic fashion.
Depression, believe it or not, is the avian's fate. Those who are gripped with strong negative emotions are easily led by others...and a zealous cult, no matter its heresies, fans the flames of life all the same. Embracing nihilism and such vile religion to lift themselves out of their depths set their home and culture on fire so much, the shadows they cast smothered all.
Lastly, there is Acceptance...which we find, fittingly, in the Drifter at the centre of it all. Embracing death, means to live...thus it is that, by sacrificing his life and accepting their end, the Drifter allowed Life to return to the world. They might die, yet they died having lived to their fullest while allowing the world to be freed from the nightmare.
The story really hits home when you find out it's allegorical to the creators own life of battling an incurable illness that will one day kill him, and his struggles to accept that and do something meaningful for others despite the pain.
Even the Name of the Production Company has to do with this. It is truly inspiring. ❤
Hyper light drifter to me was the story of the one dash challenge consuming too many hours of my life.
It's actually super easy on keyboard controls
Oh my god it took me like a month of trying at least a few times a day before I managed it on ps4
Auto clicker lol
116 my record, i almost die because so much focusing.
@Kynokefalos much easier on keyboard. I started playing yesterday and got 807 as my highest today
My favorite interpretation of the story is that the jackal is anubis, and each of the 4 regions and cultures reflect how people react to the fear of death. The birds in the north turn to religion to save them. The raccoons to the west fight back against death. The lizards to the south use technology to prevent death. And the frogs to the east turn to gluttony, thinking that they might as well live lavishly in their last moments. Anubis appears before the drifters because they are going to die and wants to guide them to the afterlife, and brings them to the land of light in order to provide them with the answers so they can die at peace instead of being left with questions.
interesting how the most peaceful area is the center town, in the middle of all four failed societies. The town is directly on top of judgement’s boss room, but they undoubtedly have the best lives of anyone in the other regions. It’s a subtle way of saying, “maybe the best way to accept death isn’t to run away, try to control it, or try to fight it, but to simply accept it and move forward knowing it’s there.”
@@marselo1316 like a bith
@@marselo1316 why people cannot claim eternal life because they can't?
that is such overrated thing to say death is not peaceful or nice it's cold and indifferent and one day nothing will be remembered
@@whiteeye9584 learn to spell
@@JeronimoStilton14 i said bith without c because you tube will delete this coment
What I love the most about this story, is that the 4 civilizations didn't end.
They didn't go to war, and kill each other: they traded knowledge and secrets
Then, when something came to disrupt this growing prosperity, they didn't crumble in the face of adversity. Not at first anyway.
They did everything right. But at the end, it wasn't enough. The fights with the giants were won, but at a cost, and that led to their inevitable downfall to the forces either within, or that bordered them, and had just never gone away, simply a cancer in remission.
Even then, that wasn't the end for them.
Before the Drifter appeared, they were rebuilding in the center. Now, of course, they were all still in great danger of the BBEG, and were surviving through the charity of other Drifters. But still, they were surviving.
Fundamentally, the story of Hyper Light Drifter is a story of survival against all odds. Of embracing change, other cultures. Even, at the end, Death. All things often considered 'other', but here we see what is to be feared more is the repudiation of these things.
It’s a very optimistic story! Even if the past civilisation was destroyed in an apocalyptic cataclysm, life goes on and the people are still united in a new society which is why I don’t think the ending itself is as sad as it might seem.
Yeah the drifter died but they destroyed the immortal cell and saved the world, and with that life goes on.
The dialogue of the elder lizard in the south makes it seem more like the lizards only discovered the underground labs. Not necessarily that they created them.
I also like the theory that the south was where the titans were manufactured. The one that looks like it's being taken apart could also look like it's being assembled.
It makes sense as well when you think of judgement as a rogue AI and the perfect cell as a nanomachine meant to rejuvenate their bodies. Essentially they were used to gain more test subjects perhaps.
Also I believe the disease is judgement breaking down the host to increase the amount of nanomachines as well as study the creature. I believe the jackal to be some sort of security protocol to restrict judgement and that's why it had to do everything in a parasitic way through the lizards.
@@rykroesethis is also supported by there not being lizard skeletons in the labs, instead they look human.
In general I think the blue people came from there, and that they are an artificial species made to fight the other races by the immortal cell, which then. Through the eons malfunctioned slowly turning then into the dirks like we see in the game.
There are also no lizard statues in the south unlike all the other directions, which again suggests that they weren't the main people of the south.
I have been thinking about this game for the past like, 6 years or so. And I have been convinced this is what was intended since late 2018
@@Bootleg_Megumin But how about the lizard picture on the united races fresco, and big statues of four races at the central dungeon? Its probably spend a lot of years, so generation of lizards forgot about their past before disaster and war
@@ДаниилБогданов-ж4о I think it's an intentional diversion. Nothing else in the game points to them being the creators of the underground complex
When I searched for this I didn't expect to find a video so recent, good to see this masterpiece hasn't been forgotten over these 6 years.
You really did the game justice with this video. It was already my favourite game but this gave me a new level of understanding and appreciation for certain details I had overlooked. You topped it off perfectly by describing it as "art", truly no better word to describe it.
Having played through Solar Ash for the first time just a few days ago to help bridge the gap towards Hyper Light Breaker, I noticed very similar thematic elements to HLD, mainly in that embracing the certainty of death is what allows you to live life. Don't act in a vain attempt to delay death, act in understanding that you, and everyone, will one day die, as it will truly allow you to cherish what you have now, and hopefully inspire you to help leave those that come next with a world more beautiful than the one you left behind.
Heart Machine have truly cemented themselves as my favourite devs, and to do that in only 2 games is seriously impressive. I think it's because their games describe life so perfectly; beautiful and tragic.
Thanks for giving me a place to air my thoughts, never had an opportunity to talk to anyone I know about this game/dev, but they definitely deserve more eyes on them.
Also, not really sure this is the best place to address this, but my thoughts and prayers go out to you and your partner. No one deserves the pain you've been through. As long as you're doing what you love, and in turn providing others with something they love, then he definitely would have been proud of you. I can't pretend to know it will get easier, but I do know he would have been happy to see you both happy.
Hyper Light Drifter is one of the most impressively beautiful games I've ever played, and because of that, I will always have massive respect for Heart Machine and the stories they create.
This was a very good explanation of what I never quite understood properly, and now I feel at peace with this story.
Thank you good sir.
I want to give a shout out to @Harrison-Consoli for his wonderful presentation of the story of the game. If you were left unsatisfied by my telling (which I wouldn’t be surprised by) and/or are wanting more on the story of Hyper Light Drifter, check out his video! It’s beautifully put together and way better than mine!
th-cam.com/video/TqOjrYOOLNk/w-d-xo.html
If you didn't like the length (or storytelling in mine), you might like the video made by @LocalContentShow as it's much shorter. Give it a watch if you'd like!
th-cam.com/video/sgRe79q2tzo/w-d-xo.html
And as I say in the video, if you've got any interpretations/thoughts/feelings or would like to point out something I missed, feel free to! I'd love to hear them!
Thanks for watching!
I love your take on the story, although it's sad that we will know what is the true story, I love the fact that everyone can understand the story how they feel. Merry christmas!
@@crancha7721 Honestly this game does a great job on its storytelling since it's so abstract that you fill in your own pieces and I felt that made for a much more personal story than most stories that spoon feed you info, not to say those are bad but I felt a personal connection to this game's story that I haven't felt in any other game
Please do a video essay on Ace combat 7
What wondered me about this game back in 2016 was the deep references to Ghibli's movie Nausicaa, and the backstory about facing illness like Bionicle, after all Judgment and Makuta Teridax are the same, the personification of cancer. And the ethereal music being techno for the futuristic societies and piano for the emotional, and the creativity of using animals kingdoms. I need more stories like this.
Hell yeah, dude! I think we all need more stories like this. . .
Never though about how similar this felt to bionicle, but its super true
This is one of my favorite games of all time. I'm glad you're covering it.
Hopefully I did it justice (as much as I can anyways)! Thanks so much for watching! Appreciate the time spent! :)
@@SquatchGamingChannel You did a really great job at it.
The best synopsis of this game available. This type of storytelling is my favorite because taking time to look through the lands and piecing this information together, building a timeline is the best way to tells story. It makes me truly inhabit the world. I wish I had people to talk to about this game and build a version of this world in my mind.
You getting less views is what bother me. I never skip your story telling because it's got me hooked every second. Good job mate.
Idk, man. I would look at the last couple videos and say I've gotten plenty of views these past couple months. Lol. Appreciate the support though, dude! Happy to hear you enjoy these so much!
Thanks for watching and Happy Holidays!
@@SquatchGamingChannel please do a video essay on Ace combat 7
@@ninjammer726 Jets go pew pew boom in the 7th installment of the game, lol.
As someone with a chronic illness, (not terminal, but if left untreated, I would probably die a slow painful death anyway) the events or plot of the story didn't really matter as much to me as the drifter's suffering in of itself. He accomplished what he set out to do, and died anyways. While that fate lies before all creatures, it perhaps feels more poignant for those who suffer disease and illness.
Fortunately, HLD demonstrates that even when confronted by death, there are guides and friends that help you forge a path, which not only gives the time you have left more purpose, but shows that the suffering you're going through can be included in the life you live.
When you find someone else with a chronic illness :D
Hope to see you eventually do for the next game recently released by these devs, Solar Ash
I kind of thought about it, but I'm not totally sure I will just yet. If I do, it's going to be later in 2023. I've got a few things lined up for the first couple months, but I am keeping an eye out for Hyper Light Breaker info. Can't wait to see more on that!
Thanks for watching!
@@SquatchGamingChannel please do a video essay on Ace combat 7
I'm glad you ended up going through with making a video on this game. It's a genuine piece of art and more people should know about it. Your video gave it the respect it deserves
I didn’t think people were still finding this amazing gem of a game.
I've seen every single HLD video essay on TH-cam, and i came across this video today with zero expectation whatsoever. And I was quite impressed by how fluent your narration felt, it's unlike anything I've seen from an HLD analysis. Honestly this is time well spent on TH-cam and i loved it
Ngl, this video made me want to experience the game and almost cried at the end.
Is sad but also nice to see the blue dude last view being a beautiful scenery before darkness after saving the world. It's basically "Dying as a Hero" story with a mix of "Acceptance of Finality".
Great work, I hope to see more. You should try to do Lobotomy corporation & Library of luna they are both connected with rich lore and banging soundtracks.
I played this game twice. Once around when it had come out, and another time after I had been diagnosed with Leukemia and it became an entirely different experience. What was once a game I greatly enjoyed, became a piece of art I tie very closely to myself. While the Drifter may not have been able to see the next sunrise, I managed to be able to - not succumbing to my own decay. The game really hit me different after being put in the situation I was. It makes me very happy to randomly come across people still recently covering this game :)
Hope you're doing okay man!!
I just started this game to give me a break from a slightly harder game. Thanks for detailing the backstory for me, I'd never have been able to do it myself
Your one of the best story narrators out there. Merry Christmas mate and happy new year!
You think so? Thanks a lot! Happy to hear you enjoy! :)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Tea mask! Hope you have a good one!
I second this!
@@SquatchGamingChannel please do a video essay on Ace combat 7
Wow, what an amazing video! I haven't been mesmerized by a video game plot narration for a long time but you managed to do it. It absolutely amazes me how indie games are able to tell such convoluted stories without using hour-long cut scenes or in depth dialogues. What also amazes me are the people who are curious enough to dig deep into the world of the so thought small game and show it's actual potential through piecing together what has been scattered throughout the in game world by the developers. You are doing a great job by shedding light onto such gems that are often overlooked. I wish you continue doing such videos as they are always very interesting to watch. Merry Christmas!
I watched the documentary made by the indie team that developed it and the meaning the game had to the creator is enough to make you emotional, I highly recommend watching it. They used a game engine I had been using since I was 17 (gamemaker) and I actually wrote a decompiler for the version it was made on at first. Doing so allowed me to look at all of the assets (sprites, backgrounds, etc) and code that they wrote. I learned so so much doing this, some of the things they did to use the engine was genius part of me wishes I still had it but I promised to delete it after learning what I could. I did the same thing with the original Spelunky game which was made on gamemaker 8 and I still have the source code project for just because of how much it means to me (was the first game I used to learn from). Alex Preston is an amazing guy who made an equally amazing and incredible game and I'm so glad it's getting the attention it deserves.
Great video putting all the info together! As a fellow fan I really appreciated learning a bit of new stuff, I can't believe I never noticed the area with the eggs! However there are some things that I believe you might've gotten wrong:
It's very interesting that you think that the south Titan is being dismantled as I never thought of it that way, but I believe that it's being constructed. In the west, we see that the blue people were fighting alongside a Titan, so therefore I think that the Titans were deployed from the south alongside the blue people (and those are the skeletons we see in most other areas since they weren't preserved in crystal, and that also means that the raccoons didn't fight them previous to the cell's explosion). I also liked your take on the enemies being mutated blue people as I again never saw it that way. I don't think there's any evidence to support it but it seems plausible.
The south Titan may also be in repairs (as we do see four Titans in the cutscene, and there's the whole mess with the west skeleton that we have no answer for) but that leads me to say that it would be very strange for the lizard scientists to somehow have their facilities operational enough to bring down the whole thing underground, but then disappear without finishing the repairs. The disappearance of the lizards is not something I had ever given much thought and your take on them being destroyed by their own creations seems likely. That would explain why the lizards we see in the game didn't know about the facilities, as they are perhaps descendants of non scientist lizards that lived somewhere else, back when the world prospered. I guess It's also posible that the Titans, blue people and other monster broke loose with the explosion as there is really no way to tell for sure.
There are also a couple of claims in your video that I am curious to know what evidence you support these on because I can't recall anything that would prove them. Firstly, that the wellspring is the thing floating above the citadel. With it dissipating as the cell is destroyed, I always saw it as the cell's influence vanishing, wether that is the disease or something else. And secondly, that the drifter is from a far off land, which seeing as he seems to be one of the blue people or a descendant of them I struggle to see how he wouldn't be from the nearby area. Some blue people had to have survived so perhaps they did settle in a further away land?
But my main critique of your analysis is that you talk about Judgement as some separate entity that corrupted the cell and I just disagree. I think it's pretty clear that it's a manifestation of the cell's power itself, inferred mainly from the library room in the north, the actual chamber that contains the cell which clearly reassembles Judgement, and of course the fact that when the drifter slays it we can infer that it all may have been a vision and he is seen saying the cell instead. A big part of the story is about how the cell shouldn't have been created, and I think that a separate entity being the one that corrupted it undermines that point a lot.
Sorry if I came off a bit harsh, as I still think your video is great and these are just some nitpicks. Cheers!
What a brilliant breakdown. Thank you.
This was an amazing summary of the story of this game and went into great detail about many things I didn't really know or wasn't clear on even after having played and immensely enjoyed the game. I'm super glad I found your channel and watched this video, it is really really well made and you have a very elegant editing style that totally suits the tone of the game. Very excited to see what other games you cover in the future, I'll stick along for the ride~
I was introduced to the game as a child, and it was my true first realization on how important it is to not confine art to words pointlessly. It showed me how much emotion can be conveyed perfectly and beautifully through visuals and weaponized even more effectively through music to guide you to *feel* exactly what they want you to feel. As a little kid, who was always more of a visual thinker and aspiring to be a artist, I was enthralled. I knew they story was calling for me to discover it, not holding my hand.
For some reason, I could relate to the main character; they had something looming over them always, just as I felt I had. Very different situations of course, but I adored the game. I am the youngest of my siblings so I’d always watch my brother play it, curious about the beautiful visuals. Whenever I tried to play it I’d get my ass kicked, but I still had fun watching and listening to the music.
Thanks for dragging me back into my Hyper Light Drifter fixation. Haha
I’m trying to wrack my brain as to how I understood the story as a kid. I was very aware of the concept of death since a toddler, so that wasn’t something new for me. But I think I could sense the reverence the Jackal character was given, and saw it as a entity wishing to guide all those dying to the path that could make they finally rest peacefully once they did die. Also so one would not die alone, which I thought as comforting.
I indeed thought that the ones who wanted to take the power that this Jackal entity had, had them all wrong. They do not hold the power of life, not absolutely at least I think. They are just a observer and a guide, and they respected the laws of life and death. I think judgment in a way is the Jackals other half, the calm of the storm if that makes sense. A sort of force that pushes back all those that desecrate the order of life and death, and in a way, the Jackal themself.
Anyways….. that’s all my thoughts at the moment.
I always loved the vibe of this game. Thanks for another great summary!
This video is really good! Please do fear and hunger and the characters!
Thank you very much! Happy to hear you enjoyed!
Someone else recommended Fear & Hunger recently! I took a look at it, and it seems really interesting. Not sure if I'll do a video on it, but if people keep requesting it, I'll take a look at it!
Thanks for the request! And thanks for watching! :)
@@SquatchGamingChannel please do a video essay on Ace combat 7
@@SquatchGamingChannel always buddy much love
This was impressive man. I got really far in hyper light drifter but didnt beat it yet. I still wanted to see this to get a better understanding of whats happening
Hey dude. I've only found you videos recently and since watched all of them over a couple of days. It's hard to listen to your shout outs to your little one. Having one of my own has changed me a lot and I can't imagine how I'd deal with losing them. It's probably the only thing that really scares me. But I make sure I do listen to the shout outs. Thanks for making the videos.
Man, it's crazy how *everything* changes when the little one is born, isn't it? Lol.
I remember my parents telling me when I was little that, "You just don't understand what it's like to be a parent," and I understood that I didn't understand, but I didn't really understand until I had a child of my own, y'know. I hope that all makes sense. Lol.
Anyways, thanks for the kind words, man. I appreciate it! This is going to be the last shout out I do for Kieran. I was never fully on-board with doing them cause I felt that they didn't actually add anything to the video, or the game, or the game's story. It felt like all I'd be doing is milking his existence and passing for clout or sympathy, and while I've had some people share their condolences and some very kind words with me, my feelings towards the shout outs haven't really changed since I've started doing them. I won't hide his existence, but I'll remember him on my own. :)
Long story short: thanks, dude! Appreciate the kind words, and appreciate all the time you've spent watching! Give your little one a little extra love for me! :)
i love this game, its one of my favorite games of all time. and something felt ... off the whole video even though i love and adore your content. then i reached the outro and you hit the nail on the head. words really struggle to do thisfrankly masterpiece of a game justice.
Thank you so so much for concluding a mysterious world into clear language. The story of Hyper Light Drifter is expressed so abstractly that I found myself couldn’t figure them out. But I was shocked to see how intense the game is after finished watching your video. Thanks again for sharing your understanding. And I really love this game.
For the same reason there's endless fan made content on Undertale (because they want to stay In their beloved world as long as possible) , I'm always on the lookout for any Hyper Light stuff I can get my hands/eyes on. I freakin love this game. I probably play through it twice a year and I listen to the soundtrack all the time. Definitely my favorite indy by a mile.
Point being, there's nothing! No animations, no fanfic, all the collective fan art on the web can be looked through in about 30 seconds if you're taking your time and the only gearbitz/collectable video on TH-cam is incomplete. When I went to ETSY to buy some merch there's T-shirts and nothing else☹. So, yeah. Thanks for the video. I'll take whatever I can get.
I can't wait for Hyper Light Breaker to be released. I hope this game will be as atmospheric and mysterious as the Drifter
You love to see it, Merry Early Christmas Squatch!
Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for watching! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, Parkey! :)
god i love this game so much. i really hope the new drifter game coming out this year hits the same mark as HLD.
This was exactly the video I was searching for so thank you for making it, now I appreciate the game even more.
Thanks so much for this. I tried to piece it together for myself through the gameplay, but it was cryptic and though I got some of the same feelings you expressed, I didn't understand the plot points of the history.
Just finished the game. Now it makes so much sense. Well done.
Pls keep up the good work !! I can listen to you all day. I really like how creepy the giant look , they surely inspire by EVA.
I think judgement instead of corrupting the Immortal cell is an avatar of sorts of the corrupted immortal cell.
happy holidays squatch, thank u for this present
Happy Holidays, Bean Bot! Thank *you* for watching!
What I found most jarring in this story is going to talk with NPCs about their problems, and thinking "So once I kill the boss, they should be okay." After doing it and going back to see them, though, nothing changed. Their story remained the same. It made me to feel somehow that no matter what good I did to remedy the evil, the pain the characters had experienced would never go away. I wasn't put off by it, though. It felt more real than any game I had played because of it. There was something beautiful in fighting against evil even though it might never be vanquished. I had time to really consider the nature of that world, and how insignificant my actions seemed to every other character. No matter what I achieved, each character had their own story to tell, and seemed so consumed by it that whatever I was doing was hardly relevant. Ultimately this created a greater drive in me to help them, to do so much good that everyone would be free of their pain and have new, happier experiences beyond it. As I watched the end cutscene, And saw the world finally cleansed of the dark entity that plagued it, I inwardly celebrated the potential I hoped I had given the world, the ability to move on from their tragedies and live happier lives. But, thinking about it more deeply, that dark creature wasn't the cause of every evil. Corpses of the otters would still float in the waters of the lake, and the toads would still scour the land in search of those who remained. The eggs in the monastery were still gone, that sole survivor still in hiding. The greatest evil, it seemed, was brought about by the actions of people who lived in the world, rather than the entity that brought the plague and the titans. It made me wonder what lasting effects my own actions might have had on others' lives...
Beautiful, I thought nobody would actually explain the lore behind this masterpiece...it falls so perfectly in line.
I have to say, it is my favourite piece of media because of how it lets u openly interpret it...I can say that it is such a base solid that it could rival Star Wars if in the hands of a proper writer. The neon-sh-punk astatic is something I have never seen anywhere else.
beautiful synopsis 🙂 I never got to finish HLD and this video definitely makes me want to pick it up again.
SQUATCH AAAAAA You are back! Merry Christmas to you and I loved your Final Station video (watched it during work hours). I have yet to watch this video but your videos are always a blast man. Have a good 2023!!
Thanks so much, General Duckie, and Merry Christmas to you too! Happy to hear you're enjoying these! There will be plenty more to come for 2023, so keep an eye out! :)
This vid finally allowed me to properly understand the story of this amazing game. Now I know that the story is just as good as the gameplay and art style.
Thank you
When I got covid I couldn't go to work for two weeks and I spent about 90% of that time playing hyper light drifter. It's one of my top three favorite games of all time.
That was amazing, I was thinking that I knew everything about my favorite game ever but you managed to tell me some lore pieces that I missed or never took the time to think about. Splendid work and I cant wait to see what you come up next
Your content grind has been immaculate this Christmas, happy holidays
Thanks, man! It's tough sometimes, so it's always nice to be recognized for that. Imagine what it would be like if I didn't work a full time job on top of it. Lol.
Happy Holidays, Goberino! Hope you have a good one! :)
Hyper Light Drifter is one of the games that imo changed the indie games industry forever. Its so monumental in its glory and influence.
I can't wait for Heart Machine to release Hyper Light Breaker soon. I need to see how/if it ties in with the previous title.
The way your voice would be rasp or kinda crack at times is very endearing. Amazing video! It reminds me of Sable
Thanks to this video, I started playing this game. Thanks man, much appreciated
always a joy whenever you upload
Thanks so much for watching, Raghu! I appreciate it! :)
One of the things I would like to add to this (even though it’s probably been mentioned by now) is that the indie studio heart machine was formed by a person suffering from a heart disease. This game is a reflection of his experience having to face every day knowing he could just suddenly die at any moment without warning. It’s why death is a major theme through the entire game.
I forget the name of the video, but there is one that goes into it in depth. It talks about how the different areas may represent different aspects of escaping death. For instance, the east may represent the ideal of trying to become bigger than death and overcome it, no matter the consequences on the people around you. Hence the world basically ends, the toads feel threatened after the titan attack, and they take advantage of the weakened otters to pillage all their stuff in an attempt to be prepared for whatever comes next.
This video is like a present for Christmas
Hopefully it didn't turn out to be coal in a stocking. Lol.
Thanks for watching! Hope you enjoyed! :)
Great video, definitely enhances the game for me even like 6 years after playing it. Think you could do Iconoclasts, Hob or Tunic? Those are games with somewhat vague in-game stories that I think could be good fits for your channel (and they are good games in general).
Iconoclasts has been requested/recommended a few times over the years, but I just haven't had the time to look at it. Maybe if some time frees up this year, I'll finally get to focus on it! We'll see what happens!
I've heard fantastic things about Tunic, but just like Iconoclasts, I just haven't had the time to take a deeper look.
I've never heard of Hob. I just took a quick look at it, and it looks like it could be fun! Another game to add to the pile. Lol. We'll see if I ever get time to play it! Haha.
Thanks for all the requests! And thanks for watching!
I like how in the end, your sword is left stabbed into the crystal. The sword being a very prominent part of the Drifter, is almost like losing a piece of yourself, your defense. Which sort of paints your soon awaiting death.
Thanks, for your voice and speach. I tear at the last part. Was WONDERFULL. Thanks for your existence. I hope someone, give too you, some thing you need, in feelings, like you did it to me, a completed unknow. A Drifter.
i remember when you had like 5k subs making hotline miami videos
it pleases me to see you rightfully grow this much
and i hope that you continue to do so
Man, you've been around for the long haul then, huh? That's so crazy to me!
Thanks for all the support through the years! If it wasn't for people like you, I wouldn't still be doing this, so it's all thanks to you! :)
@@SquatchGamingChannel thank you man,i remember finishing hm,the best game i ever played,then craving lore and finding your channel,i watched every single one of your videos,you were producing top quality content from the start,and you were and still are the best youtuber talking about indie games,keep up the good work man💪
Wth bro this video is insanely good. Thank you so much.
que vídeo incrível, não esperava encontrar algo tão profundo sobre a lore do game, amei o jogo mas entender mais sobre a história deixou tudo melhor
This channel is incredibly underrated
Idk, I think I do pretty good for myself. Lol. Appreciate the sentiment though! :)
Thanks so much for watching, man! Appreciate it!
The guy who made dead cells’ story is back with another banger video let’s goooo
I saw this video and went like 2 minutes and and reinstalled this game and man I've had such a blast, when I first played this game I kind of brushed it off as a cute little game with amazing pixel art, I couldn't find anything, didn't understand what I had to do, I never even knew the game had upgrade modules. If it weren't for this video I wouldn't have given this game the second shot it absolutely deserved
This guy is cool, this guy gets story summaries, Subscribed!
Just wanted to add this was the first soulslike game I ever played and it kicked my ass something fierce
Lets go baby! My favorite game got a lore video by squatch lets goooooooo!
Man with disease fights death befriends dog and forgives death
Way better than my version. Dunno why I used so many words to say it. Lol.
Thanks for watching!
Thid reminded me a thing i heard long ago in a podcast - people talking how would a hyper light drifter animated show coukd be
Best description was "it has to be three episodes and cost infinity dollars to make". As while the game is pixelart it is breathtaking scenary and combat - so if it were to be animated no expenses should be spared
Well done man, i always wondered what the story was and so far yous makes alotta sense
I think the jackals IS (the original part of) the "perfect" cell, a symbol for the immortality that four races desired, this can be seen in the intro where the four races combine their light (their capabilities) to create the jackal, but it transforms into something completely different and brings about death instead, but at the same time it also brings a form of immortality with it, the one that drifters poses, they die and then they wake up before their death has happened, (the following part is speculation) I believe that the system they created to spread the effects of the perfect cell caused the disease in drifters which grants them an imperfect, painful sudo immortality.
In the visions that the drifters all have we see them trying to reach for the cell just to be held back by corruption, the cell being a symbol of true immortality and the corruption being what they got, also notice that only those affected by this ailment have visions of the corruption and the jackal, they both being part of the cell, and in the final moments of the game we can see the jackal glitching out as the cell is no longer in working order, and in the later vision we see the jackal as the doors close in front of it (which is where it first came from in the intro), being forever unattainable the same way true immortality is.
YESSSS I asked for this so long ago and he answered, I've been hyped fos this since
Sorry for the wait! Thanks for watching!
@@SquatchGamingChannel No worries bro, great job on the video, as always
Oh nice will definetally need to watch this later today. Need to run to family meeting for now
I know the feeling: I wanted to get this out before all of my family gatherings. Managed to do it by the skin of my teeth. Lol. Happy Holidays, Sokaras! Hope you have a good one! Thanks for watching (when/if you do)
When I first saw the opening cutscene, as well as the Judgement cutscenes you get when you collect 4 modules, I misinterpreted it as a premonition for what was to come and thought I would bring about the destruction of the world. I had this feeling that every step was bringing me closer to a terrible fate, but it was like I couldn’t look away, I was compelled to keep going. It’s what drove me to collect every module and monolith before facing judgement on my first playthrough, thinking that maybe if I did everything there was a hope of somehow avoiding this fate… turns out I had completely misunderstood the vision, but it doesn’t matter, the experience was still amazing despite this - or perhaps because of it??
I recently remembered that they were making a sequel to this game, which I had avoided learning about because of spoilers. But after watching what trailers and descriptions I could find, I can’t help but feel a little… disappointed. The animated trailer is dynamic and exciting, but take a step back and the fighting seems kind of routine and meaningless. The gameplay trailer seemed so focused on combat, there didn’t seem to be any indication of a story tying it together. I had to look in the heart machine dev notes to get a better idea of the story, but even then it feels really vague. I hope I’m wrong, but it feels like Breaker is missing the essence of wonder and mystery that made the first game so captivating. But again, this is all just a very surface-level impression based on not much information, so I would love to be proven wrong.
Incredible game. Fantastic video.
Seu trabalho é perfeito. Dá para sentir o amor que você coloca em seus vídeos. Parabéns.
Awes9me loved the video
Looking forward to next one
Awesome to hear! Thanks so much for watching! :)
Merry Xmas, dude! Thanks for another awesome video!
Merry Christmas, Mothman_87! Thanks so much for watching!
Welp, time for a replay. Great video!
this game changed my life. 😞 I love this game so much.
Been watching your videos lately and honestly you need more sub!!!!!!!!
Narration is on point
Tldr: blue guy catches ligma, kills god, then dies
I 100%'d this game recently and god damn, I had to watch an actual video to understand certain things and you can bet I'm double dipping here! Keep up the great work!
Just a silly question:
Given we're getting Risk of Rain Returns (and it seems it'll have some extra material) will you give a try on it too in the future?
Yeah, it gets pretty difficult to understand at times. Honestly, I'm still not entirely sure about some of the stuff in that cryptic intro! Lol. Just goes to show that we can also improve and learn, and it's a good day when we learn something new! :)
Not a silly question at all! The only silly question is one that is unasked.
I'll be honest: I was a little disappointed to find out that Hopoo's new game was a remake of Risk of Rain 1. I was expecting an entirely new game, but it is what it is. I am interested to see if they're going to expand on the lore in the first game a bit more to give us more answers to some questions that we have, like stating *exactly* why Providence attacked the UES Contact Light and maybe getting some other logs of the other creatures on Petrichor V. But I don't expect too many new things. I may play it a bit just to have some fun though. It is a super fun game!
What are your thoughts on it?
@@SquatchGamingChannel I'm kinda mixed tbh. Game's presentation looks incredible but I'm afraid it'll be just a very "traditional" remake, without much thought about the lore or unanswered questions.
Personally I'd like to see an adjacent story, something like on space that could resonate with ROR but enough to not hit Gearbox's lawyers attention lol (maybe with their permission they could do something like a Acrid's platformer/metroidvania game lol
Or another game set on Deadbolt universe.
I just want more RoR tbh :(
Merry Xmas btw!
Yeah, it does *look* gorgeous, that's for sure! I just reread the update they put out with regards to the game, and they've said they're going to be adding items from RoR2 into the game (I don't thin it's a stretch to say Lunar Items may make an appearance), which makes me think that there will be new logbook entries, but those could very much end up being the RoR2 logbook entries copy-pasted into the game. I guess we'll just have to wait to see.
That would be pretty interesting! Maybe something telling how he got caught by the Void Reavers? I'd play that for sure.
I agree though, I would prefer something new over something we've already seen before, but I'll hold out judgement until we get more information! At the very least, I hope the game is fun to play (which it should be - Hopoo has always delivered on that front)
Merry Christmas, Griffsen! Hope you've had a good one! :)
One of my favorites! The pugs enjoy it too great video covering it all!
Well, if the pugs approve, it must be a good one. Lol.
Thanks for watching! Happy to hear you (and hopefully the pugs) enjoyed! :)
@Squatch Gaming Official Thanks for the Christmas gift
Way to go bro...great narrative tone...
I love this video so much and a lot of it makes sense. However, I am inclined to believe that the rifts mentioned in the north monolith is referring to the rift between people perhaps specifically due to the religious schisms of the region.
After all the full text before and with it and after reads:
TRANSCENDENCE FAITH IN MORTALITY (of IMMORTALITY)/RIFTS CRAFTED, DANGEROUS POTENTIAL/A FOUNDATION FOR FAITH & VIOLENCE/A LOSS OF SELF, A NARROW PATH TRAVELED.
Could also be rifts between different species even once not of the bird kind.
But who knows?
My man got philosophical,man's making me rethink life lol
Edit: I should have said this without and edit, but happy holidays to everyone here :)
It's the game that evokes those thoughts, man! Lol. It's pretty good!
Happy Holidays, FearDrill!
@@SquatchGamingChannel oh yeah, on your last video you asked if the new update to haiku adds more stuff, it adds some interesting bits of lore, there is also a statue that you have to get to within 23 minutes or something ridiculous like that, not sure if it adds to the lore but it's there, just thought I would let ya know, can't wait to see what's in store next
Nice! That's good to know! Good looking out, man!
I've got a rough schedule for the next couple months, but not sure how things are looking around March/April. I might take a dive into Haiku then... We'll see!
I remember feeling.. sad, empty at the end.. it was a surreal experience for me, a long, hard experience.. but in the end.. I've accomplished the task.
I love this game so much. I need to play it again
This is my favorite game man love your content
Merry Christmas, happy new year and thanks for the story of video on one of my fav games of all time
No way
A underrated game getting lore😮😮
Absolutely amazing as usual
one of my favorite games ever, great video
I finally know the full story
never played the game but came back to this series to study it from time to time . i love lore vids
ONE other that reminded me of this game was immortal planet when it dropped witch had similar feels in a way and leaves stuff to be discovered by playing.
now i see why the sequel to this game has the other races in it . cant wait!
Amazing interpretation!