Developer Heart Machine has released the official gameplay trailer for "Hyper Light Breaker" (opens in new tab), the sequel to 2016's indie Zelda-like favorite "Hyper Light Drifter" (opens in new tab) is now available for the first time, and while "Breaker" is a major gameplay departure for the series, its distinctive soundscape and visual identity appear to be very much intact.

"Hyperlight Breaker" is a roguelite, distant prequel to the original game, in which the titular Breakers explore an "endless open world" that combines bespoke design with procedural generation.Breaker leans toward new RPG elements It seems to be leaning toward a new RPG element, with multiple classes, including a fast-attacking swordsman like the protagonist of the first game, who battles a formidable engineer and gunsmith-like figure, and a small, thief-like character armed with Wolverine's claws.

While it is difficult to get a sense of the "breaker" combat until you actually get your hands on it, the soulful dash-and-bash rhythm seems to be a faithful 3D adaptation of the original game. However, I am most intrigued by the direction Heart Machine's environments and worldview have taken.

Trailers show neon pink beaches and sandstone ruins alongside surprisingly vibrant cyberpunk cities and desolate arctic bases; whereas Hyper Light Drifter felt like a world on the verge of ending, this one seems full of life. A recently released NoClip documentary (opens in new tab) delves into Heart Machine's "endless open world" design. Promises of procedural generation are often made, but seldom realized.

In many ways, "Breaker" recalls "Risk of Rain 2" (opens in new tab), the 3D roguelike sequel to the well-received 2D indie game, but Heart Machine's team is not only working on rendering and perspective, but also on a genre shift The team at Heart Machine is not only working on renderings and perspectives, but also on genre shifts. We'll see how it all comes together when Hyper Light Breaker hits Early Access this fall.