Alx Preston’s semi-open world RPG Hyper Light Drifter received critical acclaim when it burst onto the scene in 2016, with critics praising not just its art but details such as its soundtrack and combat system as now. Now the game is coming back once again, this time as a television show.
According to a report by Polygon, Preston will be working alongside Castlevania’s Adi Shankar to develop an animated series based on the title. Shankar, who has already successfully adapted the classic Castlevania game into a TV series, is also producing an upcoming animated series based on Devil May Cry.
Preston told Polygon that as of right now, no writers have been confirmed and the duo is actively seeking writers to lead the project. There is also the issue of translating Hyper Light Drifter’s gameplay into a TV show where there is no interaction with the viewers.
“The difference between a series and a game is vast in a lot of ways,” Preston says. “Hyper Light [Drifter] as a game was pretty atmospheric and kind of overbearing at times. For a series, the question is: how do you sustain and keep your attention on a non-interactive run? Does it get really, really dark and serious? Does it have some levity?”
Seeing as Hyper Light Drifter is a game with zero dialogue, this will certainly be a pretty big hurdle for Preston and Shankar to overcome.
At this point, Preston says that both Shankar and he will lean more towards something that is able to capture the essence of the game. Though with regards to the art style and animation, the TV show will be more anime-esque, and not so much like the show’s original pixel design.
Shankar also told Polygon that his recent streak of adapting video games into TV shows is due to his deep love for the medium and stated that he enjoys translating the works of passionate creators like Preston, “[I’m doing this in] the same way that, back in the day, a director or writer would read a book and say, ‘Oh my god, this book’s amazing,’ not, ‘Oh my god this book’s sold so many copies,’ and then they’re seeing dollar signs like a cartoon.”
Hyper Light Drifter is available now for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Germaine is a fun-sized introvert who loves nothing better than sleeping in on rainy days. She can be found reading fanfiction and manga while still waiting for her Hogwarts acceptance letter. It’ll come eventually.
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