Hyper Light Drifter Developer Alex Preston managed to turn his health condition into an inspiration for a video game.
VICE ran a wonderful story on Hyper Light Drifter this month and we’ve missed it for some reason (probably because I was so excited about God of War, that I could literally only see Kratos on the Internet). Their short 7-minute video talks about the production of the game and some of the troubles the team ran into.
One of the most shocking issues with the project was the fact that Alex Preston – the developer and main creator of the game – is actually suffering from a severe heart condition. He undergoes various procedures, visits the doctor regularly and really worries about his condition, which may abruptly cause some serious problems. This fear actually manifested itself inside the game’s main character, who also has some health issues. It’s amazing how his personal story was integrated into the very fabric of Hyper Light Drifter.
Thanks to the community and generous Kickstarted backers the developers of Hyper Light Drifter managed to gather over 600k during their crowdfunding campaign. This was quite enough to hire some more people and launch the development at a much higher pace.
Hyper Light Drifter was released on March 31, 2016. The project was well received and became one of the most critically acclaimed indie games of the year. The game has over 150k users.
You can purchase Hyper Light Drifter here.
Source: Youtube