Hypogea Demo Impressions
Stoic Stuntbot Strains Sturdy Staff Straddling Storied Stairs
Despite the stiff (by modern standards) platforming, Hypogea quickly charmed me with its beautiful world, thoughtful levels, and diverse puzzles. The carefully crafted demo allowed the freedom to explore without ever feeling overwhelming or confusing. It culminated in a simple puzzle that combined several platforming skills while teasing my imagination for what else the full game could contain.
As a big fan of the Tomb Raider Legend trilogy, I saw a lot of similarities that I loved. Acrobatic movement, rope swinging, and platforming puzzles all felt at home here. The vast environments were easily navigable and never felt disorienting despite the desaturated aesthetic.
Many of the minor critiques I have are easily ignored due to the charm this game displays. I am excitedly looking forward to how the final game expands on this demo with more story, puzzles, and environments.
Impressions
The following are my impressions after playing the demo. Presented as a rough bulleted list:
Positives
- beautifully desolate world
- stiff-yet-expressive traversal
- well designed levels and puzzles
- controls are well mapped. I never felt like I was fighting with them
- enjoyed the variety of platforming design components
Critiques
- I wish the robots made noises during cutscenes
- occasional animation/hitbox bugs
- artefacts have little use beyond being a collectable
- no way to skip recollection if already seen it
- respawn takes a little too long
- I hope there are more time constrained puzzles in the final game
Gameplay VOD
Additional Information:
Device: Steam Deck LCD 512GB
Steam OS: 3.6.24
Date Played: May 21, 2025
Demo Build ID: 17649166
Proton: 9.0-4
This demo was played in Game Mode on an external display. It was played with a DualShock 4 controller.
