Game Review: ‘Hypogea’ Is An Experience That Hooks You
Hypogea is an atmospheric 3D-platforming adventure game with some puzzle elements developed and published by French developer Charlie Wagner. As you take on the role of a nameless robot, you’ll embark on a journey into the depths that this world has to offer.
Hypogea is a short game, taking approximately two to four hours to complete, depending if you’re gathering all the collectables or if you are already familiar enough with trekking through this wonderfully crafted experience.
As previously mentioned, Hypogea is a 3D-platforming adventure game, so you’ll be carefully navigating through massive caves, jumping and grabbing platforms of various sizes, collecting batteries, and solving puzzles. This game is one of the most beautifully crafted games that I’ve played this year because, while it doesn’t push the limits on what graphics can do, Hypogea focuses more on its memorable stylized world and design.
Hypogea can be played on PC and purchased through Steam, and if you’re interested, there is also a free demo available that will give you a good idea of what to expect. If you do decide to check out the demo, there are some achievements that are exclusive for it, and it helps easing into the full game.
The game is also fully compatible with the Steam Deck, so if you’re on the go, it is just as equally a good experience on the handheld as it is on your PC. Hypogea is not a particularly demanding game, so modern and much older machines should be able to run this game with little to no issues.
Hypogea: a mysterious mechanical world
When you begin your adventure in Hypogea, an opening cutscene plays and introduces you to one of the two main characters that you’ll be spending most of your time with. Out of the two robots, you’ll be controlling one while the other will be journeying with you, even if you do not directly control the second bot.
The story of Hypogea is told with no dialog or exposition of any sort but instead through things such as artifacts, memory sequences called recollections, and with the help of environmental design. It really is a wonderful experience where gameplay and storytelling are shown to the player as you progress through the deep caverns and the abandoned large machinery.
You can tell that this place was once utilized by humans in the past, whereas now it lays waste to decay and time. One of my favorite things about this game is that while a lot of other adventure games can be fun romps through a grand world, the framing of Hypogea is that it’s gloomy and somber. There is a feeling of sadness and loss as you make your way through the game where you can tell that this place was once alive and utilized, but now there is no life.
Despite the world in Hypogea feeling hopeless sometimes, I kept my head raised high as I continued to trek through the giant rusty pipes and passed by the decaying heavy machinery. Every bit of the environment and design of this game is so beautifully well thought out and crafted, and from moment to moment I would just stop what I was doing and take a look around and appreciate where I was. It didn’t matter if I was in the middle of a puzzle or trying to reach every nook and cranny that could be found; I would always take in the environment to really appreciate what the developer has done with this game.
Throughout my experience with Hypogea, I would intentionally try to seek out hidden artifacts, and while I only collected 19 of the 24 that are available, each time I picked one up, I felt a sense of satisfaction, not only because I found one but because locating them reveals a little bit of background on what happened to this now ruined world.
The same thing goes for recollections, as in when you discover one, you will get a brief flash of a memory from the past showing exactly how these robots were made and what their original purpose was.
I am sad that I only found four of the six recollections during my first playthrough because these memories are vital to understanding more of the story, and they really round out the background of why these characters exist.
While you can play Hypogea without discovering the entire story, if you spend the time exploring, picking up artifacts and recollections, you may end up as satisfied as I was with the story.
A game full of puzzles and exploration
While Hypogea has a serious tone, there are moments of genuine moments where I felt excited and hopeful, particularly when each time I was reunited with my companion or when I successfully solved a puzzle. The puzzles aren’t necessarily difficult by any means, but they are incredibly satisfying when they click, and you are rewarded with progressing into the next area of this dark and dank environment.
Most of the puzzles you’ll encounter in Hypogea are ones that require you to scour the area you’re in and locate a specific number of batteries to power a mechanism or use them to align up parts of a generator. One of my favorite puzzles actually involves butterfly-like creatures that have a bioluminescence wherein they will follow the player around and light up what I would best describe as previously invisible structures/platforms. You would need to gather these butterflies and guide them to invisible platforms to traverse large chasms and then locate the batteries needed to progress to the next area.
Exploration in Hypogea is by and large linear, but it’s structured in a way that felt organic to me, and each subsection of a chapter splits off in multiple paths, giving the illusion of non-linear gameplay. When I say it gives the illusion of non-linear gameplay, I specifically mean that everything loops back around to the focus of the main puzzle in each chapter you complete. The game might start off with a puzzle of simply collecting four batteries, but each time you enter a new chapter, exploitation plays into the puzzle sequences, each becoming more grand and complex.
I was in awe both in where I was and in figuring out what I needed to do for solving that chapter’s puzzle and then proceeding to the next area of the game. The game really showcases how fun it can be every time you have to jump, mantle, swing, and roll.
The movement in this game is really well thought out, especially with the different ways you can jump, and while it can be a little tricky at first, what with having to pole vault with the staff for some jumps and others having you stand on your staff and essentially do a double jump. Hypogea plays really well, and you can tell how much effort the developer put into the movement.
Final thoughts on Hypogea
Once I made it through my adventure of Hypogea, I was left satisfied with how the game presented itself. Everything from world design, the gameplay loop, the ambient music, the environment aesthetic, and even the restrained story, it is a delightful experience.
The high-energy ending to Hypogea combines an intense puzzle experience with a real sense of urgency that takes everything you’ve learned up to that point and ramps it up until the climax. There are very few games that can invoke the same feelings and sense of accomplishment that this game does.
I sincerely believe there needs to be more games with this same size, scope, and charm because Hypogea is a standout gaming experience that really delivers what it was set out to do. I enjoyed this game so much that when I do a replay on Hypogea, I’m going to carefully go back throughout every chapter and locate every last remaining artifact and recollection so I can get the full experience.
My rating for this game is: 5/5
If you enjoy puzzle games with an emphasis on platforming and adventure, then this game is most certainly for you. Hypogea is one of the best 3D adventure games I’ve played and is now in my top three games that I’ve played this year.
You’re really missing out on a truly exceptional gaming experience if you’re not playing Hypogea, and I recommend this game to new and veteran gamers alike. There is nothing better than playing a game and understanding exactly what the creator intended for players to experience, and that makes me happy knowing I got that experience.
Go check out Hypogea for PC on Steam and if you loved this game as much as I do, definitely go check out the developer’s Itch.io page for the other stuff he created.
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