In Possessor(s), you’ll survive an apocalyptic invasion, lose your legs and have your body taken over by a demon, all with the towering threat of an evil mega-corporation. And this is just in the first couple of minutes!
Heart Machine, the developers of Hyper Light Drifter, dropped a new trailer for their upcoming title Possessor(s) during the Day of the Devs showcase. We’ve been spending the last week checking out this visually striking side-scrolling action game.
Possessor(s) takes place in a quarantined metropolis hellscape called Sanzu. A demon outbreak has infested the city, with creatures inhabiting the bodies of humans, animals and even inanimate objects. Players take the role of Luca, who is possessed by the demon Rhem after he saves her life. In exchange, Luca must deliver Rhem on a dangerous journey home.
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The lore of this world is intriguing, though the tonal shifts between the dark story and sometimes quippy dialogue can be jarring.
The gameplay will feel very familiar to Metroidvania fans and in such a crowded genre, Possessor(s) doesn’t immediately stand out. You have a basic and secondary attack, a dodge that grants invincibility and a whip that helps during combat and traversal. Navigating a sprawling environment reveals upgrades or items that will progress you to the next area.
If this all sounds familiar to other games, it feels that way playing it as well. But this genre lives and dies through its upgrade path as you gain new and exciting abilities. Given that, I’d be keen to see how Possessor(s) builds in its retail release.
Where this game truly pops is its visual style. The cinematics are stunning, with terrific hand-drawn animation delivering a dynamic flair that kept me awaiting the next cut scene. At times, the framing of the side-scrolling gameplay looks gorgeous, with excellent sound design and a foreboding, ominous score.
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The aforementioned hand-drawn art style is extended to the characters as well and while it looks great as an image, the limited frames of animation sometimes leave the gameplay feeling less fluid and responsive than I’d like.
Possessor(s) has an uphill battle to distinguish itself from the pack, but there’s every chance the full release could capture my spirit. We’ll find out when Possessor(s) releases on Steam and PlayStation 5 later this year.
A preview code for Possessor(s) was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
