Possessor(s): A beautifully crafted sci-fi metroidvania.
The names Devolver Digital and Heart Machine have come to stand for bold, memorable single-player games. Hyper Light Drifter, Heart Machine’s first game that really caught people’s attention, was praised for its tight controls, moody story, and bright pixel art.
Solar Ash, its follow-up, took big steps forward in 3D movement and world-building. But many people didn’t like the studio’s most recent game, Hyper Light Breaker. Still, Heart Machine’s main ideas—stylized graphics, smooth gameplay, and character-focused stories—remain the same.
Heart Machine’s new game, Possessor(s), is a partnership with Devolver Digital, a company known for supporting unique and high-quality games. It combines their signature artistic style with a Metroidvania-style action-adventure framework.
While some releases got a lot of attention, Possessor(s) came out slowly. Even though the people who worked on and published it have a lot of experience, it was easy to miss amid all the news last year. However, when it finally came out, it was a nice surprise. It’s a Metroidvania game that doesn’t bring anything new to the genre, but it improves upon it with polish, personality, and smart gameplay.
At its heart, Possessor(s) is about Luca, a young girl who gets caught up in the chaos of a city owned by a corporation that is being torn apart by a disaster.
A strange demonic portal lets creatures from other dimensions into the streets, where they take over people, things, and even plants. During the chaos, Luca loses both legs and sees her friend Kaz die horribly.
She is about to die when she meets Rhem, a hurt monster who needs a host to stay alive. The deal they make gives Luca new legs that look like insects and a lot of other powers, but it also ties her mind to Rhem’s.
This means they must work together to escape the destroyed city and confront the evil Agradyne Corporation, which is harnessing demons to power a mysterious energy source called Chroma.
The relationship between Luca and Rhem is what makes the story interesting.
What starts out as an unwilling requirement turns into a complicated relationship where their past hurts and motivations are slowly revealed. Rhem is darkly sarcastic and worn out, which makes Luca’s innocence and determination stand out all the more.
This gives the game an emotional center driven by its characters. The main story, which features the company Agradyne and some minor characters, can feel repetitive or underdeveloped at times, but the way the two main characters interact with each other keeps the player engaged.
The writing strikes a good balance between a tone reminiscent of 1990s anime and more realistic, human concerns. The revelations about unhealthy relationships, both romantic and friendship-based, add an emotional depth that isn’t often found in Metroidvanias.
Possessor(s) is a fast-paced 2D action-adventure Metroidvania game that lets you explore and gradually improve your character. Players take control of Luca and guide her through a huge city, collecting skills, finding secrets, and fighting demon-possessed enemies all the time.
Luca starts the game with a set of movement tools, such as a whip, the ability to run, and the ability to jump over walls. The whip can be used as both a way to get around (Luca can swing across gaps) and a weapon (it can pull foes closer or launch them as part of a combo).
Weapons are very important to the game. Luca uses a variety of main weapons, such as kitchen knives, baseball bats, and hockey sticks. Each has its own strengths, such as knockback, speed, or area-of-effect damage.
A katana, a computer mouse that can be used as a flail, or a cell phone that sends out stun waves are some of the other tools that players can use.
These unique items use up a rechargeable gauge that is linked to basic strikes.
This adds another level of resource management to the battle. The gauge refills quickly, which makes early fights less difficult. Standard and special strikes work well together to create a satisfying rhythm of offense, especially when switching between enemies in the middle of a combo.
Possessor(s)‘s combat is one of its best parts, and it’s been praised for being clear, smooth, and tactically deep. Unlike many other 2D action games, hitting an enemy doesn’t hurt Luca. This allows players to focus on planned attacks, dodges, and parries.
It’s very satisfying to parry because it sends bullets back at attackers and temporarily stuns enemies, which lets players start combos. Boss fights aren’t too hard, but they do require timing and skill in coordinating strikes and specials.
Most of the puzzles in the game are based on traversal or the surroundings. Players move around destructible objects, broken platforms, and hook points by using Luca’s movement skills and whip. While these parts are interesting, some design choices, like blurry barriers that can be broken or art in the center that hides clear ledges, can be frustrating at times.
Sometimes, not being able to look down makes platforming harder, and not having many checkpoints or fast-travel spots can make going back a long way take a long time. Even with these problems, the puzzles add something extra to the battle and keep exploration from feeling completely passive.
Experience and managing your cash don’t have a big impact on the game.
Chroma is the game’s cash, which players collect. If a player dies, they lose Chroma, but they can regain it by returning to the location where they died.
To help you relax, the game also has banks at save places where you can safely store Chroma. You can improve weapons by giving them passive benefits like more damage when you parry or healing when you dodge. However, the system can be difficult to understand because upgrades are sometimes applied automatically after certain limits are met, which are not clearly explained. These methods allow the player to try new things without being punished too severely, making the difficulty curve more approachable.
Possessor(s) is a beautiful word to look at. The game uses carefully drawn 2D sprites in a 3D world, giving it a striking urban fantasy look that reminds me of live-action/animation movies from the 1990s like Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
The characters, monsters, and fight animations stand out against the dull city backgrounds, making it easy to follow the action even when things get chaotic. The settings, which include broken-down aquariums, libraries, and corporate towers, are pretty standard for Metroidvanias.
However, the bright, stylized portraits of the characters and enemies, filled with neon, make the game stand out. Possessor(s) feels alive, even though the city is a post-apocalyptic wasteland, thanks to its sharp hand-drawn art and well-thought-out movements.
Sound design and music make the mood even better.
The music in the game runs from sad electronic jazz from the 1990s to ballads with city pop influences. This reflects both the time period of the game and its tone, which shifts between tragedy and humorous elements.
The combat sound effects are clear and powerful, going well with how smoothly hits, parries, and enemy responses move. Voice lines, especially those between Luca and Rhem, give the world a personality.
This makes the city feel less like a backdrop and more like a place where people have lived and are emotionally invested. Ambient sound design can feel simple at times, but it helps put the story and fighting in the spotlight, keeping the player’s attention where it belongs.
With a polished and character-driven Metroidvania that blends action, exploration, and story with style, Possessor(s) is a quiet but sure of itself game. It doesn’t try to be the first of its kind or surprise the player with features that don’t fit the genre.
Instead, it makes the familiar better: combat is smooth and satisfying, exploration is enjoyable without being too difficult, and the story, which focuses on Luca and Rhem, raises the stakes above the usual fare. There are some small problems, like platforming cues that aren’t always clear, upgrade systems that aren’t always clear, and sometimes too much uniformity. But these problems rarely ruin the overall experience.
Heart Machine has once again shown that it can make a unique world where art, story, and gameplay all work together to make a whole. Possessor(s) may be a kinder, friendlier Metroidvania than some of its peers, but it still manages to make an unforgettable, emotionally powerful experience. Luca and Rhem’s trip through the destroyed city of Sanzu is a must-see for fans of 2D action-adventure games and Metroidvanias.
