Possessor(s) Preview – Demonic Progression

Heart Machine is one of those developers that I’ve long admired from afar. Hyper Light Drifter, Hyper Light Breaker, and Solar Ash are all games that speak to me in many ways, and I labelled each of them as “the one that will make me a Heart Machine fan” leading up to their release. I’m yet to play any. This time around, however, something felt different. Unveiled during the Devolver Direct last year, Possessor(s) made a fantastic first impression with a striking art style, some slick combat, and some sexy demon lads. Now, having played about an hour of the upcoming Metroidvania action title, I can confirm this will be the game that will make me a Heart Machine fan.

Our young protagonist, Luca, has been caught in the middle of an interdimensional incursion and grievously injured by an attacking demon, leaving her without any legs and in a state of desperation. That desperation and an alarming amount of blood loss lead her to make a pact with another nearby demon, though one far less outwardly aggressive. Swave and aloof, the demon Rehm promises to restore Luca’s legs in exchange for a bit of demonic possession. Without any other option, Luca agrees.

Forging replacement body parts from the essence of demonic entities isn’t light work, though, and when Luca regains consciousness, two years have gone by, and the mega-city she calls home is in a bad state of affairs. Flooded, infested with demonic possessors, and rapidly decaying, it’s now in Luca and Rehm’s shared interests to try and coexist if they have any hope of returning to their respective lives. While the demo itself was only about an hour long, the narrative threads here are begging to be pulled. Malevolent megacorporations conducting shadowy experiments involving demons, kinship among the hellish invaders, a hapless search for loved ones in what’s left of Luca’s home, they’re all plot points that develop early on, and I’m eager to delve into them.

Together in one body, Luca and Rehm form a capable pair. Luca has a few tricks up her sleeve that help when she’s forced into fights with possessed appliances and office equipment. Combat is fast and responsive, with the bulk of the action taking place up close and personal, with Luca’s daggers able to dish out a quick multi-hit combo. While you can stagger them, enemies aren’t overly content to sit there and be pummeled, so a keen application of Luca’s dodge is pretty vital. Luca’s basic offence feels impactful, but it’s the early promise of combat depth that has me excited to play on.

Shortly after setting out to explore, I found a yo-yo that unlocked a new combat ability. Using one of three charges, I was able to perform a knock-up attack that sent smaller enemies skyward, dishing out a healthy amount of damage while doing so. I was also given a thread that could be used as a whip to pull smaller enemies in towards me or launch Luca at larger foes, closing the distance and prepping me for my next attack. Both abilities were satisfying and felt like pieces to a larger and more complex combat puzzle.

I’ve buried the lead somewhat, but Possessor(s) fits neatly into the Metroidvania genre, something I was unaware of before launching into our preview demo. Once the narrative setup was out of the way, I was set loose to explore the crumbling city, though not all routes were available to me…yet. The whip isn’t just useful in combat, it’s a tool to be used for swinging, climbing and gaining access to previously inaccessible areas. Taking a quick look through my inventory, I spotted several empty slots that promise a drip feed of new combat and traversal mechanics, and I’m keen to uncover them.

If you’ve watched the trailers, you already know this, but Possessor(s) is gorgeous. The expansive 3D backgrounds have an insane depth of field and create an eery emptiness that’s offset by stunning hand-drawn characters and animations. Every movement is punctuated with a trail of split-second shadows of Luca, filling the screen with a train of stylish horned arse-kickers. The only downside to Possessor(s) incredible moving beauty is that I often got distracted marvelling at the animations mid-battle. Not ideal with demons about.

An hour with Possessor(s) only scratches the surface. The fast-paced, ability-filled combat is slick and satisfying, and the exploration platforming is promising. Oh, and did I mention that I’m a fan of the art style? I think I missed that bit. I’m sorry that I’ve ignored you for so long, Heart Machine, but it’s time to put our past aside, I’m in for Possessor(s).

A free demo for Possessor(s) is available now on Steam. The full game will be released on PS5 and PC later this year.

Previewed on PC // Preview code supplied by publisher

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