I keep in mind being blown away by the 2024 reveal trailer for Possessor(s), the brand new recreation from Hyper Mild Drifter developer Coronary heart Machine. The trailer incorporates a hanging artwork design, the place an animated 2D character explores and fights in side-scrolling environments with attractive 3D backgrounds, and it’s all set to moody, highly effective music. The ultimate recreation, which got here out this month, wasn’t fairly as awe-inspiring as that preliminary trailer made it appear, and I nearly give up it — however I’m actually glad I noticed it to the top.
In Possessor(s), you play as Luca, a lady who’s possessed by Rehm, a demon from one other realm. After a disaster strikes, Rehm saves Luca’s life by creating legs for her — however from then on, Luca serves as a number for Rhem, that means they will discuss to one another on a regular basis and sometimes see into one another’s reminiscences. The 2 have a contentious relationship. They bicker always, which typically made them tough for me to care about. However over the course of the sport, their relationship evolves as they arrive to grasp extra about one another and the worlds they got here from.
Coronary heart Machine describes Possessor(s) as a “fast-paced motion facet scroller,” however it is a Metroid– or Castlevania-style recreation via and thru. You’ll discover an interconnected world with distinct zones, spend lots of time trying on the map to attempt to discover the following path to discover, and acquire useful traversal upgrades like a wall run that can assist you entry new areas. Very early on, you’ll choose up a whip, and it serves double responsibility as an exploration device to cross giant gaps and a key weapon in battle.
Fights are inspired by platform fighters like Tremendous Smash Bros., that means they’re fast-paced and crunchy, and also you’ll tackle enemies with weapons impressed by common stuff you may need round your home. My regular technique consisted of whaling on enemies up shut with a big baseball bat, surprising them with an electrical blast from a cellphone to create area, and flinging demonic silverware throughout rooms to hit faraway targets. Parrying is a key a part of fights, too.
Picture: Devolver Digital
Early on, although, Possessor(s) was very powerful. Common enemies hit laborious, and when you lose focus for only a second or get caught in an unfortunate combo, you may die with none time to react. Dying sends you again to the Possessor(s) equal of Dark Souls bonfires, however the return journeys to the place you died will be lengthy, arduous, and full of hazard. (The sport additionally makes use of a Souls-like flask system, swapping flasks for painkillers to allow you to recuperate well being.)
Often, I like that kind of challenge, however one thing about Possessor(s)’s degree and enemy design usually made the early recreation really feel extra irritating than enjoyable for me. I additionally acquired very misplaced after the primary few hours, exploring far more of the map than I wanted to as a result of I couldn’t determine how one can get previous some mysterious partitions with glowy cracks on them. I contemplated placing down the sport for good.
Nonetheless, after lastly studying how one can open these partitions (use the whip!), getting a number of well being and painkiller upgrades, and seeing extra nuance to Luca and Rhem’s relationship, I began to benefit from the recreation rather more. I lastly settled into the satisfying Metroid loop of exploring a brand new space, discovering a brand new improve, utilizing that to get to the following boss, getting the following MacGuffin, after which doing it over again within the subsequent zone.
Possessor(s) didn’t possess me in the way in which that I anticipated it’d. Primarily based on my preliminary impressions, the sport appeared cooked in a lab to attraction to my precise tastes. I simply wanted to have some endurance. The sport culminated in a ultimate degree that basically put my expertise to the check and a hanging battlefield for the ultimate boss. As I watched the credit roll, I spotted it had all lastly evoked a few of these emotions I had watching the sport’s first trailer.
Possessor(s) is out now on PC and PS5.