I realized something strange when I sat down to play Possessor(s). I genuinely couldn’t remember if or when I saw anything about it. Which is weird to me because, for a game developed by Heart Machine—makers of one of my favourite games, Hyper Light Drifter—and published by Devolver Digital—who always put their name behind quality products—you’d think I would’ve been thinking about this game since it was announced last year.
But something I’ve said before about being a game journalist/critic is how nice it is to still be surprised by video games, and Possessor(s) was a welcome surprise. It doesn’t re-invent the wheel when it comes to Metroid–likes, but it takes that wheel, polishes it to a mirror sheen, and delivers something that is delivers an experience that is unbelievably captivating.
Possessor(s) begins when a cataclysmic explosion rips through the city of Sanzu—warping the city and releasing a wave of demons. Our protagonist, a young girl named Luca, is attempting to flee with her friend (or possible love interest) Kaz, when some falling debris separates her body from her legs. Unable to move, she watches as Kaz is killed by a lone demon, but before she can succumb to her own death, a demon named Rhem offers her a chance at a second life.
Rhem possesses Luca, giving her a new pair of demon legs alongside a host of new powers, and the two make a deal—Rhem will give Luca the power to avenge Kaz as long as she brings him to the basement of the sinister Agradyne Corporation. It’s an incredibly interesting plot, primarily because of the way it’s told.
While Rhem positions himself as a mysterious figure, players are continuously given little snippets of both Rhem and Luca’s past, showing both Luca’s connection with Kaz, her desire to get away from the cold, oppressive walls of Sanzu, and her naivety about what Agradyne actually does as a corporation. This is contrasted by Rhem’s memories of being enslaved and essentially tortured by Agradyne, as the company was trying to exploit demonic energy as a power source. It’s essentially the plot of DOOM but with more humanity, ironically.
And something I really appreciate about Possessor(s) is how it extends its narrative into its gameplay elements in a really tangible and understandable way. Standard enemies are twisted masses of flesh combined with mundane objects—as Rhem explains, demons desperately attempt to possess whatever objects they can in order to survive in the mortal realm. While this allows for some really fun enemy design, it also gives creatures an air of sadness—that their hostility is a mixture of both suffering and instinct.
But as good as the story is, it was the gameplay in Possessor(s) that really got me. After the last Metroid-like that I played (excluding the one we knew was going to be good), it was unbelievable to see a game get everything about the genre so correct. It begins with the exploration—right from the outset, players are given a sprint, wall-jump, and it isn’t long before they’re given a whip that not only functions in combat, but allows players to latch on and swing from specific hook-points.
“…something I really appreciate about Possessor(s) is how it extends its narrative into its gameplay elements in a really tangible and understandable way.”
So right from the start, Possessor(s) gives players a ton of freedom and fluidity for exploration and paces its upgrades out pretty regularly. You consistently feel like you’re making progress, and you’re constantly rewarded for exploration—be it from tangible upgrades or additional bits of the Rhem or Luca’s backstory. On the other side is the combat, which actually reminds me more of The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai than Hollow Knight.
Right away, I have to give Possessor(s) HUGE kudos for doing away with contact damage. While I understand that player position is an important factor in combat games, I’ve always hated—especially in 2D action games—the idea of being punished for something as trivial as touching an enemy, particularly when you’re trying to position yourself or avoid projectiles.
Since players no longer have to worry about losing health from touching an enemy, it allows them to actually focus on the important details of any combat encounter—paying attention to enemy telegraphs, watching for projectiles and dodging and parrying with precise timing. Combat in Possessor(s) is fast-paced and somewhat demanding since Luca can’t take a lot of hits, so giving players more leeway when it comes to the fundamentals makes it much more approachable and fun.
“Possessor(s) gives players a ton of freedom and fluidity for exploration and paces its upgrades out pretty regularly.”
The whip comes especially in handy as players can use it to pull smaller enemies close to them for continued combos, and certain enemies can even be used as swing points, so there’s a constant sense of motion during fights that makes it incredibly engaging. As players progress, they’ll find new weapons and upgrades that can be affixed to them for additional benefits, allowing every player to find something that works best for them.
Similar to games like Hollow Knight or Blasphemous, Possessor(s) is a Metroid-like with Soulslike elements, so players collect “Chroma,” this game’s spendable currency and lose it upon dying. If they can return to where they died, shattering a crystallized version of themselves will allow them to regain all of it. But Possessor(s) is incredibly forgiving in this regard, giving players a bank at every save point to deposit their Chroma and save it for when they need it.
It’s another small consideration that the game makes in order to give players a bit more breathing room and alleviate some of the stress. The challenge is still there, as sometimes there can be long stretches between save points, but players have so much at their disposal to approach these challenges that it never becomes overly frustrating.
Visually, Possessor(s) is gorgeous. It utilizes a hand-drawn aesthetic against 3D environments to really make characters and enemies stand out—especially in much of the game’s more urban settings. Its use of colour is particularly enchanting, blending sharp colours against softer pastels to create some striking contrasts and giving both characters and enemies an otherworldly aura.
And the game has a great sense of style that comes from its narrative. I mentioned already how enemies reflect twisted versions of everyday items, such as traffic cones or filing cabinets, but this carries over to the weapons Luca gets—ranging from kitchen knives to hockey sticks as main weapons to cell phones and a cabled computer mouse as sub-weapons. It really runs with its modern setting and doesn’t lean too heavily on the spiritual aspect of a demonic reality merge.
And Possessor(s) has a great soundtrack to back up its gameplay and narrative. Much like Hyper Light Drifter, there’s a quiet sadness that runs through its music that not only does a good job of making the player feel isolated in this world, but also underscores the tragedy of what is really going on. When combat happens, it’s backed by intense drums that really highlight the intensity and desperation of each fight—boss fights in particular have a distorted synth that makes them feel eerie and dangerous.
Like I said at the top of this review, Possessor(s) isn’t exactly re-inventing the wheel, and a lot of its narrative and gameplay DNA is clearly inspired by other games. But it’s been a while since I played a game like this that got everything so right and genuinely kept me invested. Possessor(s) has got style, it’s got charm, and it’s genuinely fun to play. Do yourself a favour and give it a look.
