Heart Machine, the developer behind excellent indie games like Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, isn’t just working on Hyper Light Breaker right now. It just revealed Possessor(s) during this year’s Devolver Direct.
The announcement trailer for Possessor(s) is almost all gameplay, giving us a first look at this pretty 2D action platformer. According to a press release from Devolver Digital, platform fighters like Super Smash Bros. had an influence on its combat. It will have players crafting air and ground combos with different weapons and abilities they find during this sci-fi adventure. It seems like Possessor(s) will have some Metroidvania elements as well, as some weapons and abilities that players obtain can then be used to access new areas, and players will have a lot of freedom in exploring.
While the gameplay of Possessor(s) looks very satisfying, Heart Machine will also place an emphasis on its narrative. Possessor(s) takes place in a flooded city that has been destroyed by an “interdimensional catastrophe.” That seemingly causes Luca, the game’s main character, to be processed by something called Rehm, and they have to explore and learn to survive together. Overall, it’s shaping up to be quite different than Hyper Light Breaker, the studio’s other title; that said, you may prefer Possessor(s) if you like Metroidvanias more than roguelikes.
Possessor(s) will be released for PC and consoles sometime in 2025. As for what else Devolver Digital showed off during the 2024 Devolver Direct, it announced release dates for Anger Foot and The Crush House, unveiled a big piece of DLC for The Talos Principle 2, and revealed a new game called Tenjutsu from one of the creators of Dead Cells.
