Reviewed on:
PC
Platform:
PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher:
Devolver Digital
Developer:
Heart Machine
Regardless of whether you call them “search action” games or Metroidvanias, Possessors offers a fun, if very familiar, take on the formula. Its strong combat and quality storytelling make up for a few stumbles on the exploration side. By the time I saw credits, I didn’t regret making a deal with this devilish adventure.
A corporate-owned metropolis has been torn asunder by the emergence of a demonic portal. Interdimensional demons have flooded the streets; some citizens become possessed, while the majority of others, perhaps mercifully, are outright slaughtered. A teenage girl named Luca is mortally wounded in the chaos, losing both of her legs while witnessing a mysterious monster murder her best friend. While at death’s door, she finds a similarly brutalized demon named Rhem, who will die without a host. Rhem proposes a deal: If Luca agrees to let him possess her, he’ll not only save her life, but will replace her legs and grant the power to fight out of the city together.
Luca isn’t thrilled about this arrangement, but I relish using Rhem’s powers to tear apart monsters using combo-heavy attacks inspired by the stylish action genre. Armed with a variety of demonically supercharged ordinary items, such as kitchen knives, a computer mouse, sunglasses, and more, stringing together offense to juggle enemies feels smooth and has a great sense of impact. I’m a sucker for any mechanic that yanks enemies closer to me, so I love using Luca’s whip to reel in flying foes or even swing off of them. Surviving the relatively tough adversaries also requires a mastery of Luca’s satisfying parry ability to repel their attacks, and I never tire of bouncing incoming projectiles back to their senders.
Upgrading weapons to bestow passive perks, like dealing increased parry damage and regaining health by dodging attacks, adds small but welcome layers of strategy to handle various situations. However, I found little incentive to change my loadout once I settled into the mid-game since I could more than handle any threat, including the entertainingly challenging boss fights. The action is also visually impressive in motion, thanks to the game’s slick and colorful art direction, cool monster designs (most of which are twisted visages of possessed objects), and a skip-frame animation style. The beautifully illustrated conversation portraits are also a treat, with an art style reminiscent of Image Comics’ Saga.
Conversely, the devastated city districts, such as a university campus and an aquatic park, are visually sparse and mundane compared to the vibrant characters. Sprinting through them unearths some decent sidequests, including slaying entertaining bounty targets and fulfilling simple fetch quests for mentally broken survivors, which satisfied the Metroidvania completionist in me. Just don’t be surprised if you get lost while searching for these tasks.
Since you can pursue the game’s main objectives of collecting four demon eyeballs in any order, the game doesn’t funnel players toward key abilities, like a diving stomp and ground slide, as obviously as I’d like. It wasn’t uncommon to spend long stretches of time pursuing seemingly viable paths, only to hit barriers I couldn’t bypass, forcing long backtracks even after unlocking some shortcuts. The “correct” path isn’t always clear enough, and breakable barriers, like fragile wooden planks, sometimes blend into their surroundings a little too well. Between this and the relatively sparse checkpoints, not to mention needing to recollect fallen currency after dying à la Soulslikes, the lengthy runbacks through enemy-infested areas or tricky platforming sequences eventually wore on me. Barebones map markers also make it tough to remember which points of interest to revisit with a certain ability.
In addition to the strong action and art direction, Possessors’ plot is an unexpected highlight. Luca and Rhem’s disparate personalities shine through humorous bickering, and the story features surprisingly poignant revelations centered on toxic relationships – platonic and romantic – that effectively humanize them. Rhem is an especially compelling character, and Heart Machine offers a fresh and interesting take on demon lore that kept me engaged with this fallen world.
The most disappointing aspect of Possessors is that it plays it quite safe compared to Heart Machine’s past titles, Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash. Little about its formula will surprise Metroidvania enthusiasts; still, the studio has nonetheless notched another entertaining single-player action game under its belt, proving its action and world-building chops transcend genre.
