Possessor(s) is a brand new, somewhat awkwardly-titled Metroidvania from Hyper Gentle Drifter studio Coronary heart Machine and indie powerhouse Devolver Digital, and it asks a vital query: what would occur for those who discovered your self sharing your mind with a demon?
Nicely, if this roughly 15-20-hour journey is something to go by, it seems the reply is easy: you’d find yourself exploring a sprawling map, unlocking a collection of motion talents, and combating difficult bosses to progress a narrative about “codependency, loss, and survival”, in response to the devs.
I will not mince phrases on the outset: Possessor(s) presents a fairly bog-standard instance of its style, no less than in gameplay phrases, and I am not completely positive its narrative explores the aforementioned themes with sufficient depth or complexity to make it price recommending both.
Possessor(s) Is Metroidvania By the Numbers
Regardless of an initially enthralling and engaging setting – that of a metropolis wracked by an apocalyptic occasion and nonetheless shuddering with the aftereffects of demonic invasion – Possessor(s) shortly settles right into a somewhat rote Metroidvania rhythm.
Should you’ve performed the greats within the style, like Hole Knight (or, certainly, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night time and Tremendous Metroid), then you definately’ll know what to anticipate right here.
You will progressively uncover a big, interconnected house filled with themed areas, utilizing newly-acquired traversal powers to achieve hitherto-unavailable areas, all whereas upgrading your fight talents and survival capability as you go.
It isn’t a very impressed tackle the style’s typical gameplay conceits, and wanting repurposing sure family objects as weapons – primary character Luca will wield kitchen knives or a baseball bat somewhat than swords and spears – there’s not a lot right here that is pushing the envelope.
After all, for those who’re searching for nothing greater than a structurally unchallenging exploration-based platformer with some stable fight, that might not be a disadvantage for you, however for those who’re trying to find any form of innovation out of your subsequent Metroidvania hit, it is protected to look elsewhere.
Often, the extent design and artwork type will provide a diverting vista; you may see an enormous rupture in actuality off within the background, as an illustration, or a sequence of floating workplace desks serving as platforms – however they’re little greater than set dressing for a really easy set of maps.
Fight in Possessor(s) Is Enjoyable, however Repetitive
Strong may be very a lot the phrase to explain the fight in Possessor(s). Coronary heart Machine says the fight right here comprises “parts of platform fighters” like Tremendous Smash Bros.
That is superficially true; you’ll be able to juggle enemies and use quite a lot of completely different particular assaults mapped to directional button-attack combos, and you’ll make the most of an aerial dodge to maintain your self protected from nasty air assaults as properly.
Actually, although, I managed to make it by means of Possessor(s) with out utilizing many of the purportedly Smash Bros.-inspired strikes at Luca’s disposal. Early on, you may unlock a parry (one other more and more overused mechanic, I feel), and that’ll carry you thru the vast majority of Possessor(s).
For essentially the most half, fight in Possessor(s) works fairly properly, even when it fails to understand its full platform fighter potential.
Assaults land with a reasonably satisfying heft (supplied you are utilizing a heavier weapon just like the baseball bat), and knocking enemies towards partitions as soon as their Sekiro-style poise is damaged will be cathartic as properly.
Sadly, Possessor(s) falls right into a quite common entice that is affected by the corpses of lesser Metroidvanias, and that is enemy selection. Put merely, you may have seen each enemy on provide right here inside the first handful of hours, and the remainder is basically going by means of the motions.
Because it progresses, Coronary heart Machine’s journey will throw enemy variants at you, however they’re little greater than palette swaps with barely extra highly effective assaults, so dodging or parrying them is a matter of lifeless course.
As is normally the case with video games that battle with enemy selection, Possessor(s) shortly devolves into muscle reminiscence and tedium. I used to be begging for only one or two surprises to be hurled at me, however these surprises by no means got here, and combating the identical set of possessed objects and animals grew to become insanely repetitive.
Bosses are a barely completely different matter; whereas there aren’t lots of them (and the sidequests reuse them in a borderline unforgivable method), they’re enjoyable to struggle and stunning when it comes to their movesets. It is simply the components in between that really feel boring.
Possessor(s) Has an Okay, If Uninspired Story
With fight and map exploration proving comparatively unexciting, it is as much as Possessor(s)’ story to select up the slack, however I do not know if it is able to bear that form of weight.
The characters listed here are endearing sufficient. Luca is a guarded younger woman who’s all of a sudden having to share her head with a demon, Rhem; they each want one another to outlive on the outset of Possessor(s), so their relationship is initially an uneasy one.
From that setup, nevertheless, I am positive you’ll be able to shortly guess how issues are going to finish up. May it’s that Luca and Rhem will discover a grudging respect for each other as they each find out about their respective histories?
That is the core drawback with Possessor(s)’ story in a nutshell; every part unfolds in a wholly apparent and predictable method. An organization referred to as Agradyne, which manufactures batteries, is concerned, and the truth that it is a company is actually all you have to learn about its function within the narrative.
There are not any twists or turns right here, nothing that shocked or engaged me past the baseline stage. At occasions, Possessor(s) revealed info to me that I feel it thought was stunning, however I simply rolled my eyes and mentioned “properly, clearly”.
With that mentioned, Coronary heart Machine should have been doing one thing no less than vaguely proper, as a result of I did have a tiny little lump in my throat at the story’s conclusion. I do not suppose it is a notably memorable story, nevertheless it serves its goal whereas it is round.
Possessor(s) Overview | Remaining Ideas
I loved my time with Possessor(s) precisely sufficient to play by means of it as soon as after which by no means give it some thought once more. Its well-worn story is performed out and unengaging, however its characters are enjoyable sufficient to be round for precisely the time they’re on display screen and no extra.
Should you’re a fan of Metroidvanias, like me, you may shortly settle into the acquainted Sunday-afternoon rhythm of Possessor(s), however those that do not just like the style or who’re nonetheless coming down from the excessive of Silksong can safely wait earlier than being possessed by this explicit demon.
Possessor(s) was reviewed on PC with a replica supplied by the developer over the course of about 15 hours of gameplay – all screenshots have been taken in the course of the means of evaluation.
