Possessor(s)

My first hour with Possessor(s) told me exactly what kind of game this is, and what kind it is not. The combat clicked before I'd even learned the map: knock an enemy skyward, yank it back down with the demonic whip, juggle it into the ground. That loop, borrowed openly from platform fighters, gives the action a rhythm you don't often find in Metroidvanias, and it feels genuinely good to execute. What it is not, unfortunately, is a bold swing from a studio that built its reputation on bold swings. The setup earns its keep. You play as Luca, a teenager who loses her legs when a corporate megacity called Sanzu gets swallowed by an interdimensional catastrophe. A demon named Rhem offers her a deal: he possesses her, replaces the legs, and they fight their way out together. The Luca-Rhem dynamic is the story's real engine: their bickering has genuine snark, and the game's themes around codependency and corporate exploitation land with more restraint than the premise suggests. The broader cast and wider narrative are thinner, and some of the dialogue tips into YA territory that undercuts the grimmer imagery around it. But the central duo carries enough weight to keep you reading every lore drop scattered across the ruined city. Combat is where Possessor(s) earns its confidence. Luca's basic attacks connect with real impact, the parry window is generous enough to reward timing without feeling automatic, and the special weapon system is one of the sharper design ideas here. Demonically charged everyday objects, a computer mouse, kitchen knives, sunglasses, each slot onto a cooldown that only refills when you land regular hits. You have to stay aggressive to unlock your big moves, which keeps fights from going passive. Afflictions let you tune your loadout toward speed, power, or survivability, and upgrading weapons unlocks passive perks like health-on-dodge or increased parry damage. The whip doubles as a grapple for traversal, swinging between fixed points with satisfying momentum. What the combat does not do, frustratingly, is grow much past the first few hours. Veterans of the genre will find the early bosses fall quickly, and the enemy variety in standard rooms is thin enough that inconsistencies in dodge behavior become noticeable before the midpoint. Exploration is the other honest weak point. The interconnected map of Sanzu, spanning collapsed skyscrapers and an abandoned aquarium, looks striking thanks to Heart Machine's signature mix of 3D backdrops and hand-drawn characters. But the level design tends to be self-contained per zone, built around the single ability you unlock inside it, which means there is rarely a reason to revisit older areas for any satisfying reason. Fast travel via elevators and subway stations keeps backtracking from becoming painful, and little map markers flag unexplored corners clearly, so you will not lose hours to confusion. The world is more of a corridor than an open web, and players who play Metroidvanias specifically for that interconnected density may leave wanting. For a roughly 15-hour single-player run on PC with controller support and Steam Deck compatibility confirmed, Possessor(s) is a competent, stylish action game that prioritizes feeling good to play over feeling ambitious to design. The combat ceiling is lower than the platform-fighter inspiration implies, but the floor is high enough that most of your time with it stays enjoyable. If you are a player who puts combat feel and art direction first and can forgive a map that does not push the genre forward, this one delivers on its core promise.

Alex · Scout Team

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