Heart Machine have had a busy year. It was only in January that they launched Hyper Light Breaker into early access, a surprise follow-up to their beloved indie action RPG Hyper Light Drifter. That launch didn’t go amazingly due to a myriad of reasons, and even now the game hasn’t completely managed to find its footing yet. And then there’s Possessor(s), their search action (not Metroidvania) game that at long last has a release date!
That date is quite soon, too: November 11th, less than two months away. This date came with a new little gameplay overview trailer, showing off some of the tools the game’s protagonist will be able to use on her journey. I’m quite into the concept behind them, they’re all just things you’re likely to find left behind in a ruined city; a computer mouse, an electric guitar, a pair of sunglasses, all usable in combat that’s apparently partially inspired by games like Smash Bros.
Watch on YouTube
The overall concept is a tantalising one too. You play as Luca, a teenage girl caught up in the mess of a quarantined city whose body becomes so damaged she’s forced to let a demon named Rhem in to fix it. This city is in ruins because of some experiments conducted by an evil corporation (the evil being a bit moot there because when isn’t a corporation evil), with other demons having possessed everyday household objects.
Possessor(s) marks a bit of a departure for Heart Machine having transitioned to a 2D, sidescrolling plane. There’s certainly the hallmarks of the studio with its fresh concept and killer art direction, I’m just hoping they’ve managed to pull off a hit given how Hyper Light Breaker has been put through the ringer. We’ll find out in a couple of months!
