Often, I bounce off metroidvanias due to their rather slow and deliberate combat as you move around their sprawling maps. Possessor(s) is quick, brutal, and full of cool combos powered by an arsenal you can make your own.
Quick Customizable Combat
I like the fast-paced weapons, but Possessor(s) will give you an arsenal of weapons and abilities to customize as you like. Pair that with its quick movement and dodge, and you’ve got all you need to be effective.
You’ll have your main attack determined by the weapons you equip and up to three different secondary abilities you can throw out there. The one I had access to was a computer mouse that you whipped forward to hit enemies with a combo, which was really reminiscent of Ness’s yo-yo attacks in Smash Bros.
Obviously, movement and getting around the map is pretty key in the game. I was introduced to wall jumping and given a grappling hook to swing on certain points – as well as use it in combat to pull enemies towards me.
There are some soulslike elements to Possessor(s), as well. The save points you reach are akin to bonfires, and you collect a currency for defeating enemies along the way. They respawn if you heal up and you leave behind something to collect if you die to retrieve that lost currency.
A Big, Visually Interesting Setting
I didn’t have enough time to really dig into the exploration of the game, as in getting a sense of the scale or just how interconnected it is, but I did get to see vast swaths of empty map for objectives I had to get to. Plus, there are a ton of hidden secrets if you’re keeping an eye out.
Every area I went into was visually interesting and had engaging level design for moving/fighting through the level. None were simply just go left to right to get to the next area. Lots of verticality and visual cues for things to check out.
As much as I love to speed through some platforming quickly dealing damage, taking in the sights is worth it.
Story with a Great Hook
As someone who can’t get enough of a good story, Possessor(s) has a great setting and hook. Something has led to demons attacking, seemingly related to some big corporation go figure, that has left the main character, Luca, extremely injured with both her legs missing.
The game starts with you literally crawling along legless, trailing blood behind you, before you reach an injured demon. Of course, Luca has no choice and makes a deal with the demon who promises he can restore her legs. He didn’t tell her that three years would pass in that time, however.
Luca awakes three years later in the world wracked by demons, now intimately connected with on of her own, Rehm. He grants her some abilities and they have a tenuous truce as they both realize that they need one another to survive.
I can’t wait to see where the story goes, as it has a lot of potential for great character moments and big setpiece moments as well.
If you like metroidvanias, Possessor(s) is an obvious one to keep your eye on. Combat is great, story is intriguing, and it is genuinely fun to move around the map. Not much more you can ask for.
Possessor(s) was previewed at Summer Game Fest.
