The possessor(s) had all the ingredients to impress me. Firstly because it is the new work of Heart Machine, authors of Hyper Light Drifter (a game with a great audiovisual style and gameplay that demands absolute precision) and the extremely underrated Solar Ash. Secondly, because it is a metroidvania; and, for those who don’t know me: I’m crazy about metroidvania.
And thirdly, because it’s a story about demons possessing humans with catastrophic consequences… Which is basically the premise of anime series I love like Chainsaw Man and Devilman Crybaby (I watched it again a few days ago and it’s still devastating).
Come on, it’s like someone got into my head and there are Possessor(s) specifically for me. It was one of the games I was most looking forward to in the final stretch of 2025 and I had been waiting for days for them to send us the code for analysis.
But if I learned anything from Possessor(s), it’s that even when a game has all the ingredients to like it… That doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.. Heart Machine’s new work presents a significant number of problems. The most serious of all? That I couldn’t even finish.
With all the pain of my heart, in this analysis I tell you why, despite having everything, I cannot recommend the Possessor(s) under any circumstances.
The Possessor(s) review for PS5 and PC by HobbyConsolas:
Possessor(s) Story, Gameplay, and Gameplay on PS5 and PC
An explosion rocks the city of Sanzu, releasing a horde of demons from another dimension that turns the place upside down. The young woman Luke She is seriously injured and trapped under the rubble, but fortunately or unfortunately for her, a demon named Rem is nearby, also barely surviving.
Faced with the terrible future that awaits them both, the demon proposes a deal: possess Luca, thus giving her all his strength and powers… as long as she helps him return home.
Thus begins a action, jumping and exploration game with metroidvania elements (any search actiondepends on how fancy you get with nomenclature). In other words, we advance by exploring the different areas of the city, defeating the demons that appear in our path and obtaining unique abilities that allow us to access previously blocked areas.
I think that Heart Machine tried to take Hyper Light Drifter’s gameplay and transfer it to a metroidvania. roll sidebecause Possessor(s) shares many elements with the studio’s first game.
For example, when attacking with the basic weapon equipped, we obtain charges that allow us to use secondary weapons. They are all quite original, as they are everyday objects such as cutlery, a computer mouse, an electric guitar… And both the platform and combat sections require a lot of precision, as just a few hits are enough to die.
But this is where the problems begin: the control is not precise enough and often this leaves you completely sold. To give an example, from the first minutes we have a whip that can be used to swing and go further, but in many cases the “success box” from the anchor point is not well programmed and you end up hitting yourself.
The combat, in addition to being imprecise, has another even more serious problem: It’s very basic. Its creators said they were inspired by fighting games like Smash Bros., but when the time comes it’s very difficult to keep enemies in the air, so you end up limiting yourself to hitting your basic attack and secondary attack, interspersed with some dodges or blocks.
There’s also a lot left”punch“in every way. Possessor(s) is the kind of game you expect to be very satisfying in controls; that all that precision it demands is rewarded by a feeling of power, as happened in Hyper Light Drifter. But here there are only glimpses of that satisfaction.
Perhaps exploration is the only playable aspect that has redeeming capabilities…unfortunately it is also where the biggest problems lie. Taking notes from Hollow Knight, Possessor(s) gives us great freedom to explore its world, so that we continually have several open routes to explore and even feel lost.
In that sense, I think they did it very well, certainly better than most games that are considered metroidvania. The problem is that they didn’t know how to measure it, as it gives the player the possibility of exploring many routes must be accompanied by a feeling of progressionso that even if you explore an area that you can’t go through yet (because you don’t have the ability to progress), you don’t feel like you wasted time when you hit the block.
And yes, in Possessor(s) there are many objects that invite us to explore, objects that in theory allow us to improve Luca. But I say in theory because, After everything I played, I don’t know how to use them. I have 12 shards in my inventory to improve health and 13 to increase the number of healing uses… And I don’t know what to do with them.
This is especially frustrating because The possessor(s) are VERY FUCKED UP. You die surprisingly easily. And having all those upgrades you fought for that could make your life easier gathering dust in your inventory… it’s not fun at all. But then again, maybe it’s not a screwed up game; Maybe it was because I didn’t improve the character.
And I’m sure some of you are already thinking: “how bad you play, you failed to do something basic, it’s your fault“Well, from here on out I encourage you to try and figure it out for yourself. And while you’re at it, also tell me how to end it, because It’s gotten to the point where I can’t do anything else.; I can’t access more areas or progress in the story.
The funniest thing of all is that I couldn’t even accomplish any of the four main goals of the Possessor(s).. And believe me: I searched the map several times looking for anything I might have forgotten. I even started a new game and defeated the first boss, in case something had changed after one of the patches. And nothing, there was no way.
I know this is going to sound arrogant, but after playing so many Metroidvania games, I’m convinced that is a error that impedes progress. Because it didn’t just happen to me: other colleagues in the press are in the same situation. That’s the main reason I can’t recommend Possessor(s) right now.
The only thing that is saved in your current state is your artistic direction and character design, which I think is absolutely wonderful. Both Luca and Rhem, as well as the rest of the main characters who have portraits in conversations, are incredible. And the scenarios – urban, apocalyptic and designed in 3D to give depth – generate a great feeling of melancholy.
Is the Possessor(s) difficult?
Possessor(s) have two difficulty levels: easy and normal. And playing on normal difficulty and, as I explained a few paragraphs ago, it’s a really difficult game… or at least it is if you play without improving Luca’s health and healing.
But let’s forget that for a moment and imagine that it’s a really difficult game. We are not talking about a “hard but fair” game, as Hyper Light Drifter was, but rather an exasperatingly difficult game, a difficult game that uses very rudimentary techniques (like forcing us to fight waves of enemies constantly or checkpoints far from the bosses) that only serve to cause frustration.
It is paradoxical that they are exactly the same problems that Silksong had and that so many debates have generated around its difficulty, with the difference that here the rest of the elements do not follow. Except art; I insist that the artistic direction is very good.
How many hours is the story of the Possessor(s)?
Logically, and since I couldn’t finish it, I have no idea how long the Possessor(s) last. or if something interesting unlocks after the credits. I can say that I played about 12 hours and in that time I didn’t manage to defeat any of the four main bosses, so I imagine I still have a lot of game left to play.
It’s also true that I play much slower than the average player… and that I spent a lot of time re-exploring areas in search of a possible path that would help me continue. But even with all this, I believe that Possessor(s) is a relatively long game, at least for a metroidvania.
So with the naked eye I would say it lasts about 10 or 15 hours, as long as what happened to me doesn’t happen to you, of course.
Price and available platforms
Possessor(s) will release on November 11, 2025 for PS5 and PC. At the time of writing this review, It is not known what its price will be. And it is only available in digital format.
Failed possession
I would love to be able to recommend Possessor(s) with my eyes closed. I’m really telling you. And not just because it’s the kind of game that drove me crazy, but also because Heart Machine is not going through its best moment and they need their new job to go well.
For this reason and as a gesture of goodwill towards Alex Preston’s studio This analysis of the Possessor(s) does not contain a note. It wouldn’t be fair to rate it when I couldn’t finish it. Although, to be honest, they shouldn’t have sent the game for review under these conditions either. Furthermore, I don’t understand how it’s possible for the launch to go ahead.
We’ve reached out to the studio to discuss these issues, so for now I can only wait for their response… or another update that resolves the issues preventing progress. When that happens, and if I can move forward and finalize the Possessor(s), I will return to finish the analysis.
Unfortunately, even ignoring all the serious problems it has, This is a simply correct metroidvania that is only saved by its artistic style. A real pity.
About The Author
