Review – Possessors – Gamerview

Possessors is the latest release from Devolver Digital, an indie metroidvania produced by , the same developer that brought us Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash. The difference in this new game is in its narrative, something generally left in the background in the genre. In the plot, a megacorporation called Agradyne dominates the city of Sanzu. Carrying out experiments in secret, something goes wrong and a huge explosion releases demons throughout the city.

Luca, the game’s protagonist, loses his legs and his friend Kaz dies during the disaster. Dragging through her life, she encounters Rhem, a demon who offers her a pact that’s hard to deny: new legs in exchange for help. Upon accepting, the two unite physically and mentally, gaining horns and sharing memories and feelings. In other words, Luca is possessed but still in control of everything.

The bond between the possessed and the possessor

It is interesting to see Possessors discussing pertinent issues in our reality. While in the game’s fictional world we have this strange partnership, the plot addresses issues such as scientific and corporate exploration, bringing dilemmas and reflections on humanity. The dialogues between Luca and Rhem begin with friction and disagreement, but this relationship evolves significantly as the adventure progresses. And this dynamic takes away that frequent silence from people.

Your main objective on this journey is to discover what happened to your family and Agradyne’s true interests, involving demons and dimensional portals. And, of course, Luca will face everything along the way, from demon-possessed objects to gigantic creatures. The core of the adventure revolves around finding four eyes (representing the bosses of each region of the map) necessary to get past the security system at the laboratory entrance.

Possessors’ gameplay follows the tradition of the genre, but is very responsive and agile in movements and combat. You run, jump, dodge, deflect attacks, tear off the edges of platforms, use a whip to swing from hooks and pull smaller enemies, open passages, and so on. Nothing new here, except for the weapon and special attacks that you equip as you need to advance in the game. As weapons, Luca uses kitchen knives, a computer mouse, a cell phone, a baseball and other ordinary items.

Where am I going?

It’s normal to get lost in a metroidvania, until you find a certain ability that allows you to advance through a previously blocked area. Possessors is no exception, but it will leave you more lost than usual. Although there is a list of tasks, the information is not clear on the map. In other words, backtracking is more frequent than it should be, despite the game offering fast travel between regions through subway stations. These details end up influencing the pace of the game, reducing the player’s pace and patience.

Possessors also find it difficult to balance their own enemies, some of which are quite resistant and others that are difficult when they are in large numbers. To avoid suffering too much, gather as much chroma (demonic essence) as you can to buy improvements from the merchant. As for the bosses, it is important to memorize their attack patterns and think of strategies to avoid taking a beating.

It would be a better game if it didn’t present the aforementioned problems, as well as a poorly planned menu interface that leaves you without knowing what’s going on, even when collecting important improvement items for Luca. It’s like it doesn’t make a difference, after all. The campaign lasts about 8 hours and I only recommend it if you’re hungry for a new metroidvania. It’s a competent game in terms of gameplay and story, with charismatic characters, but it plays too safe and ends up not bringing anything new to the genre.