Still, it felt like Possessor(s) was a return to form, offering 2D animated characters in a side-scrolling action-adventure set in a massive 3D world. Unfortunately, despite a compelling premise and some sleek presentation, it also stumbles in various frustrating ways.

The setting is Sanzu City, recently torn apart by a disaster of demonic proportions. A massive otherworldly rift has opened, and demons roam the streets, ravaging the living. Luka, a high school student, is on death’s door after losing her legs, but she happens upon the equally wounded Rhem. Despite watching her best friend, Kaz, get killed by a demon, Luka reluctantly forms a partnership with Rhem, allowing him to possess her and heal her wounds.

It isn’t for free, though, as the player is tasked with escorting Rhem to the epicenter of the rift so he can return to his home dimension. Doing that requires accessing a mysterious underground vault belonging to Agradyne, who effectively runs the city and produces batteries (three guesses about where their energy comes from). You’ll then need to travel to different corners of the map and collect four eyeballs belonging to officials possessed by high-ranking demons to pave the way forward.

As typical as the MacGuffin search feels, Possessor(s) does a pretty decent job of not immediately lapsing into it. Luka spends a significant amount of time getting to know Rhem while mastering her new legs and strength. Their pasts intertwine as memories are mixed and secrets eventually spill forth. The characterization feels spot-on in this regard, with Luka coming across as immature and awkward, but also understanding and down-to-earth. Meanwhile, Rhem, despite his calm, collected demeanor is prone to stubborn callousness.

The barriers between them are slowly but surely whittled down along the way, even if arguments still tend to flare up. Other notable figures include Tens, a former Agradyne employee turned hunter who works alongside a possessed wolf; Professor Foss, Rhem’s former teacher who’s now possessed and mentally unravelling; and more. Outside of accepting quests or acting as vendors and one-time bosses, they don’t have a heavy presence in the plot, with the focus remaining squarely on the eyeball hunt and Luka and Rhem’s dynamic. Nevertheless, they’re intriguing and add to the overall setting with their backstories.

The two core components of Possessor(s) are platforming and combat, and there’s plenty of acquiring new abilities and revisiting previous locations to test them. All your favorites are here, from the grappling hook that also doubles up as pulling smaller enemies towards you to the slide and underwater dash. And while the platformer can feel solid enough as a whole, there are some fumbles, like the grapple not properly latching onto points at times. There are also some delays to your movement in combat – something I learned the hard way when trying to transition from a dash to a crouch to avoid a beam and dying in the process.

"Aesthetically, Possessor(s) is a mix of wonder and intentionally clashing styles. The look and motion of its characters are in stark contrast to the 3D environment, with limited animation frames that still manage to flow together relatively smoothly."

That awkwardness pervades a huge chunk of the combat as well. While attacking, you’re effectively stuck in one direction for the duration of that combo. Enemies aren’t, of course, resulting in frustration. Luka can utilize a primary weapon and three special weapons at a time, ranging from a mouse to juggle enemies into the air to a hockey stick with wide-range smacks. There’s a Super Smash Bros.-like feel to some of the action as you break through guards and knock enemies into each other and the environment, which feels pretty nice. It’s punctuated by parries, which are required to open up certain foes to attacks and reflect projectiles.

Given how many enemies tend to stay just out of reach, the latter can be essential. Occasionally, it’ll feel very generous as you parry multiple bullets back. Due to the lack of any kind of invincibility window when taking damage and the excruciatingly long stun recovery, you can easily get by hit dozens of them at once and die. This leads to some even more annoying runbacks, purely due to the layout of certain sections.

Even if you fully grasp the combat, there isn’t all that much to it beyond smacking enemies away, grappling them back and following up with another attack. The primary weapon variety is surprisingly low, and the special weapons are very mechanically basic. Admittedly, it can be cool to execute a counter-attack with the glasses or charge up a powerful katana slash, but that’s as far as their functionality goes. The affixes also feel a little too straightforward, though providing some lungs for an NPC to cook and effectively buff is one of the more memorable interactions.

Aesthetically, Possessor(s) is a mix of wonder and intentionally clashing styles. The look and motion of its characters are in stark contrast to the 3D environment, with limited animation frames that still manage to flow together relatively smoothly. Well, on most occasions, since some bosses still tend to just kind of float towards you with certain attacks. Regardless, they stand out well against the brutalist architecture of the world, its shadowy undertones and an analogue-like filter which lends an old-school horror feel.

Even the sound design is lovingly on point on most occasions. Possessed books float about, crying like babies while your whip lashes out with all the primalness of a beast. The music is also a nice mix of heavy-handed and moody, whether it’s the disarming nature of the Abandoned Mall’s tunes or the epic feel of the final battle.

"Even the story, when it’s all said and done, peters out in fairly predictable ways. Some elements are left disappointingly open – a significant contrast to how inviting Sanzu City felt when first diving in. "

However, the biggest problem with Possessor(s) outside of its movement and combat issues is that it runs out of steam in the closing hours. One area feels painfully straightforward, consisting of nothing but battle rooms en route to the final boss. The other plays with inverted structures and extensive gaps, but not in any really special way compared to prior areas (and it feels relatively short). While there are reasons to go out of your way, be it in obtaining items to add more affix slots to gear or discovering quest items, it begins to feel superfluous after a point. This leads to frustration when you happen upon any places not tied to your objective. At least many of the bosses feel unique, though the aforementioned combat and movement issues can once again hamper your enjoyment.

Even the story, when it’s all said and done, peters out in fairly predictable ways. Some elements are left disappointingly open – a significant contrast to how inviting Sanzu City felt when first diving in. As a whole, Possessor(s) is a decent side-scrolling action-adventure with some interesting twists, especially surrounding possession, backed by a relatively solid dynamic between its leads.

It just sadly doesn’t venture much further. Maybe that’s on me for being so enthralled by this concept and wanting to see where it ventures next, only to be suitably whelmed by the end. I wouldn’t classify this as Heart Machine’s worst effort by a long shot, but it’s yet another in a long line of personal disappointments for sure.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Among the employees that have been affected by these lay-offs include Myriame Lachapelle, who was serving as producer on Possessor(s), 3D animator Jordan Campbell, VFX artist Ivan Phu, and senior gameplay manager Justin Beales. All three confirmed that they were affected by the lay-offs through posts on social media platform Bluesky.

While Lachapelle will continue to work with the studio until the development of Possessor(s) is done, Phu, Campbell and Beales were seemingly let go on a more immediate basis.

“My heart is heavy & I might have more to say on that later, but I’ve got news today that my time at Heart Machine will come to an end after Possessor(s) ships,” wrote Lachapelle in a post. “I’m honestly too busy… literally shipping the game to start actively looking for work, but I’ll be looking for my next gig in December.”

“My time at Heart Machine has sadly come to a rather abrupt end,” wrote Campbell. “I was there for almost 6 years, & had been working on Breaker since summer 2020. It was a pleasure working with them! Now, a new chapter begins.”

“I just wanted to post, I’m laid off,” wrote Beales. “Just shouting into the void of the internet! It was a beautiful and wonderful team of people to work with at [Heart Machine].”

“Unfortunately my time with the lovely teams of Hyper Light Breaker and Possessor(s) is coming to an end tomorrow,” wrote Phu. “It was a great time working with such passionate and talented individuals on this team and I’m wishing everybody a whole lot of luck and perseverance with job hunting in these hard times”

Heart Machine had announced lay-offs earlier this month, noting that the decision was made due to “broader forces beyond our control.” In its statement, a spokesperson for the studio noted that, after the lay-offs, the studio would still maintain a “smaller core team” while still making sure that those affected would be supported.

The studio had announced its next game, Possessor(s), all the way back in June 2024. The title is being developed for PC and is set for release later this year. However, with this latest round of lay-offs, the current state of the game is currently unknown. Possessor(s) has been described by Heart Machine as a side-scroller that takes place in a mega-city that has been hit by an “interdimensional catastrophe”. The story revolves around two characters – Luca and Rehm – who will both cope with the events of the game in their own distinct ways.

In the meantime, check out our review of Hyper Light Breaker, which came out as an Early Access game earlier this year on PC.

https://bsky.app/profile/mllepilgrim.bsky.social/post/3m4c2kazjfk2n

My time at Heart Machine has sadly come to a rather abrupt end. I was there for almost 6 years, & had been working on Breaker since summer 2020. It was a pleasure working with them!Now, a new chapter begins.

— Virum (@virum.bsky.social) 2025-10-29T14:05:31.448Z

I just wanted to post, I'm laid off. Just shouting into the void of the internet! It was a beautiful and wonderful team of people to work with at HM.

— Burnrate (@burnrate.bsky.social) 2025-10-28T20:06:11.352Z

Unfortunately my time with the lovely teams of Hyper Light Breaker and Possessor(s) is coming to an end tomorrow. It was a great time working with such passionate and talented individuals on this team and i'm wishing everybody a whole lot of luck and perseverance with job hunting in these hard times

— Kuro on Blue~ (@kurothemoop.bsky.social) 2025-10-30T22:36:49.257Z

Previously a teacher to Luca, the demonic disaster in Sanzu City resulted in the death of his students and possession by the Knowledge Demon. Though Foss is still receptive to conversation, this short indicates that the demon is tearing away at him beyond simply altering his appearance.

Of course, the trip to the school is for more than just reuniting with Foss, as Luca and Rhem delve into the basement to learn more about some “mysterious research.” What this could lead to remains unknown, but it won’t be long before we find out. For more details on the side-scrolling action title, including the combat and weapons that Luca can wield, head here.

In a statement to Game Developer, a studio spokesperson said, “As we wrap up our work on Hyper Light Breaker, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to part ways with a number of talented team members. This was not our ideal path, but rather the only one available given the circumstances.

“While this path will include a conclusion on the project, it reflects broader forces beyond our control, including shifts in funding, corporate consolidation and the uncertain environment many small studios like us are navigating today.”

The developer will continue working on titles as a “smaller core team” while supporting those affected. The number of layoffs has not been specified.

Released into Steam Early Access this past January, Hyper Light Breaker is a fully 3D co-op rogue-like – check out our thoughts on the launch version. It currently sits at a “Mixed” rating with 64 percent of the 3,133 user reviews giving it a thumbs-up, despite multiple updates and content drops over the past several months.

Heart Machine hasn’t specified when development will wrap or the extent of the game’s final update, so stay tuned for more details. The studio’s next title, Possessor(s), launches on November 11th for PS5 and PC. It’s a side-scrolling action title where players control Luca, possessed by a demon Rhem, as the duo seeks to survive in Sanzu City. Head here for more details.

Set in the near future following a sudden interdimensional crisis, the story follows Luca, who makes a pact with Rhem. The latter’s energy was siphoned by the corporation Agradyne, resulting in this catastrophe, and they must now work together to survive. While this is a side-scrolling action title, the weapon roster includes guitars, a computer mouse, and even sunglasses.

The combat takes cues from Super Smash Bros., offering directional inputs for attacks and juggles to execute devastating combos. Of course, the usual assortment of movement abilities, from a whip to grapple across areas and wall-running to smashing through floors, is also included.

Possessor(s) will be available for PS5 and PC. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

Possessor(s) occurs in the futuristic Sanzu City, now in ruins after an outbreak of demons (linked to megacorp Agradyne) that transformed humanity into monsters. The protagonist is Luca, a former high school student possessed by the demon Rhem who seeks to return home.

As they explore Sanzu and learn about Agradyne’s excesses, Luca will utilize various melee weapons, from knives and hockey sticks to a guitar and even a PC mouse (with different buttons corresponding to separate weapons). Continually attacking enemies will stagger them, but you can also juggle them and use Rhem’s whip to grapple them. The whip also comes in handy while platforming.

Sanzu is an interconnected world with various districts, and you’ll have to face demons possessing all kinds of objects. Additional abilities and weapon mods become available as you progress.

Possessor(s) doesn’t have a release date yet. Check out some new brief new gameplay below.

Excited to announce that Possessor(s) from @HeartMachineHQ is coming to @PlayStation 5 later this year!

Head on over to the PlayStation Blog to get the details on the dark and stylish world of @PossessorsGame: https://t.co/LGhMSoVYND pic.twitter.com/5mQuoT2BIm

— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) March 19, 2025

The developer also outlined future updates for Spring, including a new Assassin, enemies, Blades, Holobytes, and affixes in March. It will also offer more updates to performance and combat/gear balance. April sees the arrival of “Buried Below”, which adds a new Crown to battle and an additional character. Players will also have more areas to explore while tussling with a new Assassin and enemies.

The onboarding experience will also improve, ideally easing one into the experience. Heart Machine promises new bosses, story content, gear, progression, end-game difficulty, etc., along with the eventual Version 1.0 launch. Stay tuned for details including a new roadmap that will outline upcoming content from May through July, so stay tuned for updates.

Hyper Light Breaker isn’t that. The fully 3D visuals, open-world landscape, and gliding may draw a slight twinge of comparison to your Breath of the Wilds and Tears of the Kingdoms. The trippy sci-fi aesthetic and fusion of close-range hack-and-slash combat with long-range shooting will remind you of Hyper Light Drifter. However, the gameplay loop and world design are several steps below its predecessor.

"Even if you can excuse the lack of narrative elements at this stage, things only slightly improve with Breaker’s gameplay loop."

Recently launched into Steam Early Access, the title focuses on the Breakers, who venture to the mysterious Overgrowth to defeat the Abyss King. To what end is unknown, but doing so requires defeating three bosses known as Crowns. Reaching them is another task, as players must collect Prisms to open their gates. It’s all simple enough to take in, presented wordlessly with layers of complexity upon further analysis, right? Well, no – problems emerge beyond the initially dry way you’re tossed into the fray.

What are the Breakers? Why are they called this? What has the Abyss King done to warrant such a steadfast quest to eliminate him? What will killing the Abyss King solve? How does the Overgrowth completely morph after a cycle? All these questions and more are pretty much unknown. And even if you believe that early access could omit the more important narrative details, having the absolute bare minimum to constitute the set-up doesn’t cut it.

It’s made all the worse when you’re exploring Overgrowth. Mysterious ruins, mercenary-like soldiers, alien creatures, and the remains of what seem to be bygone civilizations drive you to want to know more. Unfortunately, Hyper Light Breaker doesn’t feature much deeper lore to familiarize you with the place. It doesn’t present any intriguing mysteries to pursue beyond some buildings that evoke Drifter deja vu, and that’s a shame. When you’re first roaming the neon-swathed landscape, moody synth setting the tone as you’re beset on all sides, the sheer atmosphere is easy to get lost in.

Even if you can excuse the lack of narrative elements at this stage, things only slightly improve with Breaker’s gameplay loop. After starting at base and squaring away your loadout, you teleport into Overgrowth and begin a “run.” There are three Crowns to fight, with Prisms scattered all over the map. Each requires a different amount, so while it makes sense to challenge the two-Prism boss first, you could easily take on the three-Prism threat if desired.

"Of course, with your measly grey-quality sword and gun, alongside the lack of passive abilities and healing items, a quick death is more or less assured. "

As for the Prisms, these can be found in locked underground rooms or obtained from defeating Elite enemies. However, slaying enemies in Overgrowth will attract the Abyss King’s attention. He’ll send reinforcements after you while raising the Danger Level – as it gets higher, more powerful mini-bosses, like the Engineer, may spawn to take you down.

Of course, with your measly grey-quality sword and gun, alongside the lack of passive abilities and healing items, a quick death is more or less assured. The kicker is that you get four “rezzes” – one is consumed on death and allows for respawning back at base. Any equipment, from weapons to gear, loses durability in the process. Die enough times, and even that spiffy Orange-tier weapon that synergizes well with your loadout will be gone soon enough.

What happens when all four rezzes are consumed? You gain the ability to reset the world and effectively start a new cycle. And like the most annoying consolation prize ever, your “ranks” increase, earning items like Gold Rations. Those can unlock passive upgrades for your character, including increased gliding and hoverboard time, or the ability to use healing items (more accurately, to convert the Gems discovered in the Overgrowth into healing charges).

So while Hyper Light Breaker is a rogue-like game, as advertised, there are also elements of an extraction title. You can extract from Overgrowth at any time, though earlier is better – that’s because the extraction process requires slaying enemies and Elites to complete. And the last thing you want is to be trapped in an enclosed space with an Engineer, unleashing all manner of explosive shots and mines.

Extraction won’t consume any rezzes, but on the flip side, not consuming rezzes won’t complete cycles and provide Golden Rations on leveling up. You could also complete a cycle by defeating all the Crowns but the chances of that happening, especially with this current level of balance, are astronomically low.

"However, there are occasions where shifting from melee to ranged combat can feel awkward, never mind trying to slash at flying enemies."

The overall gameplay loop thus devolves into the following: Teleport into Overgrowth. Find the nearest point of interests with weapons, guns, whatever. Loot them and then extract before things get too dangerous. Build a decent arsenal and maybe refresh the vendors’ stocks for additional options, either with currency earned from each run or by waiting. Once you feel confident enough, gather some Prisms, and when you’re extra confident, take on the bosses.

If it sounds tedious, that’s because it is. All the extra steps and twists to what should be a rogue-like where you explore a barren yet beautifully realized world feel unnecessary. And even if you do get into a groove of preparation, slowly but surely assembling the best weapons and passives available, the fact that some can be lost in one or two deaths makes it feel like a waste.

Mind you, this is before we get to all the other problems with Hyper Light Breaker, specifically its combat. Anyone who’s played Drifter, let alone any hack-and-slash title in the past few years, will expect a certain level of fluidity. You’ll get that for the most part – two-handed weapons carry a heftier feel; dual blades feel nice and speedy; and they each have innate talents that come in handy.

However, there are occasions where shifting from melee to ranged combat can feel awkward, never mind trying to slash at flying enemies. Some abilities also have a painfully long recovery, which is enough time to get smacked down. Dashing feels decent, though the stamina recovery and only two dashes (with more pips obtained via gear) don’t help when you’re getting battered by a mini-boss. You can parry attacks but that feels awkward more often than not.

"The lack of random events, beyond whatever the Abyss King throws at you or notable figures to meet beyond a vendor that sells some underwhelming loot, also doesn’t help."

Enemies can also feel astoundingly punishing. Before you obtain any armor, a few hits are enough to kill, and the Overgrowth generously tosses several ranged foes to go with melee enemies that can charge from miles off. Then you have the flying enemies which shield their comrades and unleash sweeping lasers.

Things become more manageable with armor, but you’ll still have to deal with annoyances like leaping enemies perfectly predicting where to land in your path. As for bosses, I’ve only faced one so far, but suffice it to say that some tuning is required. Beyond batteries to refill your ranged weapons, why it needs an excessive amount of constantly respawning smaller enemies is beyond me.

If all of this wasn’t enough, the Overgrowth isn’t all that fun to explore. Any sense of wonder at discovering a new cave or section of the map is quickly diminished since you’re just out to scrounge for resources. The lack of random events, beyond whatever the Abyss King throws at you or notable figures to meet beyond a vendor that sells some underwhelming loot, also doesn’t help.

Some sections become hazardous as the Danger Level rises, and remaining within them will sap your health. These can be intriguing…except when you haven’t collected the loot and must suddenly race through to get it. More time before the health drain begins would be ideal, and in fact, not being immediately bombarded with meteors and reinforcements when I’m trying to check for upgrades would also be swell.

" For now, it’s little more than a rough experiment which confuses progression for tedium."

To say that Hyper Light Breaker isn’t what I expected would be an understatement. Sure, it’s early access, but even the graphical options were downright pitiful. V-Sync wasn’t initially available, which meant forcing it through the Nvidia Panel. Heart Machine has since added it and promised further performance optimization, which is good, given some of the random frame drops that occur.

Even if it receives extensive balance updates, new content, an actual story to go with the setting, and a busier Overgrowth beyond relentlessly throwing enemies at you, Hyper Light Breaker has some serious design issues. I see the potential in the world and combat, and the visuals, coupled with the music, are imbued with this unique otherworldly quality that few other games outside of this universe can replicate. However, for now, it’s little more than a rough experiment which confuses progression for tedium.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Offering open-world and rogue-like elements, the title has received a mixed response on Steam. There are 1,046 user reviews at the time of writing, and only 55 percent are positive, earning it a “Mixed” rating. Complaints range from balance issues and punishing difficulty to optimization issues, clunky movement, and repetitive combat.

Of course, this is only the beginning, with three playable Breakers and two bosses to fight. Heart Machine has committed to more content throughout early access, with a roadmap due in the coming weeks and a date for its first major update. Early access will last about a year, though that may change as it takes on more feedback.

It will outline the release date for the first big content update, which adds Crow as a new playable character. Plans for future updates include new features, additional Breakers and Crowns, secrets, story content, gear, and gameplay improvements. These will arrive through patches and “periodic major updates.”

The team is excited overall and will collect feedback from the community to “balance the experience and bring Breaker to its full potential before it enters 1.0 launch.” The plan is to remain in early access for a year, though that could change.

Hyper Light Breaker’s early access content includes three characters and two Crowns. Players can explore the Overgrowth (with or without hoverboards), collect materials to upgrade their base, unlock new outfits, and partake in a three-player co-op. Head here to check out some more gameplay.