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Did Heart Machine just announce a Metroidvania?

NEw Game Possessor(s) coming in 2025 announced by heart machine

Hyper Light Drifter is pretty high on our list of best games ever as it was full of personality, passion and for a game where the character never says a word, the game was deeply emotional.

We strongly believe that Heart Machine are one of the best indie studios around. A studio that you can trust what they are making is going to be great. In fact, in our recent ranking of the best indie studios in 2024, which was data based, Heart Machine didn’t make the Top 5, due to the lukewarm critical reception of Solar Ash, their semi open world, follow up to HLD. However, they were the only studio that we felt deserved a special mention as the rest of the list felt appropriate, but Heart Machines place didn’t. Solar Ash was a really good game that felt like a blend of Shadow of The Colossus, Hyper Light Drifter and Sunset Overdrive.

Although Heart Machine is busy working on Hyper Light Breaker, a third person action adventure roguelike with procedurally worlds that looks incredible and a fusion of everything they have learned from their first two games, but they also revealed another title coming in 2025.

Possessors looks to get back to the more intimate style more akin to Hyper Light Drifter and is being published by Devolver Digital this time around.

We were initially going to Possessors as one of our TOP 5 announcements from Summer Game Fest, which it still is, but then we realized something quite interesting as we started looking for more information on the game.

It seems like Heart Machine just announced a Metroidvania.

Possessors is a 2D side scrolling, action adventure game where you are trying to escape a flooded city overrun with inter-dimensional horror. The Steam description does use the words “deep interconnected world”, “unlock a wide array of powerful weapons and upgrades”, “explore previously inaccessible areas” and any gamer can add up these puzzle pieces

The game pages details.

Possessors takes place across the interconnected sprawl of a destroyed mega city, from collapsed skyscrapers to an abandoned aquarium, all riddled with secrets. Hauntingly beautiful 3D environments form a stunning backdrop over which hand drawn and animated characters, and mysterious sci-fi horror action take center stage.

Choose multiple paths in an open ended world structure as you look to uncover the truth behind the catastrophe. Meet a cast of engaging characters, each with their own heart breaking story to follow in the aftermath of the devastation.

Going from the write up of the game and the tone set from the trailer, this might be the return to 2016 Heart Machine that some people are looking for. Combining one of our top genres with one of our favourite studios is a definite reason to get excited. Possessors is currently slated for 2025, but in the meantime head over to the Steam page and Wishlist.