I was shocked to find out that not only is Hyper Light Drifter's studio working on a second new project, it's a return to 2D with action inspired by 'platform fighters' like Super Smash Bros

Revealed at today's Devolver showcase, Possessors⁠—stylized as «Possessor(s)»—is yet another new game from Heart Machine, the creators of Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash. After pivoting to full 3D action for Solar Ash and the upcoming roguelike Hyper Light Breaker, the studio's gone back to its 2D action roots, but with a surprise twist: the singleplayer game will have combat inspired by platform fighters like Super Smash Bros and Multiversus.

There's not a ton to go on in Possessors' one-minute reveal trailer, but what's here is a real treat visually. The dark, saturated blacks and hazy yellow highlights of its color palette make for a nice contrast with the Hyper Light series' signature neon reds, greens, and teals. Possessors' color scheme, desolate city, and general vibe remind me of a more hi-fi Radio the Universe, itself a Hyper Light-reminiscent game I still hope I get to play one day.

The trailer just showed a few quick snippets of Possessors' combat⁠: it looked like it had the sharp, staccato feel of Hyper Light Drifter, but the accompanying description from Devolver and Heart Machine was more illuminating. They call it a «fast-paced action side scroller with combat inspired by platform fighters.» That's the generic term for the genre popularized by Smash Bros, which immediately has my sicko antenna up: a fully singleplayer version of that experience? Am I going to be short hop neutral airing my way through this story of tragedy, trauma, and woe? Say no more, I'm in.

It'll also have a «deep interconnected world ready for exploration,» which to me sounds like «I don't want to have to use the word 'metroidvania'» speak for «metroidvania.» It's ok, I wish we had a better name for the genre too. Maybe we should take a page from the Japanese gaming community and try to make Search Action a thing.

Story-wise it's cryptic nouns all the way down, and based on Heart Machine's history, I expect my heart strings plucked and brain befuddled by the finished product.