There are some studio names that should immediately make you sit up and take note, and Heart Machine is one of them. Responsible for the Kickstarter mega-hit Hyper Light Drifter cosmic action-adventure Solar Ash, Alx Preston's studio has never failed to make artistically superb, thought-provoking and complex games. New title Possessor(s) looks unlikely to buck that trend, eschewing 3D exploration in favour of a 2D Metroidvania-style side-scrolling adventure as you guide Luca and her somewhat unhelpful companion Rehm, through a quarantined city ravaged by an interdimensional catastrophe.
But why the perspective change now? Studio founder, Axl Preston says it's all about keeping things fresh: "Side-scrolling is a new format for us to explore and that's been a joy. Returning back to our 2D roots has been an unexpected change, compared to the full form 3D we've been doing. We're also leaning more into our horror aspects. Trying to create new and different worlds every time we put something out there is part of how we keep people invested in our studio and our arc as an artistic voice in the community."
