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Heart Machine knows how to make a stylish game, so its no surprise that the studios latest project, Possessor(s), is sexy as hell. I mean, just look at Rhem, the cosmic demon with a chiseled jawline, aquamarine horns and a fine-cut suit unbuttoned down to his navel, who alternately encourages and negs you throughout the game. Stupid sexy Rhem. It's just fun to have hot characters at the end of the day, Heart Machine founder Alx Preston said at GDC 2025. Preston and three other Heart Machine developers producer Myriame Lachapelle, narrative director Tyler Hutchison and writer Laura Michet played through Possessor(s) while we chatted about the game and the studio. Hutchison continued the hot-characters conversation by praising Heart Machine concept artist Sophie Medvedeva and adding, Since we were kind of building out this visual novel, I was trying to leverage the expertise I brought from Dream Daddy to be like, well, let's make sure these characters are very hot. Sometimes, its as simple as that. Possessor(s) is a sidescrolling sci-fi action game set in the ruins of Sanzu, a corporate megalopolis that's been ripped apart by interdimensional horrors. Sanzu was once a company town controlled by the tech firm Agradyne, but three years ago, a flood of demons escaped the citys underground laboratories, possessing its citizens and transforming most of them into vicious, mutated creatures. The game spans desolate skyscrapers and abandoned aquariums, and it looks like a daydream of a 1990s anime, splattered in neon and shimmering with a sickly green VHS aura. It stars Luca, a possessed-but-lucid 16-year-old whos searching the urban wasteland for any signs of her mother and best friend. The hot descriptor in this game is reserved for the demons, but Luca is stylish, with an iridescent coat, slender metal legs and two horns of her own. Luca is bursting with teenage angst and she has an uneasy relationship with Rhem, the demon whos invaded her consciousness. Hes the only thing keeping her alive, and he needs her in order to finally return home. Luca is missing her mom and her best friend, who both got lost when the demons escaped to destroy the city, Michet said. So she's resentful Rhem won't let her take some time off to find all the people important to her. Heart Machine Together, Luca and Rhem explore Sanzu, investigate the true nature of Agradyne and search for Lucas loved ones. Levels are littered with evil creatures to battle and puzzles to solve, and throughout the game, Luca masters an arsenal of improvised weapons like kitchen knives, a guitar, a hockey stick and a corded computer mouse. Her whip, a power provided by Rhem, allows her to swing across gaps, rapidly reposition and pull in heavy objects and enemies. Combat in the demo seemed to flow smoothly; it was heavy on visual flourishes, leaping airborne attacks and satisfying slashing moves, with Luca bounding seamlessly across floors, walls and platforms. A few frames of line-drawn placeholder art flashed across the screen at one point, but these were the only indication that Possessor(s) isnt actually complete yet. Its due to hit PC and PS5 this year. The original premise was something more like Smash Bros., where you can do directional inputs and kind of build out your loadout to feel more like a different character, Preston said. Where we've ended up is still a bit Smash Bros.-y, in that there's juggling and bouncing enemies on surfaces and things like that. But we've found the spirit of Luca and her character, and what she wants to do. Heart Machine Possessor(s) is eye-catching and combat-focused, and it also has a narrative thats supremely relevant for our times. Boiled down, the premise is that capitalistic megacorporations with an iron grip on society are bad, and young people fighting the system are rad. Interdimensional beings with chiseled pecs and a devastating smoking habit are the hot twist that makes the story uniquely Heart Machines. I mean, it sucks to live in a hierarchical corporate society where your value is determined by your value to the business, Michet said. And Luca will discover this from her teenager perspective. The story in Possessor(s) is branching, with multiple paths to follow and a quarantined city of characters to meet. This is a new mechanic for Heart Machine in fact, the entire game is composed of firsts for the studio, and Possessor(s) is purposefully different from its previous games, Hyper Light Drifter, Solar Ash and Hyper Light Breaker. Hyper Light Drifter's moody, 16-bit-inspired isometric action put Heart Machine on the map even before its release in 2016. Solar Ash followed in 2022 and it was a third-person, 3D platformer. Hyper Light Breaker hit the market this January as a third-person, online roguelite with stylized 3D graphics. Meanwhile, Possessor(s) is a hand-drawn, 2.D side-scroller with touches of horror and visual-novel mechanics. Heart Machine This progression aligns with a mentality of curiosity that Preston outlined to Engadget in 2021. At the time, Heart Machine had fewer than 30 developers and they were still building Solar Ash, unsure of how the switch to 3D would be received. Back then, Preston said the following: Hyper Light was a way for me to get started, it was a way for me to be more grounded and put together a crew and understand, can I do this? Can I actually make games? And so having answered that question, then the natural next step for me was something in 3D. Can I put something out there that reall opens up the world and makes you feel like you can truly escape into something, a creation that is otherworldly, that you otherwise wouldn't have the experience of? Since 2021, Heart Machine has endured layoffs and launched a Patreon, and today it has 58 people on staff. Preston remains at the studio's core, still testing new concepts. At GDC 2025, he said, We've done overhead stuff with Drifter back in the day, and then fully 3D was a big jump. I wanted to do something sidescrolling, because there's a lot of different, unique challenges there that are fun to tackle. That perspective for how we do art, and mixing our 3D stuff with a 2D plane, there's a lot of cool opportunities there. Something like Inside was a good point of inspiration, seeing what a smaller team can do with atmospheric chops. And we're pretty good on those fronts. Possessor(s) is due to hit PC and PS5 in 2025, published by Devolver Digital.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/possessors-is-a-game-about-hot-demons-and-other-things-170016014.html?src=rss
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Fret not, Fireflies, The Last of Us will continue on HBO beyond its second season. Just before the hit adaptation of Naughty Dog's games returns to the network and Max for its next batch of episodes, HBO has officially greenlit a third season of the show. It would have been a major shock if TLOU wasn't going to return beyond this latest seven-episode stint. Season two doesn't cover all of the shocking events of The Last of Us Part 2. The show's creators and showrunners, Neil Druckmann of Naughty Dog and Craig Mazin, have long been adamant that it would take at least two seasons to adapt that overly long misery simulator (still a very good game, though). Plus, the first season was a huge success, as tens of millions of people watched Joel and Ellie fend off infected and other enemies as they trekked across the remnants of America. "We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of," Mazin said in a statement. "The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of The Last of Us with season three!" HBO hasn't given a timeline for when we can expect the third season, but there should hopefully be a smaller gap between seasons this time around. Season two was delayed by the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes in 2023. Plus, it's hard to imagine that viewers will be willing to wait so long to find out what happens after [redacted]. Speaking of which, season two of TLOU premieres on HBO and Max this Sunday, April 13. Engadget's Nathan Ingraham reviewed the season, and found it did an admirable job of adapting (at least some of) the non-linear source material while resolving certain issues from the first season.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-last-of-us-will-return-for-a-third-season-163801196.html?src=rss
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Instagram is testing a feature that locks Reels behind a secret code and a provided hint, according to a report by TechCrunch. This looks like a novel way for creators to interact with fans, as they can share exclusive reels with people who are more likely to know the answer to these clues. As an example, a creator could lock a Reel with a hint like my favorite food and rabid fans would, of course, know the answer. The Meta-owned social network has been testing the feature on its Design account. It shared a locked Reel that prompts viewers to enter a secret code based on a hint that read 1st # in the caption. Meta / Screenshot from Engadget The first hashtag mentioned in the caption was Threads. Upon entering the correct code, viewers access a Reel that announces that the Design account is launching a profile on Threads. This could be used by brands to advertise new products or by creators trying to amp up engagement. Personally, I could see it as a place to hide in-jokes with friends, but maybe thats just me. Engadget has reached out to Instagram for more information regarding this feature. Well update this post if we find out anything regarding availability. This could be just a test, with no actual plans for a general rollout. This is also quite similar to another Instagram tool called Reveal. This feature lets creators post a hidden Story for followers to uncover by sending a DM.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-is-testing-reels-that-are-locked-behind-a-secret-code-162142807.html?src=rss
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Last year, Sony rebranded its portable speaker lineup under the ULT umbrella with new models classified as either Field or Tower. The former are the more "traditional" Bluetooth options while the latter are the party box, karaoke machine sort of devices. Just like 2024, the company has three new entries in the ULT lineup this time around with the ULT Field 3, ULT Field 5 and ULT Tower 9. Those first two fill the mid-range gap between the current ULT Field 7 and ULT Field 1 while the last item is a smaller alternative to the ULT Tower 10. The ULT Field 3 will replace the SRS-XE300. As the name suggests, Sony's ULT button is among the updates, a control that adds instant access to ULT1 mode for bass boost. The company also expanded the customizable EQ and added its Sound Field Optimization. Inside, a single woofer and a tweeter are angled slightly in the center while two passive radiators are positioned at the ends of the speaker. The ULT Field 3 works in both vertical and horizontal orientations where the XE300 was only vertical. There's a new Party Connect button to easily sync with other Sony speakers and you can charge your devices via the USB-C port. The company kept the 24-hour battery life the same as the XE300 but improved the quick-charge feature to give you two hours of use in 10 mins. The ULT Field 3 remains IP67 waterproof, dust proof and shock proof like its predecessor, however this new speaker is also rust proof. A removable shoulder strap is among the additions too, but there's one major item Sony retained. The ULT Field 3 is the same price at the XE300 at $200. ULT Field 3 Sony The ULT Field 5 isn't quite at large as the ULT Field 7, but it's still hefty. This speaker will replace the SRS-XG300 in Sony's arsenal, clocking in at $330 $20 less than that predecessor. Here you'll get a single woofer and two tweeters angled in the middle of the unit with passive radiators at either end. You'll also be able to use a second ULT mode, ULT2, that "emphasizes powerful sound" in addition to the ULT1 bass boost. A 10-band EQ and Sound Field Optimization help maintain sound quality and that new Party Connect button is on this larger speaker too. Like the ULT Field 3, you can use the ULT Field 5 in either vertical or horizontal positions, and similarly there's a removable shoulder strap. Battery life remains up to 25 hours on the ULT Field 5, just like the XG300. Once again, Sony improved quick charging to give you 30 more minutes of use in a 10-minute session. This speaker has lights at the ends though, which can impact longevity. Sony says you'll reach that 25-hour mark using ULT modes with the lights off, but using both will drop that figure to 10 hours. There are three different light modes though, so there are options available. On the back of the ULT Field 5, there's a panel with aux input, USB-C charging in/out, a battery care button and a switch for the lights. That's protected by a sealed flap, which helps the speaker achieve its IP67 rating. That brings us to the ULT Tower 9. The party box joins the ULT Tower 10 on Sony's current roster, replacing the SRS-XV900. Expanded EQ, Sound Field Optimization and two ULT modes are among the additions here, as are a redesigned handle and wheels for better portability. Sony improved the lighting for 360-degree projection as well as making the top control panel splash proof. Besides the Party Connect button from the new ULT Field speakers, the ULT Tower 9 has a dedicated option for a stereo pair. The top panel also houses controls for lighting, volume, power and two inputs for microphones (one of which can be used for a guitar). ULT Tower 9 Sony Like the XV900, you can use Sony's TV Sound Booster feature to enhance living room audio on the ULT Tower 9. The speaker has that ULT button, which gives you two modes for either bass boost or "powerful sound." The driver arrangement inside includes four tweeters, two of which arepointing out the back of the speaker, along with two mid-range units and a single woofer. The wireless version of the ULT Tower 9 is the same price as its predecessor at $900, but Sony is also offering a wired option that must remain plugged into an outlet for $750. If you opt for wireless, battery life is the same on that Tower 9 as the ULT Field 5: up to 25 hours with only ULT mode and up to 10 hours with both ULT mode and lighting active. Lastly, Sony revealed the ULT Mic, which is a $150 set of two wireless microphones and a transmitter that are designed to be used with the company's party speakers. This new accessory pack works with both the newer ULT Tower speakers in addition to the ULT Field 7. You can also use it with any older Sony speakers that support a microphone jack and receiver (like the XV900, XV800, XV500, XP700 and XP500). The mics are rechargeable with up to 20 hours of battery life and they feature a shock proof design. What's more, the company equipped these devices with noise reduction for hands, breath and wind, plus there's a Duet Assist tool to compensate for uneven vocal volumes. The ULT Field 3, ULT Field 5, ULT Tower 9 and ULT Mic are all available now. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/sony-adds-three-more-speakers-to-its-ult-lineup-bass-boost-button-included-160008038.html?src=rss
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Theres a big Xbox showcase event scheduled June 8 at 1PM ET. This is happening the same weekend as Summer Game Fest, which begins on June 6. Xbox has typically held these kinds of live presentations alongside Summer Game Fest ever since E3 was sent to a farm upstate to live with other discontinued industry conferences. We dont know what will be shown at the annual Xbox Games Showcase. The company says it will bring us a "look at upcoming titles from across our first-party studios, in addition to incredible new titles from our third-party partners." Its a digital-only event, so there will be no crowd to hoot and holler at reveals. As a guess, Id expect some new info on that new Fable entry, which was recently delayed until 2026. We could also get new trailers for the Perfect Dark reboot and Ninja Gaiden 4. Other possibilities include Gears of War: E-Day and Hideo Kojimas OD. The sky truly is the limit. Xbox owns a lot of studios and, of course, has numerous partnerships with third-party devs. One game that wont be at the official presser is The Outer Worlds 2. Thats because its getting its very own livestream that follows the showcase. This game was originally teased all the way back in 2021, so its high time for a release date. Xbox promises a look inside developer Obsidian and trailers that reveal "new gameplay, details and developer insights." Interestingly, The Outer Worlds 2 is no longer an Xbox exclusive, as its also coming to PS5.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xboxs-big-summer-showcase-is-set-for-june-8-at-1pm-et-152001789.html?src=rss
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