Hollowbody [PC] | REVIEW

Some of my favourite survival horror games released during the PlayStation 2 days, so I was especially excited to see that Hollowbody was inspired by that era of the genre. What’s even more exciting is the fact that it’s also an excellent game to play, and whilst it does have some minor missteps, it certainly deserves the attention of all survival horror fans.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Hollowbody takes place in a future that has seen startling technological advancements, except for in one place: the exclusion zone, which has been left desolate and abandoned following a mysterious yet destructive event. It’s a dangerous place to visit, but when her partner Sasha decides to venture into it and goes unheard of for twelve-days, Mica has no choice but to embark on a perilous journey to try and rescue her. With secrets to discover within the exclusion zone that tell the harrowing stories of those that lived there as well as a mystery linked to the phone calls from somebody who seems to know exactly who Mica is, it’s easy to find yourself wholly engrossed within the noxious world.

At its core, Hollowbody takes a lot of the gameplay mechanics that players would’ve loved from the survival horror genre over the years and runs with them, with the blend of cleverly-implemented puzzles, diverse weaponry to deal with your enemies, and the harrowing yet vast locale to explore all clearly inspired by the greats of the genre – and, in particular, Silent Hill. You’ll even come across fixed camera angles to add to the suspense of the experience, whilst those who especially appreciate old school survival horror design will be pleased to see the option for tank controls.

The puzzling in particular stood out as a strength of Hollowbody, with some genuinely clever enigmas to be found that really make players put the work in if they hope to progress. A particular favourite came with the safe that I found in an apartment, where I had to string together a series of clues from across the environment before I was able to guess the combination. However, it was the long-term puzzling involved in finding the flame thrower that put the biggest smile on my face, with the early-brain teaser of how I’d access a locked room certainly having a satisfying pay-off towards the back end of the game. And sure, there was also the occasional puzzle that was a bit more straight-forward or that simply required me to use an item that was clearly nearby, but it wouldn’t be a survival horror game without those, right?

“Hollowbody is an engrossing horror experience that’ll keep players on the edge of their seat thanks to its sinister world design and harrowing storytelling.”

Combat was a bit more of a mixed bag. Whilst I was a fan of the ranged weaponry (I think more survival horror titles should give you a bow and arrows), the melee combat was guilty of feeling a bit clunky. There were a few too many instances where my attacks just looked awkward and wouldn’t land effectively, so much so that I found myself preferring to simply run from enemies as opposed to engage with them when ammo was running low. It’s a shame too, because there aren’t many survival horror titles that let you use a guitar as a weapon…

Was it a big problem? Not really, especially since there’s a good variety of ranged weaponry to use and ammo isn’t too scarce, but it’s definitely an area of the game that could’ve done with improving.

The best thing about Hollowbody is undoubtedly its world design, with it offering one of the best settings that I’ve seen in a survival horror title for a long, long time. Not only is it full of haunting and grotesque sights that genuinely put me on the edge of my seat when playing, but it features a unique British-inspired design that… well… looked exactly like the kind of streets that I’d see down the road from me (got to love the little nod to Spar too). There’s also a good variety of locales to visit, with the opening apartment block, park, and the church standing out as being particularly eerie in their design – especially when exploring underground in the church, where the excellent audio design and unnerving mind tricks left me unsettled as I tried to find my way out. I loved it, whilst the gorgeous old school-inspired aesthetic adds to the atmosphere.

Check out some screenshots down below:

If I was going to nitpick about something in the world design, it’d be the invisible walls in the park. Whilst they make sense from an exploration perspective, it was a little jarring when I found myself blocked off from an area, especially since there were plenty of other instances in the game where there were clear obstacles blocking your path. On the flip-side, some might find that the game lets you explore a little too much at times, with plenty of dead-ends and rooms that don’t really bring much to the experience (particularly in the apartment block). However, it made me think back to complaints about locked and blocked doors in older Silent Hill games, with Hollowbody adding a sense of realism to the experience by letting you access a lot of these places, even IF they don’t always bring with them any real reward.

It only took me around four-hours to beat Hollowbody on my initial playthrough (and I spent a LOT of time exploring and found all of the hidden signals), so it’s not the longest survival horror game you’d have played. However, with different endings to unlock as well as bonuses to utilise for repeat playthroughs, there’s definitely an incentive there to go through again – especially with the first-person perspective mode that unlocks, which I’m excited to check out. Getting a closer look at the terrifying horrors of Hollowbody? Yeah, sign me up.

Developer: Headware Games
Publisher: Headware Games
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed)
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2123640/Hollowbody/