Forget about the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake, at least for now. Hollow body Hollowbody is the latest survival horror game to come out, and when iGamesNews previously described it as one of our most anticipated horror games, we had good reason to do so. Hollowbody is a remarkable game that pays homage to many of the classics while carving out its own unique legacy.
Players take on the role of Mica, an unlicensed black market shipper in a dystopian city in the UK. While Mica’s home in the world of Hollowbody looks futuristic, with flying cars and neon hues, it’s the restricted area where players will spend most of their time as she tries to find her missing partner Sasha. As newspaper clippings, posters, and clusters of dead bodies slowly reveal, the restricted area has suffered a disaster; one that killed many civilians and took away their homes, and the disaster was far from natural. In fact, it appears to have been created in a lab, so before you know it, Hollowbody reminds you of the biological horrors from Resident Evil.
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However, that’s not all Hollowbody’s story is about. Intricate, engaging world-building allows you, as Mica, to truly immerse yourself in these run-down apartments and deserted streets, and the stories of the people who once walked them. The things you discover and the radio signals you listen to are so moving at times that it’s hard not to compare these characters’ experiences to the real experiences of real people in 2024. Hollowbody may seem dystopian and futuristic, but ultimately, it tells a very relatable story.
Hollowbody rewards the most careful players, but it’s ultimately a great entry-level game for any horror fan looking forward to the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake. From the environments to the enemies to the music, Hollowbody manages to capture the atmosphere and aesthetic of Silent Hill while providing players with a completely different experience. Enemies similar to Lying Figures lurk among them, some of which have tentacles extending from their heads, reminiscent of the Las Plagas infected enemies from Resident Evil 4.
The game’s soundtrack is reminiscent of Akira Yamaoka’s Silent Hill; it’s eerie, industrial, and creates an unparalleled sense of tension. Even the game’s user interface reminded me of Signalis, another indie game inspired by Silent Hill that I highly recommend. In short, Hollowbody is a survival horror extravaganza that harkens back to the good old days of PSX horror games, and it does so with the utmost enthusiasm.
Those who, like me, derived joy and other emotions from Hollowbody will be happy to know that there’s more to the game. Not only is this a short game lasting around 5-6 hours (although you can definitely finish it quicker than I did), but there are secret endings and Easter eggs to be found in the extra game. Notably, the secret ending involves the developer’s dog… which sounds a lot like Silent Hill 2 if you ask me. Subsequent games will feature a first-person mode, more difficulties, and even a Ghost in the Shell-inspired Mica costume for players who complete the game.
As you travel through Hollowbody’s destroyed streets of England and piece together the stories of the people who once lived there, you’ll discover more secrets hidden behind Hollowbody. No, I’m not talking about secret endings and Easter eggs.
Imagine never-ending corridors and ecosystems reminiscent of Contempt or even No Man’s Land (the 2013 film directed by Elliott Goldner, not That A split second), or a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment reminded me of Sam Barlow’s Immortality. These may give you an idea of what I mean, but if not, you’d better experience for yourself how Hollowbody plays with you and your sanity; pay close attention to your environment. That’s what I’m saying.
Indie developer Nathan Hamley of Headware Games raised funds for Hollowbody via Kickstarter, but there are still more goals to achieve, with the next and final stretch goal being to add an arcade setting inspired by Silent Hill 3. The latest feature to be funded but not yet added is the ability to set enemy corpses on fire, inspired by The Evil Within.
Hollowbody is a testament to Hamley’s work and is excellent in its own right, but a love of classic horror and sci-fi games of all kinds only adds to my fascination with this game; in short, this is how you make a game that’s heavily inspired by other media while creating an entirely new experience. But don’t get me wrong, Hollowbody is much more than its inspirations, and consists of multiple moving parts that offer fans of the survival horror genre something fresh and refreshing.
Hollowbody was reviewed on PC using code provided by the publisher.
