Hollowbody Review – A Thrilling PSX-Style Experience That Remixes the Classic Survival Horror Formula

Forget the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake, at least for now. Hollow body Hollowbody is the latest survival horror game on the scene, and when VG247 previously described it as one of our most anticipated horror games, we had good reason to do so. Hollowbody is an exceptional experience that pays homage to many cult classics, while forging a unique legacy all its own.

Playing as Mica, you take on the role of a black market shipper in a dystopian British city. And while Mica’s home in Hollowbody’s world may seem futuristic, with its flying cars and neon colours, it’s the Exclusion Zone that you’ll spend most of your time in as she struggles to find her missing partner, Sasha. As newspaper clippings, posters and an array of corpses gradually reveal, this Exclusion Zone has been struck by disaster; one that has killed many civilians and robbed them of their homes, and one that was far from natural. In fact, it appears to have been manufactured in a lab, so before you know it, Hollowbody is already providing you with a stark reminder of Resident Evil’s biological terrors.

But that’s not all Hollowbody’s story has to offer. The intricate and provocative world-building allows you, as Mica, to really sink your teeth into these crumbling apartments and desolate streets, and the stories of the people who once roamed them. The discoveries you make and the radio signals you pick up are sometimes so moving that it’s hard not to compare these characters’ experiences to the very real experiences of real people in 2024. Hollowbody may seem dystopian and futuristic, but ultimately, it tells an incredibly relevant story.

Hollowbody rewards the most attentive players, but ultimately serves as a solid start for any horror fan waiting for the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake. From the environments to the enemies to the music, Hollowbody manages to tastefully capture the atmosphere and aesthetic of Silent Hill, while giving players a completely different experience. Enemies resembling lying figures lurk, some of them with tentacles protruding from their heads reminiscent of those infected by Las Plagas in Resident Evil 4.

The soundtrack is reminiscent of Akira Yamaoka’s work on Silent Hill; it’s eerie, industrial, and creates a tension like no other. Even the game’s interface reminds me of Signalis, another Silent Hill-inspired indie project that I can’t recommend enough. Simply put, Hollowbody is a survival horror feast that harks back to the good old days of PSX horror, and it does so with the utmost passion.

Those who enjoy Hollowbody as much as I do – and other emotions – will be pleased to know that the game has plenty more in store for us. Not only is it a short adventure that took me about 5-6 hours to complete (although you can certainly finish this game much faster than I did), but there are also secret endings and Easter eggs to discover in the extra parts. Notably, a secret ending involving the developer’s dog… which sounds a lot like Silent Hill 2 if you ask me. There’s a first-person mode to discover in later parts, as well as more difficulties, and even a Ghost in the Shell-inspired outfit for Mica for those who complete the game.

As you progress through the ruined British streets of Hollowbody and piece together the stories of those who once lived there, you’ll also discover that there’s much more to Hollowbody than meets the eye. No, I’m not talking about secret endings and Easter eggs.

Think endless corridors and ecosystems reminiscent of Scorn or even The Borderlands (Elliot Goldner’s 2013 film, not that one), or “blink and you’ll miss it” moments that remind me of Sam Barlow’s Immortality. That might give you an idea of ​​what I’m getting at, but if not, you’d better experience first-hand how Hollowbody plays with you and your sanity; keep a very close eye on your surroundings. That’s all I’ll say.

Solo developer Nathan Hamley of Headware Games has funded Hollowbody via Kickstarter and there are still more goals to reach, with the next and final goal being an additional shopping mall setting inspired by Silent Hill 3. The last feature to be funded, but not yet added, is the ability to set enemy corpses on fire, inspired by The Evil Within.

Hollowbody is an homage to Hamley’s work and is phenomenal in its own right, but the dedication to various cult horror and sci-fi games only adds to my excitement for the game; this is how you create a game that is heavily inspired by other media while creating a completely new experience, in a nutshell. But make no mistake, Hollowbody is much more than its inspirations, consisting of several moving parts that offer fans of the survival horror genre something new and refreshing.

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Hollowbody was tested on PC with a code provided by the publisher.