Hollowbody
Release Date: September 12, 2024
Action, TPP, science fiction, survival horror, indie games, action adventure, singleplayer
OpenCritic
A postapocalyptic survival horror game about Mica, a young, unlicensed Shipper traversing an abandoned British city. Hollowbody has us heading out on a simple mission that goes catastrophically wrong.
Hollowbody is a psychological horror action adventure game by Nathan Hamley, a solo developer leading Headware Games. It's his second 3D project after Chasing Static, a 2021 adventure game.
Plot
The game is set in a dystopian near future. The protagonist is Mica, an unlicensed Shipper employed by a group of black market freelancers. One day she heads out to take care of a routine delivery job - fly within radar range while avoiding electrical discharges. Not all goes according to plan though, as the drop-off point she was directed to has been inactive for ages. Tired and disappointed, she heads back home,
but her hovercraft starts disobeying her, gaining altitude. After a sudden blinding flash, the vehicle crashes down into deserted city streets. After regaining consciousness, Mica realizes she's been trapped in the exclusion zone, surrounding by naught but ruins.
Mechanics
Hollowbody is a third-person survival horror game inspired by the genre's greats released in the 2000s, such as Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, Kuon and Rule of Rose. Our objective is to escape the exclusion zone while avoiding and fighting off dangerous creatures.
Along the way we'll gather valuable though rare items useful both in combat and for survival. Mica can wield both melee weapons (like 2x4s) and guns (like pistols). Though there are plenty dangerous monsters, there are also plenty of accessibility options for players who'd rather explore than fight.
Aside from monsters there are also various environmental puzzles and the way we solve them affects the story. To increase the tension, we can only save the game at special, pre-set save points.
The game has several endings depending on the choices we've made throughout.
Technical aspects
Hollowbody features 3D graphics reminiscent of early Silent Hill and Resident Evil games. The game uses a faded, grim color palette, limited lighting, dynamic and fixed camera angles.
Videos and Screens
[0:51] Hollowbody - Third-Person Gameplay Trailer
[2:34] Hollowbody Hollowbody - Release Date Trailer
Try Hard Guides: 10 / 10 by Erik Hodges
Hollowbody is the best horror game of the year, standing out with its remarkably good use of tension and incredible atmosphere. Clocking in at about three hours, your short time with this game will surely be memorable, tense, and terrifying.
VG247: 5 / 5 by Kelsey Raynor
Hollowbody is a testament to the work of Hamley, and is phenomenal within its own right, but the dedication to various cult classic horror and sci-fi games only adds to how enamored I was with the game; this is how you make a game heavily inspired by other media while making a whole new experience entirely, in a nutshell. But don’t get me wrong, Hollowbody is so much more than its inspirations, made up of multiple moving parts that provide fans of the survival horror genre with something new and refreshing.
DarkZero: 7 / 10 by Dominic Sheard
Hollowbody stands as a commendable project from a solo developer, effectively channelling the essence of classic PlayStation 2 horror titles, with a particular nod to Silent Hill 2.
Hollowbody Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows
Developer: Headware Games
Publisher: Headware Games
Age restrictions: 16+
Hollowbody System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: (720p) Intel Core i5-4670K / AMD FX-4350, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 660 / Radeon HD 7850 or better, 17 GB HDD, Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended: (1080p) Intel Core i7-6950X / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 8 GB GeForce GTX 1080 / Radeon RX 5700 or better, 17 GB HDD, Windows 11 64-bit
New Sci-Fi Psychological Horror Evokes Nostalgia for Silent Hill 2, Kuon, and Rule of Rose. Hollowbody Scores Strong Launch
Hollowbody has been released on Steam and GOG. The independent game, inspired by classic horror movies from the turn of the 20th century, has won praise from gamers.
video games
Kamil Kleszyk
September 16, 2024