Hollowbody’s world is one that most of us would recognize, not just its damp, dark British weather. The game’s setting of identikit 60s semis and block of flats is reminiscent of many cities in the country.
This familiarity is what unsettles me more than I’d like to admit. Poking around abandoned flats and canvassing empty streets leaves me on edge. Horror set against the humdrum is what truly terrifies me. A haunted semi-detached, where the plates from last night’s meal are still stacked up in the sink, is more terrifying than an H.R. Giger-inspired world.
The whole Britishness of Hollowbody’s set pieces ratchets up the fear even further. It’s a world bruised and broken by anguish and agony, with tiny vignettes sharing voyeuristic peeks into people’s last moments. The accents and dialogue make it even more relatable and disturbing.
Hollowbody’s world-building is not novel in gaming, but it still stands out. The game’s fixed camera angles, dark score, and polygon-tastic graphics are reminiscent of survival horror games like Silent Hill. However, Hollowbody in no way tries to emulate Silent Hill 2’s story, and instead adopts many of the series’ seminal features.
Despite its familiarity, Hollowbody still manages to sculpt its own story and sit amongst other entries in the genre. It’s a deliciously atmospheric, slow-burn horror that is very much worth experiencing. Headware has created something that, despite its familiarity, still stands on its own.