Hollowbody Review: A Haunting Homage to Survival Horror’s Golden Age

If you’re anything like me, hooked on horror from the early console days, then you know there’s something uniquely special about that era—especially when it comes to the Silent Hill series. I still remember obsessing over the eerie world and mythos of the franchise, pouring over every magazine article, scouring the web for fan theories, and pleading with my parents to rent these rated M treasures. One moment sticks out, clear as day—while on a family trip to Arizona, my dad called to tell us he’d snagged a copy of Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams. I was beside myself with excitement. The rest of the trip? I could barely think about anything else other than getting home and diving into those fog-drenched streets.

Turns out, I wasn’t alone in my obsession. Nathan Hamley, the solo developer behind Hollowbody, shares that same love for Silent Hill. From the game’s Kickstarter to recent interviews, Hamley’s made it clear: his goal was to bottle the magic that made those classic games unforgettable—something he mostly nails with Hollowbody, though there are a few hiccups along the way.

The game kicks off with Sasha, a young woman standing on the outskirts of a blockaded city, ravaged by a contagion that wiped out the population. She’s part of a group of activists and scientists trying to piece together what happened. But when she’s sent out to find her missing colleague, Mark, she too vanishes. Fast forward a few weeks, and we meet Mica, a smuggler fixated on finding Sasha, someone dear to her. In a scene that oozes atmosphere, we catch her in a futuristic apartment, surrounded by photos and clippings, staring out at a dark, rain-soaked city, cigarette in hand. Mica eventually gets a lead and heads off, only to crash into the exclusion zone after her electronics malfunction mid-flight. Injured and on edge, she must navigate the abandoned city, radio for help, and find Sasha—no matter the cost.

For the next 3-5 hours, you’re left to explore this hauntingly desolate British city—its eerily empty suburbs, crumbling apartments, and ominous subways. And like any great horror game, Hollowbody thrives on three key ingredients: its gameplay, sound design, and that constant, creeping sense of dread.

You’ll spend most of your time solving environmental puzzles. Thankfully, these aren’t overly complicated, keeping the flow going without much backtracking. Whether you’re using alcohol from a homemade distillery to burn through an emergency exit or finding a key by rifling through someone’s wallet, the puzzles are logical and engaging without being frustrating.

Combat, in true 6th-gen fashion, can be a bit janky. You start with a trusty 6-shot revolver, but soon find a variety of melee weapons and additional guns to help you fend off enemies. Combat is reminiscent of Silent Hill, where you lock onto enemies and unleash a short combo of attacks followed by a couple quick stomps finishes them off—unless you’re playing on the “Punished” difficulty, unlocked after beating the game once on “Intended”. Here, every enemy corpse must be burned to ensure it stays down.

And that’s where the game stumbles a bit. By the time you’re tackling Hollowbody on Punished difficulty, you already know the layout, enemy spawns, and where to conserve resources. Enemies don’t resurrect fast enough to make the mechanic feel like a real threat, making it less tense than it should be. You also have no limitations to how often or when you can use the lighter, so you can just spam its use on every corpse after every battle. It’s a great idea in theory, but the execution misses the mark.

What Hollowbody absolutely nails, though, is atmosphere. Hamley’s sound design is masterful, constantly keeping you on edge. The soundscape blends industrial hums, unsettling droning, and occasional eerie music to keep your nerves on high alert. You’ll constantly question whether that noise is an enemy creeping up on you or just the groan of an old building settling.

The environments only deepen that sense of claustrophobia and dread. You’re hemmed in by towering, decaying buildings, and enemies blend into the shadows, forcing you to stay vigilant. In my first playthrough, I never felt truly safe. Every turn had me hoarding ammo, not knowing what might lurk around the next corner, and the scattered collectibles—like old radio broadcasts or chilling documents—kept me hooked on uncovering the city’s tragic past.

At its core, Hollowbody is more than just a throwback to the classics; it’s a love letter to what made those games legendary. Nathan Hamley took the essence of his inspirations and crafted something that stands on its own in the modern horror landscape. If you’ve got even the slightest interest in atmospheric horror games, retro or otherwise, Hollowbody is a must-play.

If you are interested in other horror game reviews, please read my review of Darkwood! You can also follow me on Twitter for updates and Instagram for travel photos and in-game screenshots!