Hollowbody
A couple of different indie developers made “spiritual sequels” to Konami franchises this year, only to have Konami suddenly break its silence and steal their thunder. Retroware’s Iron Meat, for example, is a deliberate homage to Contra that got beaten to market by Operation Galuga
Similarly,Hollowbody is a nominally cyberpunk take on Silent Hill in all but name, which hits many of the same beats: abandonment, decay, hopelessness, and beating monsters to death with club-like objects.
In an abandoned 22nd-century Britain, smuggler Mica Holloway is out to find her missing partner Sasha. What initially looks like a midnight run through a dead suburb turns bloody when Mica discovers the ruins are infested with bizarre plants and strange monsters.
Hollowbody ends right when it feels like it’s hitting its stride, but it’s good while it lasts. For a game produced by one person with crowdfunding, it understands the value of atmosphere better than most indie survival horror projects. I’d be interested in seeing what Headware Games could do with an actual budget. As of October 29, it’s just released a new update that’s added several locations, tweaked its balance, and thrown in a few more puzzles.
