If you’ve spent five minutes on Headware Games’ socials, you’ll know the solo developer doesn’t do anything in halves. Currently working on his fourth unannounced title, Headware Games – or Nath – is in the process of creating a DIY motion capture rig, as well as handcrafting every in-game object, as opposed to buying assets. Both processes appear painstaking and time-consuming, but in Nath’s words, “–ultimately it’s just nice to be able to say everything you see was made by me”. This aligns with a fairly common perspective in solo-developed games. One that showcases an unmatched ambition and love for the craft. And it’s clear to see after spending some time with Headware Games’ most recent outing, Hollowbody.

It’s been over a year since Hollowbody’s original PC release, and this console port includes all post-launch updates added since our PC Review. This includes a new third-person perspective, a new side objective that expands on the game’s mystery, as well as a secret third ending that’ll make you howl. These aren’t outright superfluous additions, but the original experience more than whets the appetite for those looking for a retro survival horror. For the uninitiated, Hollowbody is described as a tech-noir survival horror, set in a dystopian Britain that’s not in 2026. You play as Mica, an unlicensed black market shipper, on the hunt for her partner Sasha. Mica crash-lands her hovercraft deep in the country’s exclusion zone, forcing her to survive what lurks within the desolate ruins whilst still carrying out the search for Sasha.

It’s a neat enough set-up to explain why anyone would spend a second in this version of England, but what enveloped me immediately was the emphasis on atmosphere. The stucco-finished or red-brick houses standing the test of time amongst the rot, pedestrian islands in disarray, empty security checks, all featuring a form of encroaching blackened biomass. Maybe the fact that I reside in the UK makes some of these visual touchstones more impactful, but there’s an undeniable amount of character in Headware’s version of England. This was all reinforced when I opted for the now-optional fixed camera angle for my first playthrough. It’s cinematic yet practical, lending itself to some paranoia as you trapse through the levels. Not much different to the feelings I had when playing Silent Hill 2 for the first time.

In fact, a lot of Hollowbody has Silent Hill 2/3 influences coursing through its DNA. Claustrophobic level design, the dreaded audio cues when monsters are nearby, even the quippy one-line text descriptors have that flavour of “It’s Bread” when inspecting objects in the world. All of which are tastefully done; Hollowbody has enough distinction in style, setting and narrative that none of its inspired design choices ever feels derived. There’s a particular labyrinthine level set in a sewer that purposefully uniquely discombobulates you. In subsequent playthroughs, I had the fear of revisiting it, which is a testament to the nostalgia-inspired design philosophy.

Then you have the survival horror rulebook dictating the gameplay. Whilst thankfully, inventory management is non-existent, elements like the scarcity of resources and contextual puzzle-solving are at the forefront. As I’m the type to stockpile resources till I inevitably finish the game with them, I became very intune with Hollowbody’s combat system. You’ll find a variety of odd but effective melee weapons to wield close to your chest as you gingerly wade through the levels. The melee combat has that exact balance of tanky/janky manoeuvrability that you’re never picking a fight you know you’ll win.

Monster attack patterns are few but unpredictable, your melee range is almost too close; couple that with moments where there may be a few of them, and you’re quickly getting that fight or flight only survival horrors illicit. The monsters themselves are also cleverly designed. They’re just gangly blackened humanoids, like feral ghouls in Fallout. Their almost malleable look had me double-triple taking in levels, only to find out it was a tree or a lamp post. Part of it is that the game is very dark. Mica does have a torch attached to their chest – a la Sunderland – however, it’s very little coverage for say the street levels.

There were even times I’d wait for lightning to strike amidst the downpour, just so I felt confident in proceeding down a dark corner of the level. I think the days of me being “scared” of the media I consume are over, especially for retro-looking games, but there are legitimate stakes when you’re slowly progressing through the game. Autosaves are non-existent bar starting new areas. Instead, save points are minimal and spread out far apart from each other, breathing tension into every bit of progress you make. There were plenty of occasions, especially on the hardest difficulty, where I was low on health, too far to go back, too anxious to move forward and just trod on eggshells, praying there wasn’t a ghoulish dog sprinting to bring my demise.

All of this is to say, Hollowbody’s moment-to-moment is a tense, dread-fueled and deliberate take on survival horror from the 6th-gen era. Making some of its lesser parts become background static. The writing is fine, the story didn’t form any resonance for me when I rolled credits, but the world itself is nicely realised. Then you have a cumbersome menu system, which is slightly part of the charm, but for me, it broke up the flow and tension that was building out in the world. This was most apparent when the hardest difficulty required you to burn the bodies of the monsters you defeated, ensuring their permanent demise.

However, this meant going to the menu, selecting the lighter, using said lighter, which then cuts to the game, and back to the menu. I’m less sensitive to these quirks, as this is the nature of something going for that slightly clunky UI reminiscent of other older generation games, but some things can be left in that era. Some things have been modernised, though, as firing weapons is pretty straightforward. You aim with L2, prompting a lock-on to the nearest monster. It could easily grant some power fantasy, but the balanced lack of ammo makes it more of a last resort than a go-to.

If you can’t tell, Hollowbody is a great take on the retro survival horror revival. I love the setting, the style, the hyperspecificity of place and building a world that potentially reflects how Headware Games thinks of England. Puzzles utilise exploration and piecing together little nuggets of info in satisfying ways, as well as giving you all the weird keys only Leon S. Kennedy could wish for. Combat is obtuse in the right ways, and newer updates only bolster what is already a decent offering.

Hollowbody is out 5th June 2026 for PlayStation 5 (review platform), Xbox Series X/S and out now for PC via Steam.

Developers: Headware Games

Publisher: Headware Games

Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.

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