Oct 232024
We’ve got another short horror game to discuss today, this time Hollow Head: Director’s Cut.
You wake up to a horrible smell in your apartment and decide to take care of the problem, but things quickly start getting weird.
Hollow Head uses graphics reminiscent of the PS1 era and has a fairly simple gameplay setup where you can walk, run, and interact with things.
A few notes and occasional interactions with other characters help to guide you along the way, but for the most part it’s just you, your flashlight, and the thing lurking in the dark as you make your way through the maze-like corridors the apartment building has become.
Yes, it’s the sort of game that makes use of a maze of identical hallways, but fortunately it’s not such a vast area that you can get completely lost like in some games we discussed earlier this month.
It also makes excellent use of its atmosphere – paired with a couple of well-timed jumpscares, the game had me on edge the entire time even when nothing was going on.
The story, on the other hand, is a bit too ambiguous for my tastes. While there are some curious hints, I’d say it’s definitely the sort of game you want to play for the horror gameplay rather than for the story. I’d be hard-pressed to explain what’s actually going on here.
Hollow Head is fairly short and should take under an hour to complete. If you’re in the mood for a short, atmospheric horror game, it’s worth checking out.
If jump scares are the main draw, then that’s a no for me. But glad you enjoyed it! Definitely not a game that misses the spooky horror vibe!
I wouldn’t necessarily say they’re the main draw, just that when they do occur, they work well.
“You wake up to a horrible smell in your apartment and decide to take care of the problem, but things quickly start getting weird.”
Could either mean something spooky or realizing your sister fell asleep while pizza was in the oven.
I now have Oven PTSD whenever she cooks something.
Oh and I love mazes!! /s *sob*
Hahaha. Oh no.
Well, at least you presumably didn’t find yourself stuck in a maze while being hunted by Them after the pizza incident.
This must be a short game, for it’s your shortest review this season!
The name just makes me want to ask if you’re aware of Siren Head and any of his games. The couple I’ve seen are decent, and the actual sirens from the monster will absolutely trigger your Silent Hill 1 PTSD.
The name sounds familiar… I might have heard of it.