Summary
- Holstin, an indie horror game inspired by classic Resident Evil titles, has a unique combat style and should be on the wishlist of horror gaming enthusiasts.
- The upcoming pixelated horror title from Sonka Games is set in a 90s Polish lakeside town, with a visually impressive style and a mysterious, disturbing story.
- With gameplay centered around scavenging for supplies, fighting monstrosities, and uncovering the truth of the town, Holstin has a Polish setting and characters, taking a uniquely Polish approach in the gaming industry.
Holstin, a new indie horror game coming to all platforms at some point in the near future, gives off some major vibes harkening back to the classic Resident Evil games while simultaneously having a style completely its own in modern horror gaming. The game's unique combat mechanics may make it a must-buy for horror gaming enthusiasts whenever it finally releases.
Horror gaming is having an impressive year thus far between the release of games like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Resident Evil 4 Remake, and Dead Island 2 along with new announcements like the upcoming Silent Hill titles and the new Alone in the Dark. Among all of those major names is now a new upcoming horror title from a smaller developer that may wind up packing a massive punch, and it should definitely be on the wishlist for any fan of the old-school Resident Evil titles.
Holstin is the upcoming pixelated horror title from Polish developer Sonka Games. The description states that the game is, "set in an eerie, isolated 90’s Polish lakeside town in which an ominous presence has slowly enveloped everything and everyone." The recent gameplay reveal trailer shows off the impressive visual style of the game, which smoothly transitions from a top-down, fixed camera perspective during exploration segments to an over-the-shoulder perspective during combat shooting sequences. This makes the game feel equal parts like The Binding of Isaac and Resident Evil, with a story that appears as mysterious as it is disturbing.
Writing about gameplay and objectives for Holstin, the YouTube description states, "Scavenge for supplies, fight twisted monstrosities, and deal with residents slowly losing their sanity to uncover the truth of what went wrong in this once pristine town." The idea of exploring a small community in a foreign land to uncover a horrific mystery definitely feels reminiscent of Leon Kennedy's story in Resident Evil 4, although it appears every character is Polish, so Holstin's protagonist won't so 'fish out of water', but with the game taking place in a rural town, the theme is still there.
Game development has exploded out of Poland in recent years, with major developers like Cyberpunk's CD Projekt Red, The Medium's Bloober Team, and Frostpunk's 11 Bit Studios, and more paving the way for an explosion of new gaming content out of cities like Warsaw and Krakow. The vast majority of these games are primarily in English for the purpose of appealing to the widest global audience, so it's interesting to see Holstin taking a uniquely Polish approach to its setting and story with Polish characters and voice acting.
Holstin is coming soon to PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.