Holstin Preview

“It’s part organism, part substance… It’s kind of alive, kind of not.” Anita tells our Holstin protagonist, Tomasz, in the opening moments of this survival horror game’s latest demo. That’s her description of the strange Ooze known as Plasmodium, something horrifying born from an experiment gone wrong.

Unfortunately, Plasmodium is everywhere in the small town of Jeziorne-Kolonia, coating the streets, buildings, and even people. That won’t stop Tomasz from searching for his missing friend, though, and so, you’ll embark on a journey that’ll see you fighting Ooze-infested monsters, destroying tentacle-like barriers, and finding hidden truths within townspeople’s delusions.

As Tomasz, you get to explore an isolated Polish town, looking for anyone who might’ve crossed paths with Bartek, your blonde-haired, glasses-wearing friend who has a penchant for getting himself into trouble. Whether you’re walking around a gas station or trekking through a construction site, you’ll take in the eerie, hand-drawn pixel-art environment from an isometric perspective with a rotatable camera.

Checking a space from every angle is vital, as some interactive items or notes are only visible when you turn your view. This can lead to fun discoveries, like crevices you can squeeze through or resources to loot. There was also a section where the camera turned into a platformer view, so you’ll constantly be exploring places from a fresh perspective. Additionally, keep an eye out for pink paint in the environment, as it typically marks a point of interest that you should check out.

What I was most excited to try out in Holstin was the perspective-shifting combat, as it takes you from the overhead view to a closer over-the-shoulder camera, aiming at enemies. I loved how smooth it felt to go between shooting and running away, as it never felt disorientating to do the quick switch. I enjoyed the little jolt of panic I’d have after being forced out of aim mode once an enemy hit me, since I’d immediately try to get back into that over-the-shoulder view. Paying attention to your positioning is highly important if you’re struggling. Ideally, you should try to hit the orange orbs on your foes, as they’ll deal significant damage, or shoot their limbs, so they’ll crawl toward you rather than run.

You can have a handgun or a throwable item equipped as a ranged weapon (easily done through your Resident Evil–style inventory system), then there are other weapons, such as crowbars and knives, that occupy the melee slot. Instead of shifting your perspective like you would for ranged combat, melee weapons are used while you’re in the isometric view. To swing, you need to hold your right mouse button, charging up your attack; you can’t move while charging, so I usually put some distance between me and the enemy, letting them get in range for the perfect strike.

In a unique fashion, your Stamina and Health share the same bar in Holstin. Whenever you swing or shoot, it depletes some of your Stamina, and if you take damage, a portion of your bar is depleted, preventing you from regaining energy fully. If you take significant hits from an enemy, for example, you might only have enough Stamina for a single swing or shot. To replenish your bar, you need to heal up.

That’s where your items come in: Kofiko, the energising candy that freezes energy consumption, and Adur, a drink that brings you back to full health. You can use these easily during combat with your hotkeys, and you can make more of Adur by using the Combine system in your inventory. Just select Herbs and Alcohol, and voila, you’ve got a healing concoction. In need of more ammo? Try combining Nails and Gunpowder!

You have one main task for this demo: get to the Slaughterhouse; supposedly, that’s where Bartek should be. The problem is, you jumped out of a train to land in this area, and you can’t make it through the dense forest outside the city on foot; of course, when you find a semi-working car, it needs a replacement tyre. To get what you need, you’ll run into many interesting individuals, such as an older unnamed gentleman who speaks like a child, a by-the-books construction manager named Pawet, and Fifi, a cigarette-obsessed ammo dealer. Every character falls somewhere on the spectrum of strangeness, even the kind, youthful Mati, who seems normal enough at first, but becomes more “off” as you speak with her.

After talking with those characters and examining vague notes referencing something called the “New Trinity,” I’m quite interested to unravel more of the mystery Holstin has to offer. The enemy designs also add to a lot of my curiosity. How does the Ooze create these zombie-like beings? Why do some foes have the ability to turn into a circle of spikes? And what’s up with seemingly normal boxes suddenly becoming flying owl-like creatures that like to nosedive on you? I’m pulled in and ready to know more about this peculiar, desolate world.

If you enjoy old-school survival horror games, both visually and gameplay-wise, be sure to check out Holstin. So far, it’s got a good mix of action, monstrosities, and mystery. The Polish setting, varied camera angles, and unique combat system are definitely the highlights of the current demo.

On Steam, the devs have affectionately called Holstin their “little pixel abomination,” and I feel like that describes it perfectly. In an effort to keep the game true to its vision, Sonka announced that Holstin will be launching soon on Kickstarter. It aims to have a 20+ hour single-player campaign when it comes to PC and consoles.