Holstin is a psychological survival horror game that boasts a throwback pixelated aesthetic and a genuinely unsettling tone. Its latest trailer - which just dropped at the Future Games Show - shows off its seamless switching between first and third person in its isolated and haunted 90s Polish town setting, and, wow, it's as eerie as it gets.
"It's not about the journey," so reads a caption in the trailer. "It's about survival." Which feels like a pretty brazen understatement.
With flashes of Project Zomboid, Darkwood and Silent Hill, Holstin looks like it's living up to its psychological horror billing, as you explore the town of Jeziorne-Kolonia. This small, isolated spot in eastern Poland has apparently been swept with a calamity that's steadily corrupting the land and its inhabitants.
In practice, this has seen the town's streets are overrun by some kind of filthy slime, while the people, buildings, and wildlife all appear to be rotting from the inside, and, clearly, it ain't pretty. Tasked with finding your friend who's recently gone incommunicado, your job is to get in, get your mate, and get out unscathed – which, if the trailer above is anything to go by, that is not going to be straightforward at all.
Exploring Holstin's abandoned homes looks unsettling as hell. Conversing with its mind-warped civilians looks unnerving. And driving through the zombie-infested woods in that old car while huge cracks on the windshield obscure your view… the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up simply writing that down.
If you fancy any of that, you can wishlist Holstin on Steam right now, where you'll also find a free demo. Take that for a test drive, if you dare.
If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.
