‘Holstin’ Is an Upcoming Survival Horror Game With Classic ‘Resident Evil’ Vibes That COMMANDS Your Attention (Demo Impressions)

My original headline for this piece was going to be “How Come Nobody Told Me About This Innovative, Subversive Survival Horror Game, ‘Holstin’?” But that changed when I played two of the available demos for the Polish Survival Horror title, Holstin. Before I even remotely talk about my personal experience there? I’m not going to bury the lede: Holstin is fucking amazing. Had to bust out the big-boy curse words for it. Yes, I only mentioned Resident Evil to lure you in. But this is the good kinda clickbait, I promise.

If you love classic survival horror games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Siren — and, hell, even newer contenders in SIGNALIS or Crow Country — please play Holstin. Follow that first link to its Steam page. As of this writing, there are two demos you can try: “The Janowski House” and “The Tunnel.” (A third one is on the way, however.) Just check out Holstin‘s trailer if you don’t believe me!

Holstin almost presents itself as the definitive “classic survival horror” game. You’ve got your requisite puzzles. The engaging environmental storytelling. A fun switch from isometric to over-the-shoulder third-person gunplay. Striking hand-drawn pixel art. “Okay, so it’s a typical case of ‘Knowing how to string a good trailer together.’” NO. Let me explain why, dear reader.

‘holstin’ has all the tools to become a survival horror legend

Without spoiling either demo, here’s how we’ll do this. I started my Holstin pilgrimage with “The Janowski House.” Which is all exploration, subtle storytelling, and critical thinking. No shooting. The first thing I noted was that Holstin is a surprisingly tricky bastard of a game! Exploration takes place from the birds-eye isometric view. However, you have the ability to rotate the camera, which could reveal details about a room that aren’t readily apparent at first glance.

Blood coats the hallways, weird tendrils burst through the floors, and there are strange children who can teleport from one hiding place to another. I assume that’ll make more sense in the full game, though. Seriously: I’m a decently seasoned puzzle/logic game vet, and even I was stumped by Holstin on more than a few occasions. The satisfying-to-frustrating spectrum for puzzle difficulty is certainly on the side of “satisfying.” The solutions took a bit of workshopping (or working through my impatience). But, when I got there, it was a “Ohhhh, I’m just being silly” rather than a “…How did the developers expect me to figure this out on my own?”

“The Tunnel” is straight firepower. There are some lore notes, but you’re learning to dodge, shoot, sneak, and incapacitate enemies. Additionally, these aren’t your garden-variety shambling zombies, either. They’ve got some, uh… interesting nuances you’ll have to adjust for on the fly when dealing with them. Now, that’s all you’ll get from me. When have I lied to y’all? Go download the Holstin demo, wishlist it on Steam (to help give it needed visibility), and keep an eye on its upcoming Kickstarter campaign. I mean it — Holstin will be fully funded because something so beautiful and masterfully crafted needs its time in the spotlight.