Hollow Cocoon
- December 6, 2023
- NAYUTA STUDIO
Get on Steam"Hollow Cocoon" is a first-person horror adventure game set in 1980s Japan. As college student Minato Jinba, you return to your mother's hometown after receiving news of your grandmother's critical condition. Uncover chilling truths as you navigate the village and evade monsters, while dealing with the complex emotions and strained relationships within your family.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a beautiful environment and stunning graphics that enhance the overall experience.
- The story is engaging and well-crafted, with multiple endings that encourage replayability.
- Gameplay is smooth and rewarding, with a good balance of stealth mechanics and puzzle-solving.
- The constant presence of the monster can become frustrating, leading to tedious gameplay rather than tension.
- Some players found the puzzles to be linear and lacking in complexity, which may detract from the overall challenge.
- The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more content and exploration opportunities.
- story206 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its depth, emotional resonance, and unique horror elements, effectively conveyed through diary entries and environmental storytelling. While many players found the narrative engaging and well-paced, some noted that the heavy reliance on reading could detract from the immersive experience, particularly for those less inclined to engage with text. Overall, the combination of a compelling plot, atmospheric setting, and intriguing twists makes it a standout in the horror genre, appealing to fans of story-driven gameplay.
“Hollow Cocoon delivers a memorable and chilling supernatural story, focused on the haunting sins of a family and the curse visited upon the main protagonist as he ventures to visit his family in the Japanese countryside.”
“The amazing story is masterfully narrated not only by the notes scattered across the maps, but also by the perfectly executed atmosphere, and by every single detail of the astonishing visuals.”
“I'm generally not a fan of horror games because they are often superficial and more into the raw scary material (jumpscares, etc.), but you managed to craft a truly deeply horrific, grim and dark story with a great emotional layer.”
“Honestly, I missed out on much of the story as there was a lot of reading in the game (I don't like to read in horror games because it takes me out of the 'scary' experience).”
“I had to stop reading the documents after a while and lost interest in the story because it was too much reading.”
“There are a couple of cutscenes but they don’t get very deep into the details of the main story.”
- gameplay76 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by smooth mechanics that emphasize stealth, exploration, and puzzle-solving, making it engaging despite its simplicity. While players appreciate the rewarding experience of sneaking and hiding, some find the core loop of running, hiding, and item collection to be repetitive and lacking in originality. Overall, the game is well-received for its fluid controls and immersive atmosphere, though it doesn't introduce particularly innovative gameplay elements.
“The gameplay is really smooth and makes it feel rewarding to be able to sneak around the house.”
“Smooth & fun gameplay with notes, items, stealth & hiding, and some puzzle and exploration as well.”
“Highly recommend this game for its interesting story, smooth gameplay and beautiful graphics :)”
“In fact, it seems like most of the gameplay is hiding and waiting.”
“Gameplay is overall very plain: grab key item, use to get next key item, rinse and repeat while occasionally hiding from a stalking monster by stuffing yourself in a closet or a box, chug healing items when you inevitably get slapped by the monster because your running speed is near worthless.”
“The focus of the game is more on its story and lore; the gameplay loop of running and hiding can be repetitive and simple.”
- graphics60 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, detailed environments, and effective atmospheric design, particularly in the context of a dark, Japanese countryside setting. While some users noted minor frame rate drops and a slightly dated appearance in certain aspects, the overall optimization and artistic direction were praised, contributing to a highly immersive experience. Many reviewers highlighted the game's beautiful graphics as a key element that enhances both the storytelling and gameplay.
“The graphics in this game are absolutely stunning as well, everything was very well done.”
“The amazing story is masterfully narrated not only by the notes scattered across the maps, but also by the perfectly executed atmosphere, and by every single detail of the astonishing visuals.”
“Graphics look great, models look great, textures look great, and with all that, the game runs like a charm.”
“I also experienced random small frame rate drops in 4K resolution with an RTX 4080 no matter what I selected in the graphic options.”
“Visually, graphics might appear a bit dated.”
“I really liked the overall visuals and design of the game; its world design effectively captures the story's essence, although the monster character design and animations could use some improvements.”
- atmosphere38 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and beautifully crafted environment, enhanced by excellent graphics, sound design, and a compelling narrative. Reviewers highlight the effective use of tension and jumpscares, noting that the atmosphere is integral to the overall experience, making it feel both engaging and authentic. Many appreciate the balance between storytelling and atmospheric elements, which contribute to a memorable gameplay experience.
“The atmosphere is incredibly well-done, and I was surprised how good the music and writing are.”
“This game nails atmosphere, delivers what it promises, and has replayability in the form of multiple (some secret) endings and enemy customization.”
“From the moment the game starts, the world is oozing with atmosphere and beautiful scenery.”
“Some people in the discussion suggested making it a walking simulator (i.e., a no-monster gameplay), but even if I played only for the story and atmosphere, the monster is mandatory to the overall narrative and atmosphere.”
“It is short, but it has a highly condensed, well-crafted atmosphere, which I highly prefer over artificial overstretching that does nothing but waste players' time.”
“The beauty of Red Dead 2, the out-of-nowhere, in-your-face jolts from Madison, some Puppet Combo games, Faith: The Unholy Trinity, and the atmosphere of Visage—get this, and I didn't even really like Visage compared to Madison, but maybe that's because Visage on Xbox appears borked in terms of events not happening on time as they should in the PC version.”
- music20 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the beautifully crafted soundtrack that complements the game's themes. The ending theme, in particular, stands out as a favorite, reminiscent of the acclaimed "Cineris Somnia." Overall, the sound design and music contribute significantly to the immersive experience, making it a memorable aspect of the game.
“The atmosphere is incredibly well-done and I was surprised how good the music and writing are.”
“The game has a lovingly crafted soundtrack which fits the premise wonderfully and has many beautiful details to discover.”
“Finally, like in Cineris Somnia, the soundtrack was marvelous, especially the ending theme.”
“I wish they will sell the soundtrack later; I've listened to the Cineris Somnia one a lot of times.”
- emotional14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its deeply emotional narrative, featuring a touching and layered story that resonates with players, often evoking strong feelings and even tears. Reviewers appreciate the intricate character backstories and the ability to craft a horror experience that transcends typical jump scares, instead offering a poignant and immersive emotional journey.
“But after the first discoveries beyond the main setting, the charm grew more and more and I discovered a touching and refined story.”
“I'm generally not a fan of horror games because they are often superficial and more into the raw scary material (jumpscares, etc.), but you managed to craft a truly deeply horrific, grim and dark story with a great emotional layer.”
“Plus it has a great story, even made me cry a little, quite emotional.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is highly praised, with multiple users rating it 9/10 for performance. It runs smoothly even with detailed graphics, showcasing impressive optimization through Unity, and players report no issues while enjoying the immersive experience. Overall, the game delivers a solid performance that enhances both the visuals and gameplay.
“The optimization is rock solid, the game runs smoothly despite the realistic and extremely detailed graphics, that are not powered by Unreal Engine as anyone may think, but by Unity!”
“This honestly is a 9/10 game, it's so well optimized and it has very beautiful graphics and is pretty scary.”
“I had a good performance during my gameplay with the highest quality in the game, no issues at all.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers notable replayability through multiple endings, secret content, and a shop for cosmetic unlocks, encouraging players to explore different choices and strategies. While the game is relatively short, the intricate plot and customization options provide enough incentive for players to revisit it. Overall, the replayability is enhanced by the variety of experiences available in subsequent playthroughs.
“This game nails atmosphere, delivers what it promises, and has replayability in the form of multiple (some secret) endings and enemy customization.”
“Game's short, but there's a hint of replayability with silly cosmetics to unlock and some extra endings to obtain.”
“And on top of that, the multiple endings encourage replayability, since not all the questions are answered by all the endings. You have to play multiple times and try different things to complete the (pretty intricate!) plot puzzle.”
“Multiple endings with a shop where you can buy skins and stuff, so there is a lot of replayability.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and annoying, often feeling that it detracts from the overall experience by transforming what should be a thrilling adventure into a monotonous task. Many express that it requires an excessive time commitment, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging gameplay element.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Tedious and annoying...”
“It stops being scary and just becomes tedious as you wander around.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively balances serious themes with humor, providing players with amusing customization options and entertaining endings, particularly the alien ending, which leaves a lasting chuckle. Overall, the humor enhances the gaming experience without overshadowing its serious elements.
“This game has a good balance of being serious and using humor.”
“The bonus content is amazing as well and gives the player some nice (and some funny) customization options.”
“The remaining two endings were good; the alien one was my last one, and I'm glad it was. It got me chuckling, and it was nice to close the game on it.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highly praised for its exceptional visuals and design, effectively reflecting the story's essence. However, there are noted shortcomings in the design and animations of monster characters, suggesting room for improvement in this area.
