Sure, here’s the rewritten piece:
Man, I didn’t expect to be this obsessed, but Holstin? Yeah, it totally grabbed me by the feels. It’s like, you’ve got this survival-horror vibe, but the pixel art, the whole shift-in-perspective thing, and, oh boy, that eerie Polish setting. It’s something else, really.
So, when I got to dive into this new PC demo for a couple of hours? I felt like I hit the lottery. The earlier Steam demo? Just a tease with some puzzles and a shooting range. But this new slice? It’s got a juicy (yeah, I said it) story.
You folks need to check out Holstin for these reasons – just me rambling here, but trust me.
Ugly Has Never Been So Pretty
Alright, first thing smacks you in the face – Holstin is drop-dead gorgeous in the weirdest way. You start off in this wrecked train station, covered in this wild pulsing yellow gunk. The screenshots don’t do justice. You gotta see it move, breathe it in, yaknow? Even the title screen had me staring.
And usually, you’d go, “Cool, 2D art.” But then the camera moves, and BAM – it’s like 3D magic. Eight angles, folks. Even knowing it beforehand, swinging it around for the first time hit me like, whoa! Like a jump scare, but with graphics.
Side note: moving around with that top-down view? Perfect for twin-sticks, but keyboard and mouse work like a charm too.
Mind, Blown
That perspective shift? Not just for show. Helps a bunch with puzzles. Missed a hidden alley? Shoulda spun that camera, buddy! And there are these folks – aggressive, mutated, and looking for trouble. Shooting? Switch to a third-person, over-the-shoulder style. Feels like you’re aiming in real-time.
More than one way to see the world. Keeps you on your toes, like you’re in a cat-and-mouse game. I got pounced a couple of times, not gonna lie.
Holstin throws some cool camera tricks for the vibes too. Like, suddenly you’re without a cursor, feeling watched from above. Creepy, right?
Meat… Just, Meat Everywhere
For survival horror enthusiasts – this town’s unraveling into madness sets the stage. Plasmodium, the yellow stuff, looks like foam gone wild until it starts waving tentacles. Friendly or not? You decide.
And those mutant things? Creepy as heck. Picture orange blobs taking over people, spreading like some evil fungus.
Gore? Oh, it’s implied alright. Slaughterhouses and whispered rumors make your skin crawl. Can’t wait to peek inside – though, do I really want to?
Puzzles Without Tears
Growing up with classic adventures, I had high hopes. Glad to say Holstin gets puzzles right. A bit of a throwback – not just linear objectives slapped together. You juggle them, like life, figuring out which can be solved now. Feels like real-life scrambling for keys sometimes.
The puzzles? They make sense – in a twisted way. No ridiculous quests needing Shakespearean knowledge or weird book arrangements (cough Silent Hill, looking at you).
The ’90s Just Hit Different
Set in Poland, back in the ‘90s, right? Not your typical postcard. The Polish dubbing, though I don’t speak it, adds authenticity. Felt like one of those foreign indie films. Voice acting? Spot on.
You’ve got characters like a defeated woman handing off her gun or a big guy with riddles on the tip of losing it. Quite the lineup, but did they help in fights? Hah, nope.
And, it’s the ’90s so forget smartphones. Save points are janky phone booths needing real phone cards. Ah, nostalgia!
In short, this demo? Blew me away. Rare for me to gush like this, but if the whole game holds up, it’s gonna be a classic. Calling it now.
