Overview – developed by NAYUTA and published by Regista, Hollow Cocoon is a first person horror title taking place in a small mountain town in 1980’s Japan, centered around the Miyama family. As Minato Jinba, venture into Ichinose, a village deep in the mountains where his mother was born, uncovering the secrets that have surrounded his family. This version of the game is available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, with a link to the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Regista for providing the copy of Hollow Cocoon that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Content Disclaimer: I would like to make readers aware that Hollow Cocoon features discussion, themes and depictions of suicide, which may be upsetting for some. So if you are uncomfortable with the inclusion of this topic, please feel free to check out the other content that is available on the site and click off this review.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I will be focusing on the core aspects of this release, as I don’t want to spoil any of the secrets and surprises that the game has in store for players.
Story – in the 1980s Minato Jinba is a university student, living away from home at a boarding house. Late one night, Minato receives a distressing call from his father, informing him that his maternal grandmother is in critical condition. After this, he embarks on a journey to the village where his mother was born. Minato had not seen his grandmother in many years and harbors resentment towards her, with her refusal to attend her daughter’s funeral deepening these feelings.
As the bus gets closer to its stop, Minato recalls the only conversation he had with his grandmother. “The thing with Silkworms, you know; even if they could leave their cocoons, they have no mouths to eat, and their wings do not fly. People are the reason they suffer this fate.” The sky reddens in the diminishing light, with ominous shadows cast from the surrounding mountains. During the night, Minato finds himself in his grandmother’s house as a terrifying situation unfolds.
Gameplay – Hollow Cocoon is a first person horror experience, with players taking the role of Minato as he explores the Miyama house and the grounds surrounding it. During the exploration of the Miyama residence, the player will be able to find items as they move between areas. The items that can be discovered include consumable items, files that help give deeper story context and key items that are used to solve puzzles to progress.
The game is split into segments, with the village, Miyama House and mysterious areas that will open up as the story is pushed forward. However, Minato is not alone as he explores the different locations in Ichinose. There is a mysterious creature that will appear at set points, stalking the player and attempting to hunt them down as they roam each area. If the monster sees the player, they will chase them down in an attempt kill them, only stopping if the player escapes.
In order to escape the pursuit of the creature, there are hiding places that can be used to conceal Minato’s presence. But the hiding places come with some risk, as the creature can grab the player from the hiding spot if they see where they are hiding. When this happens, they will grab the player and throw them across the room, harming them in the process. The monster can also hurt Minato by slashing and jumping at him during pursuit.
To aid in the survival of the player, there are healing items that can be found to replenish health and stamina, but they are limited in their supply. Speaking of stamina, the player is able to run which will use stamina up when being chased, but this is limited and when depleted Minato becomes vulnerable. Be wary of running when not being pursued though, as this will alert the creature and increase the chances of discovery, leading to another chase.
But running isn’t the only way to attract attention, simply walking or using the flashlight can alert the monster to their location. This can be reduced by crouching, which will soften footsteps but not entirely as the monster will still be alerted if close by. There are also general spaces that can be used as cover, with screens, general foliage and other structures that can be used. This gives the game a stealth style of play, as it is preferable to stay out of sight and move quietly.
It is also important for players to be aware of their surroundings, as different puzzle elements will be hiding in plain sight. These will show up with an icon that can be interacted with, but some of them will be locked, like doors and boxes without a key item to open them up. Some puzzles will need multiple items in order to solve them, like firewood and a flint and steel. There are puzzles that can feel cryptic, but hints can be found in documents and dialogue from Minato.
In set locations throughout the game, there will be save points that players can use to record their progress. There is a total of four save slots that can be used, recording the total play time, and the time of that particular save. Players can also discover 10 yen game machines, which need coins that can been found during play. These are simple skill games that require the player to flick a coin to a goal slot, providing 3 different reward tickets for each successful attempt.
The winning tickets can be used in the shop, which is unlocked when the player gets an ending at the end of the game. These tickets will be carried over between saves, allowing players to accumulate as many points as possible. The store itself has items that can be used to modify the game, unlocking secrets and allowing for some interesting outcomes to occur. This gives the game extra replay value, which rounds out the whole experience quite nicely.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of Hollow Cocoon, starting with the controls.
Controls – as this is a first person experience, Hollow Cocoon uses the traditional twin stick movement system, with all essential functions using the face buttons and D-Pad. The other character actions use the shoulder and trigger buttons, which work well but there is an option to remap all of the inputs if preferred. The game is comfortable to play with both standard controllers and the Joy-Cons, with the game being very comfortable to play in handheld mode.
Difficulty – there is the option for three selectable difficulty options. The Easy setting gives players advantages and makes it a less intense but still unsettling experience, with the Hard difficulty being much more intense and stressful to play. The Normal setting is fairly balanced, with this being the optimal way for most players to experience Hollow Cocoon. Overall there is a level of challenge that is suitable for all players, which is always a good thing to see.
Presentation – visually this game makes a very good use of traditional Japanese styles, giving the experience an unsettling felling to it, reminiscent of horror classics like Ring. The environments and settings build the atmosphere as the game progresses, which is excellent. This title looks good on big and small screens with no issues in terms of performance. The sound further enhances the experience, with beautiful yet haunting music, accompanied by Japanese voiced dialogue.
Final Thoughts – I have played many Japanese horror titles in my time, including those released by Regista and I am a fan of the genre. When this title was offered to me it was an easy decision to accept it, as the story and gameplay style really appealed to me. That being said, I was not disappointed with the experience that I had. The gameplay was challenging and the chase mechanics kept the tension going, keeping me on my toes throughout the experience.
Hollow Cocoon succeeds in all areas, with the setting, environments and story being the things that really stood out to me. This is a very good horror title, using ambient sound and tension to its advantage. There is a feeling of going in circles to solve cryptic puzzles, which some players may find frustrating but I feel it works in favor of Hollow Cocoon. I recommend this to all fans of the Japanese horror, and it is a great starting point for newbies too.
In the end, I give Hollow Cocoon a final score of 4.5/5. This is a tense and unsettling horror title, with a narrative that pulls you in and keeps you engaged, with the twists and turns further building the atmosphere, topped off by anxiety inducing monster encounters. if you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to the game will be at the below.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
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