Ukrainian game inspired by Ivan Bahriany’s novel launched on Steam

“The Hollow,” a Ukrainian game inspired by Ivan Bahriany’s novel “The Hunters and the Hunted” (also translated as “Tiger Trappers”) and developed by Vitaliy Chyzh and Brenntkopf Development studio, has been released on Steam platform.

“The Hollow” is set in the late 1960s in an alternate universe. As the story unfolds, a secret camp known as Zaslon (Barrier) still operates in Siberia within the Tunguska meteorite crater, despite the official abolition of the Gulag system, and holding the “most dangerous” political prisoners. It is there that the Soviet Union detains scientists and prisoners considered disloyal to the regime.

Players take on the role of Morok (Darkness), the son of a scientist working on the development of a secret weapon powered by a fictional mineral known as Tungusian. His goal is to discover the true nature of the weapon and find out who controls its use.

The game features both fictional characters from “The Hunters and the Hunted” and real historical figures. Among them are Hryhoriy Mnohohrishny, a prisoner who serves as the novel’s protagonist, Bahriany himself, human rights activist Mykhailo Soroka, engineer Yuriy Kondratyuk, and dissident Levko Lukyanenko.

A key feature of the game is Chornoklyn, a fictional independent state divided into Zachepylivkas, virtual areas and zones inspired by the real town of Zachepylivka in the Kharkiv Oblast. Chornoklyn, home to members of the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR)  community, stands in opposition to the White Army, also known as the White Guard, which also exists in the game’s alternate reality.

The game combines elements of shooter, survival, exploration, and horror genres. Players must face off against hostile factions and mysterious entities, explore the isolated camp area, and gradually uncover the story of this world.

The developer described the game as a politically charged story about Ukraine, totalitarianism, colonial violence, and the struggle for freedom. At the same time, in terms of gameplay, “The Hollow” was inspired by mid-2000s shooters, including Xenus, the original Far Cry, and early builds of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost.

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Images: game screenshots

Source: Platforma