Silly Polly Beast [REVIEW] – Stylish Horror with Real Bite

Silly Polly Beast doesn’t waste time trying to be normal, and from the moment its world flickers to life with its utterly strange undertones, it’s hard not to be wowed by its style and attitude. It’s a strange descent into a decaying underworld that’s equal parts punk rebellion, psychological horror, and dark fairytale, and whilst it has flaws, the cool and chaotic vibe of the experience grabbed me immediately.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Silly Polly Beast puts players in the role of Polly, a mute orphan who’s trying to escape from her oppressive orphanage alongside her bestie Alice. Of course, things go wrong (and VERY weird) fast, and after a near-death experience, Polly makes a desperate deal with a corpse-like figure who offers her power in exchange for hunting down some demons. I told you it’s weird. From there, she’s thrown into a fog-choked purgatory where reality warps around her, and as Polly’s journey deepens, she finds herself siding with a resistance movement locked in a war against an enigmatic entity known as The Fog, with this larger conflict giving the story a sense of scale that goes beyond her own personal plight. It might sound utterly bizarre, and that’s because it is, but it’s also a unique setup that really helps pull you into the wacky world from the word go.

The story moves between fragmented memories, surreal events, and dreamlike locations, with a constant sense of progress as you push forward that sees varying elements of the narrative unravel. Polly’s muteness adds an interesting layer to this, with her thoughts shown in text but never expressed to others… it reveals a sharp sense of intuition and even flashes of doubt that give her a sense of vulnerability that others might not understand. Flashbacks to her orphanage life help fill in emotional gaps too, hinting at a sense of trauma and lost innocence that really helps build on the badass image that she otherwise portrays. It helped make me feel so much more invested in her character, with these moments of tenderness and despair bringing something more human to the game’s chaotic vibe.

At its core, Silly Polly Beast is a top-down action-horror game built around exploration and survival. Polly moves through a network of interconnected areas filled with demons, traps, and environmental puzzles, with one of the best aspects of the experience being how it constantly shifts – sometimes you’re running through looping corridors, other times you’re thrown into comic book-style panels or side-scrolling dream sequences that help make Silly Polly Beast feel like a completely different experience. It helps give the game an unpredictable rhythm that helps break up any repetition, but it also makes the world feel more immersive. I certainly loved uncovering each area, and with plenty of little side areas to explore or different routes to take across areas, its world-building stands out as a real strength.

“Silly Polly Beast is strange, stylish, and unapologetically rough around the edges, but that’s EXACTLY what makes it so damn memorable.”

Combat mixes gunplay and melee attacks, with Polly starting with a light-powered handgun that recharges near sources of illumination. Her skateboard also doubles as a weapon, though if I’m being honest, I found it a little frustrating to use at times due to game’s stamina system. Attacks often drain your energy so quickly that you’re left dodging and waiting for the gauge to refill before striking again, and with enemies nimble and often avoiding your attacks, it’s easy to leave yourself vulnerable and unable to dodge or follow up on openings. It’s a deliberate system that emphasizes timing and stamina management, but with enemies packing a bit of a punch, it could feel unfairly punishing at times too.

Additional weapons do add variety as you progress, but they come with their own limitations – mainly scarce ammo that must be scavenged from enemies or within hidden crates. It’s classic survival horror design and managing resources and picking your moments to utilise your stronger repertoire of weaponry can add to the tension. It can also feel very uneven though, and with the tough combat and the random nature of enemy item drops, there were a few too many occasions where I found myself overwhelmed by foes and stuck with just my skateboard to defend myself. I feel like I need to emphasise that I didn’t find combat bad at all because it can feel great when it all clicks, but rather that it could’ve done with a bit more balancing. Silly Polly Beast’s difficulty will likely divide players: some will appreciate the tough challenge, while others might feel a little worn down by its unpredictability.

That’s not to say that combat doesn’t have its strong moments though, with boss battles in particular standing out for their creativity. Many incorporate some puzzle mechanics or environmental traps to add to the tension, with players often able to use these to their advantage to get the upper hand over foes (an early encounter with a giant swinging blade didn’t only allow me to lure respawning enemies to their death but also restock up my items).Combat scenarios always feel rewarding too, with masks dropped by enemies unlocking new areas and unlockable chants granting abilities like summoning spikes or even flying. It brings with it a steady sense of depth that is built upon the further you progress, and whilst it does have its flaws, you do feel more empowered in the later hours of the game.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Visually, Silly Polly Beast really is a stunner. The art direction blends gritty, comic-inspired design with surreal 2D and 3D environments, wrapped in a crimson-heavy colour palette that plays in perfectly with the foreboding sense of horror that the game echoes in your surroundings. The aforementioned changing perspectives keep the presentation fresh throughout, whilst the fact that the world is just oozing with attitude helps balance out the more unsettling tones. That mix of grimness and coolness gives the game a unique tone that you don’t see in a lot of horror titles, and it helps make Silly Polly Beast feel like a wholly unique experience.

Developer: Andrei Chernyshov
Publisher: Top Hat Studios
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1598780/Silly_Polly_Beast/