Summary
Slitterheadis the forthcoming third-person action-horror title first announced in 2021 and being developed by Bokeh Game Studios. The studio was formed by originalSilent Hillcreator, Keiichiro Toyama, andSlitterheadwill see players in the haunted city Kowlong, resembling a warped version of Tokyo, where a plague of paranormal parasites has overtaken its populace, turning them into hideous monstrosities. Looking to channel works likeResident EvilandGhostwire: Tokyo, while putting its own gruesome spin on body horror and combat,Slitterheadis one of a number of promising games in the genre set to drop this Fall.
While 2023 was a stellar year for horror titles, 2024 is already shaping up to be giving it a good run for its money. Earlier this summer, there was a perhaps surprising array ofhorror games showcased at Summer Game Fest, withSlitterheadbeing among them. Its release date was also confirmed forNovember 8, 2024. This puts it just past the heart of Halloween and the traditional spooky season, and right on the cusp of some other widely anticipated titles of the year overall.Slitterhead’s timing, then, may have placed it in a tight spot that could make it more of an uphill battle for it to stand out against the solidly stacked schedule of releases coming around the same time.
Known genre film studio,Blumhouse, announced its newly formed gaming divisionat SGF, unveiling a variety of upcoming horror and psychological thriller titles as well, some later this year and others in 2025/TBA.
2024 is Set for a Slate of Horror Releases Alongside Slitterhead
Some of the notablehorror games that are set to release this Fallinclude:
TheSilent Hill 2 Remakeis probably the most recognizable among these, butFrank Stoneand theUntil Dawn Remakeare also highly anticipated. Meanwhile,STALKER 2has been over a decade in the making, and the secondAlan Wake 2DLC is poised to cap off the success of the main title. It’s already looking like a fairly crowded field, even with some of the less certain dates, and there’s a chanceSlitterhead’s early November window means it will arrive late to the party, and miss out on some of the hype and attention that usually goes along with being a horror game released in October.
Slitterheadcoming out at the very tail end of the season after all the above, but before some other big, though non-horrortitles likeAssassin’s Creed: Shadows(releasing one week after),Avowed,andDragon Age: The Veilguard, could also potentially see it overlooked simply by sheer proximity. On top of that, the fact that it’s a new IP versus the ones in more established franchises, some of which fans have been waiting for quite a while, could mean it gets lost in the shuffle or passed over in favor of some of the others mentioned.
Conversely, there are some elements that may yet helpSlitterheadstand out.Slitterhead’s possession mechanicsand story, as well as being under the direction of Keiichiro Toyama, could give it a leg up, and ensure that it still receives a successful debut.
Given that it will drop exactly one month after theSH2 Remake, this could grant it just enough breathing room to separate it from that and the rest of the field, at the same time avoiding being buried in the otherwise busy October period. Hopefully, there is enough space and player interest left for it to do well, especially as it looks like one of the more intriguing horror projects of 2024.
