Summary
Slitterheadis an upcoming third-person horror-action title and the debut project by developer Bokeh Studio. With its neon and rain-soaked version of a Japanese city draped in perpetual night and overrun by parasitic supernatural threats,Slitterheadlooks to be one of the more unique horror experiences slated for this season. Horror games have been having a great run over the past year or so, from the AAA sphere to excellent indie titles, andSlitterheadis set to be one of the latest and most intriguing for this year.
One item of particular note is thatSlitterheadis the vision of originalSilent Hillcreator, Keiichiro Toyama. And in a confluence of events, theSilent Hill 2 Remakebeing developed by Bloober Team will also be releasing later in 2024, both in a close window to each other. Other anticipated horror titles likeThe Casting of Frank Stoneand theUntil Dawn Remakewill likely offer competition in a packed season as well. Based on what has been shown aboutSlitterheadso far, though, one major component in the form of its extreme body horror stylings could help it rise above the rest, and thus should be what it leans into the most.
Slitterheadwill release June 04, 2025, exactly one month afterSilent Hill 2 Remake.
Slitterheadwill place players in the role of Hyoki, “an entity devoid of memory and physical form” in their struggle against the invading monsters (the titular Slitterheads) that are unleashing chaos in the city of Kowlong. A big feature also shown off wasSlitterhead’s possession mechanic, wherein Hyoki can hijack the bodies of everyday inhabitants, and, according to the official description:
…Burn their life force, turning their blood into a variety of weapons to confront the ferocious Slitterheads. Further, Hyoki can take control of “Rarities,” specific humans who share high sync with Hyoki, and through them, he will be able to unleash even more powerful attacks and activate various special abilities.
In the trailer, Hyoki can be seen jumping into and out of various people, tracking and battling the creatures through Kowlong’s twisted urban landscape.Slitterhead’s combat mechanics also seem to resembleStellar Blade’sin some ways, itself a recent title that had a menagerie of otherworldly monsters, though in a cyberpunk post-apocalyptic future.Slitterheadthen might need to rely on its own collection of outlandish, unsettling monstrosities and sense of style to distinguish itself against the field of adjacent horror titles.
As per the plot setup,Slitterhead’s vision for its body horror seems to work both ways, as both Hyoki makes use of it by possessing unsuspecting citizens and turning their own bodies into living weapons, while the Slitterheads are apparently doing the same, and the conflict between them forms the core of the story and action. The various disturbing creatures on display inSlitterhead’s official gameplay trailershow a lot of promise in their gruesome creativity, and thus have the potential to give it the edge over the slate of other forthcoming horror titles.
Along with the Slitterheads themselves, and depending on how elaborate some of the “blood/body” based weapons and abilities will be, fans could be presented with some truly off-putting but memorable monsters and body horror scenes throughout the experience. While its main competition might fittingly be theSilent Hill 2 Remakedue to the proximity of their releases and Toyama’s connection to both, if it is able to differentiate itself positively via them,Slitterheadcould wind up being one of the latest and greatestgames featuring body horror, and a fantastic entry in the genre overall.
Slitterhead
WHERE TO PLAY
Set in the densely cluttered streets of “Kowlong,” filled with obscurity and chaos, this battle action-adventure game casts players as the “Hyoki,” an entity devoid of memory and physical form. His only motive is to eradicate the monstrous beings known as “Slitterheads” crawling around the city, disguising themselves as humans.Roaming the vibrant neon-lit cityscape, players must seek out allies among humans known as “Rarities,” infiltrate and track dangerous organizations, and engage in battles harnessing the power of blood. As the suspenseful drama unfolds, delve into the mystery behind Hyoki’s existence and the appearance of the Slitterheads.
