Slitterhead instantly grabbed headlines when it was first introduced, partially because of the pedigree of the workforce at Bokeh Video games. Headed up by Keiichiro Toyama, a legit legend of Japanese gaming having created not solely Silent Hill but additionally the Siren and Gravity Rush sequence, and with Silent Hill stalwart Akira Yamaoka alongside for composition, you jad a survival horror dream workforce state of affairs. Particulars have been comparatively sparse over time, so I began my time with the sport with a mix of pleasure and uncertainty. What even is Slitterhead? After ending the sport I’m nonetheless left with that query.
The very first thing that stands out is the sport’s presentation. Slitterhead appears to be like improbable at instances and presents up a neon-drenched and grubby analogue for Hong Kong that gave me flashbacks to the underrated Sleeping Canines. Nevertheless, it’s clear that this isn’t an enormous finances AAA sport, and there’s some noticeable shortcuts. The obvious is the huge variety of doppelgangers operating round Kow Lengthy, making it really feel like there’s solely a handful of various NPCs. It offers the sport an uncanny feeling that truly type of works. Cutscenes are of a a lot greater commonplace, which ends up in the form of jarring transitions again to gameplay that characterised the Xbox 360 period. The sport is accompanied by an fascinating and different soundtrack, with some unsettling drone and jazzy moments that stand out however don’t overshadow the sport itself.
The storyline is obscure and complicated in a deliberate method that maybe speaks to the title’s ambition, however is left behind by its execution. You play as a mysterious spirit – the Hyoki – stranded within the sport world with no reminiscences (up to now so generic). To outlive you must possess the our bodies of these round you, controlling them via their blood. Such management is restricted, and you might be fragile and cumbersome. As you’re employed via the early elements of the sport you progress from physique to physique earlier than discovering a Rarity – a human who can absolutely bond with you and unleash their full potential – with eight totally different
By the tip of the sport you’ll discover as much as eight totally different Rarities with distinctive talent units and personalities. You discover your first Rarity bleeding out after being attacked by the titular Slitterheads – grotesque monstrosities that additionally possess human our bodies however burst out of their heads in different horrific kinds.
Because the narrative develops you could end up asking a whole lot of questions on what is going on and why – I definitely was – however Slitterhead is just not a sport that gives simple solutions. A lot of the backstory is hidden behind collectable reminiscence fragments and it later develops right into a time hopping mechanic that makes following occasions much more complicated. This side is ok because it actually feeds into the unsettling nature of the world and I loved making an attempt to piece issues collectively. The ending of the sport, nevertheless, proves to be maybe probably the most headscratching a part of all, however I’ll go away that so that you can ponder on, if you happen to give the sport a strive.
Equally puzzling is how the sport performs. Slitterhead is way more like a fusion of visible novel and mission based mostly motion fight sport than the survival horror title many had been anticipating. Every of the Rarities has distinctive weapons and expertise based mostly on their character and powered by their very own blood. The top results of that is truly a extra conventional set of character archetypes, however one which feels extra unique given the putting presentation and setting.
The primary of your Rarities, Julee, is a healer, while the second, Alex, is extra of a DPS warrior sort. After getting a number of Rarities accessible, you may take two into every mission, a transfer that opens up a spread of selections and techniques to customize to your preferences. In addition to the Rarities, you may nonetheless possess common residents in fight and juggling between the characters and sustaining their blood ranges can result in enjoyably frantic fights, no less than for some time.
Between the static textual content dialog elements (for which there’s a really disappointing lack of voice appearing for 90% of the sport) and area combat set items you’ll be ‘exploring’ the town. This exploration is extremely restricted although and also you’ll end up pissed off by the invisible partitions and limits. Given that every mission has hidden collectables to seek out it is vitally counter-intuitive that the world is so restrictive together with your character usually refusing to depart the principle path. These collectables are additionally solely revealed after you full the mission, so that you don’t know whether or not you have got discovered the whole lot till you return to the mission choose display. These choices are echoes of gaming mechanics that I had hoped had been left prior to now.
Most annoying of all is the truth that a number of of the sport’s Rarities are hidden all through the missions and progress is locked till you discover them. As you don’t know that is the case till you end a mission most often, and the degrees themselves are sometimes linear paths that don’t actually facilitate backtracking, you’re pressured to replay missions till you discover the Rarity after which unlock extra boring, obtuse dialog bushes.
The top result’s one in all frustration slightly than pleasure and I usually rushed via missions the primary time within the information that I’d need to replay them once more anyway realizing what I used to be in search of. Replaying missions doesn’t reward you with talent factors to improve your character, that are solely awarded the primary time you end a degree, so you may’t even use these replays to grind. Even the creature design falls flat when you realise that there are solely a handful of grotesque varieties endlessly repeated. When you’ve fought off just a few hundred anthropomorphic penises you begin to lose curiosity…
Keiichiro Toyama has been open in regards to the challenges of growing this sport via engine option to the consequences of the Covid pandemic and I’m delicate to the difficulties going through new studios, even when made up of famous person figures, however Slitterhead is a troublesome sport to completely advocate in its present kind. It feels an excessive amount of just like the spirit of a sport pressured to own a spread of various varieties while looking for itself.