Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama’s latest title, Slitterhead, is one that I was incredibly excited to play at PAX West. Nobody does horror quite like Toyama, and this upcoming game is further proof of that thanks to its eerie world and immensely unsettling creature designs. It’s not at all what I expected, but the game even cooler than I had hoped.
The primary mechanic of Slitterhead has you possess individuals as a character called “The Spirit.” I was able to hop between all sorts of people to explore different areas throughout a city while regaining The Spirit’s memories. Rather than platforming, going up or down buildings required me to swap bodies with individuals already at those levels, which was a neat subversion of typical platforming. One especially memorable moment had me making one vessel jump off a building before swapping to someone on a lower level midair – a surprisingly dark but distinct sequence.
Credit: Marvelous
Then I learned how to combat some truly creepy monsters that looked like large-legged leeches. The vessels you take over can use a weapon that looks almost like a mace made with blood. You can do a couple of different attacks with it, and there’s a very satisfying parry system that lets you deflect your foes’ strikes. I didn’t expect combat to be in Slitterhead, but I quite enjoyed the weighty feeling of smacking gross creatures with random civilians.
“There’s more combat than I expected, but it feels satisfying and suited to the bizarre and dark world in which the game thrives.“
Then you’re able to possess a particularly talented individual who can sync with The Spirit better to use these crazy blood nails/claws. As this character, I fought what I can only describe as a Lovecraftian Beetlejuice who started by wiping the floor with me. Soon enough, using this new vessel and quickly and tactically swapping between other people’s bodies, I was able to bring down the wonderfully and freakily designed boss.
Credit: Marvelous
As a reward, I was treated to a badass cutscene of a guy on a motorbike showing up to shoot the creature with a shotgun, allowing my character the opportunity to strike from behind and cut its head off. It was an exciting scene that got me intrigued to see the full story, getting me even more excited for the full release.
I can’t wait to check out Slitterhead when it drops on November 8. There’s more combat than I expected, but it feels satisfying and suited to the bizarre and dark world in which the game thrives. The creatures are freaky, the tone is delightfully dour, and the story has piqued my interest – it’s looking like Slitterhead is going to be a totally unique and thrilling experience.
