While you were busy putting in your 52nd hour into “Metaphor: ReFantazio” or reliving the 2001 classic “Silent Hill 2″, you likely did not notice the release of a little title named “Slitterhead.”
In 2021, video game creator Keiichiro Toyama came up with the idea of a game where you do not play as anyone, or rather, anyone with a corporeal body.
The Mystery of “Slitterhead”
The action horror game is the first work by Bokeh Game Studio, an indie developer Toyama started following his departure from Sony. Toyama is best known for directing the first “Silent Hill” game, the uncanny horror icon that spawned numerous sequels and adaptations, making it a household name among the gaming community. But his resume also includes the “Siren” and “Gravity Rush” series, games with a smaller audience, but celebrated for their unique gameplay mechanics and visual style.
“Slitterhead” feels like a culmination of this work. You play as the Night Owl, or Hyoki, an unnamed spirit with amnesia with only a single drive in mind: kill all Slitterheads. And what are Slitterheads? Well, they are the monsters walking in human skin, sometimes looking like monstrous octopi or demonic mantises, killing the citizens of Kowlong (inspired by Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City), eating their brains and taking their appearances.
Supernatural Martial Arts Refined
Since its release on November 8, the game has drawn mixed reviews, with the lowest being 3/10 to the highest being 8.5/10, and it is not surprising.
“Slitterhead” is unlike any other. As a spirit without a body, it seems impossible to fight against terrifying eldritch horror, hence why it is your responsibility to take control of the unsuspecting residents of Kowlong and have them fight monsters while occasionally doing parkour across rooftops.
The game is mission-based, often including stealth infiltration into certain establishments like brothels and cult bases, chase sequences and boss fights with nightmarish terrors.
The gameplay is broken up into three nights, with multiple missions assigned each night and the option of playing them out of order. The kicker is that you are expected to replay missions.
Part of its central narrative are characters known as “Rarities,” humans who maintain their consciousness while possessed, and in turn, join the Night Owl’s fight against the Slitterheads.
The brilliance of this game shines through these individual’s interactions with the Night Owl and their distinct skill sets. Each Rarity represents a different member of society: a prostitute, an underground doctor, a housemaid, a cop, and a homeless man.
By playing as these different characters, every mission is recontextualized through the lens of these individuals’ identities. For example, you are expected to break into a brothel in an early mission, simply playing as Julee, an aspiring actress with no ties to this location. It is through this quest that you meet another Rarity: Anita, a prostitute who works at the brothel.
You are later required to complete the same mission again as Anita, working to hunt down her boss who is supposedly a Slitterhead in disguise. The first loop allows you to complete a mission with little attention to the narrative. The second, however, approaches it through the eyes of a woman with a personal stake and investment in this side of the story.
In the Mood for… Blood?
As much as “Slitterhead” draws upon Toyama’s previous work (with these multiple perspectives coming from Siren), it also serves as a homage to a number of influences. While he credits works like “Gantz,” “Parasyte” and “Tokyo Ghoul” for the horror elements, its aesthetic pulls heavily on the work of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai.
With the city’s neon signs and moody aesthetic, it matches with the vibe of films like “Chungking Express” – there is even a shot that mirrors the iconic motorcycle sequence from Wong’s “Fallen Angels.” Through these films, Wong sought to make the city feel almost like a living entity. He does this by portraying the city through the eyes of different individuals, from a hitman to a lovesick police officer to a mute ex-convict.
In a lot of ways, “Slitterhead” does the same, but instead of the throes of romance, Toyama seeks to apply it to mystery and horror. Progression exists and yet it feels like we are moving through different versions of the same story with different outcomes revealing new information depending on the body we possess.
Each of these characters also come with their own specific moveset, and a weapon of blood manifesting as an oversized version of an object tied to their character: oven mitts for Tri – the Indonesian housemaid, a mechanical pencil for Doni – the teenage schoolboy, etc.
It adds a level of complexity to the game’s combat and traversal, or at least, it should.
A Game from Another Era
For a game created in 2024, it feels more like a PS2 game, which might be a positive or a negative depending on who you ask. Without a major company backing Bokeh, “Slitterhead” was made on a smaller budget.
The gameplay, while fascinating conceptually, just barely passes in creating an engaging experience. It plays well enough, feeling like a hack and slash action game at times, though with a bit of stiffness. That is not even mentioning its somewhat confusing UI and button layout that only makes sense after you have played enough of it to memorize all the menu placements.
Meanwhile, the story is portrayed through some individual conversations between Rarities and the Night Owl. Except for the fact that it seems to be only voice acted in key moments and a solid 90% of the game is told through vague Cantonese mixed with grunts and sighs.
For a lot of people, this would be a turn off. It fails to fully meet the standards of the times, so it is obvious why many were critical.
A Project Unlike Anything Else
Even so, “Slitterhead” is a fresh blast from the past.
The original Silent Hill games and others in its era were made within a time of technological restriction. Fixed camera angles and “tank” controls were the norm, so directors often found ways to utilize these barriers as a method of creation.
While Toyama may no longer be limited by the technology of its time, it feels as though there were some limitations from the budget.
Although the patchwork is clear, it is also obvious that Toyama had a vision. There was a specific idea for this project, and I argue that they delivered.
In a time where the landscape has become largely dominated by AAA powerhouses and more remakes and sequels to count (many of which are genuinely great), it is the indie space that continues to push the boundaries of the medium.
Many games can be chalked up to be classified as “souls-like” or one of the countless offspring bearing the mainstream action game DNA of “Resident Evil 4,” but I find there are very few labels to put on “Slitterhead.” Some of the combat feels similar to that of “Devil May Cry” and other titles, but it really is only found in certain Rarities. It ultimately finds itself the chaotic descendant of its own lineage, one of Toyama’s making.
Beyond its gameplay, the art direction and sound design already feel memorable. Character designers Tatsuya Yoshikawa and Miki Takahashi give character to each protagonist and creature throughout the game. So much can be told through the ordinary faces you possess and the vicious monsters you battle. Meanwhile, “Silent Hill” alumnus Akira Yamaoka utilizes his signature hard rock style to set the tone for the neon undercity as you investigate back alleys and crowded streets.
Even if the execution was not perfect, the gameplay and atmosphere has the potential of becoming rediscovered by players in the future.
It feels counterproductive to try to predict cult classics as if they do not spring out of sheer chance and trend, but “Slitterhead” feels like it could very well become one in its own right.
While its exterior may look rough at times, it is perhaps the spirit possessing it within that matters, and ultimately makes it a worthy title worth uncovering for yourself.