Slitterhead – directed by Japan Studio veteran Keiichiro Toyama – appears like a non secular successor to Siren, Gravity Rush, and Soul Sacrifice all on the similar time. This ingenious, uncommon survival horror is far from excellent, with inconsistent visuals, repetition, and a few unrefined gameplay methods. However should you’ve been lamenting the lack of PlayStation’s oddball first-party output, that is the closest you’re going to get to it.
You play as an ambiguous, all-powerful spirit named Hyoki, able to possessing people and commandeering their our bodies. A illness is ravaging a fictional reimagining of Eighties Hong Kong, reworking the general public into the eponymous Slitterheads. All you actually know is that you simply need to wipe these monstrosities out, and so you start body-hopping by the group to study extra in regards to the risk – and produce it down.
The story unfolds over a sequence of days in a handful of small, sandbox-style environments. As you progress, you’ll revisit these ranges repeatedly at varied totally different occasions. You possibly can freely possess the general public you encounter, and this performs into the sport’s traversal; if you could attain a rooftop, for instance, you might achieve this by inhabiting somebody standing out on their balcony after which working your method up.
Whereas it’s not equivalent, this method will remind you of Gravity Rush. You possibly can leap off buildings after which dispossess your present host simply earlier than they hit the bottom, switching to a different unsuspecting particular person to maneuver ahead unscathed. Some chase sequences, that are clumsily executed however cool in idea, see you shortly switching between a string of people to maintain up tempo along with your goal. There’s even an compulsory stealth system, the place you physique hop to keep away from detection.
However there are contrivances to make sure the mechanic works. Hyoki’s motion is restricted, for instance, so you’ll be able to’t float off perpetually on the lookout for new hosts. Equally, the spirit typically finds himself blocked by man-made constructions, like doorways. In some missions, you’ll end up looking for open home windows with a purpose to progress. Whereas we perceive there needed to be limitations with a purpose to create a point of problem, it feels slightly bit like the principles are at all times bending to satisfy the necessities of the sport.
That is equally true while you attempt to possess a sure one who would simply get you to the place you could be, however they’re inexplicably unavailable. The sport needs you to play it precisely because it’s been designed a number of the time, and that usually leaves little room for experimentation or downside fixing.
It’s a disgrace as a result of, in fight, the sport’s really empowers you to discover your individual methods. All through the story you’ll encounter Rarities, people you possess who resonate notably strongly with Hyoki. In contrast to the opposite individuals you inhabit, these include distinctive abilities and weapons, and could be completely added to your roster. Tri, a housekeeper, has a pair of bladed oven gloves, for instance – whereas Alex, a health care provider, is armed with a large syringe.
You possibly can often take two Rarities right into a mission with you, and whereas some do require you to pick out a particular persona for plot causes, often you’ll be free to combine and match. This offers loads of room for experimentation, as a result of glass cannons just like the homeless alcoholic Edo could be paired with healers such because the comfort retailer employee Julee. Every character could be upgraded individually, and comes with distinctive abilities to help you in battle.
The fight may be very janky, but it surely makes use of the possession mechanic neatly. You’ll typically discover the atmosphere populated with human fodder, and you may possess these individuals to attract consideration away out of your Rarities, then swap again to take out your targets. You’ll get a small offensive enhance every time you hop our bodies, and naturally it offers you the flexibility to maneuver to extra advantageous positions. Blood could be sopped up from the bottom to get better well being.
There’s rather a lot occurring right here, and generally the data is buried in tutorial menus. Nevertheless it makes for a novel fight system not like the rest you’ve ever performed. One character can drop a blood vortex onto the stage, for instance, sucking foes in; you’ll be able to then swap to an unimportant human, prime them for detonation, run into the center of aforementioned maelstrom, and possess a distinct physique earlier than they explode.
There’s a counter system which sees you utilizing the suitable analogue persist with time parries, which provides slightly extra depth to the one-on-one fight. Whereas the animations and contacts by no means fairly really feel strong sufficient to make this an awesome motion sport, the team-building methods and physique hopping mechanics make it ingenious and distinctive. It’s fairly a troublesome expertise on the usual problem, so that you’ll have to reap the benefits of all of the instruments out there to you to progress.
Our largest criticism actually is that all of it turns into a bit repetitive at occasions. You’ll have to replay sure ranges to find Rarities required to progress the plot, and these phases could be padded with overly lengthy chase sequences, which do put on out their welcome quick.
Equally, it’s fairly a low-budget expertise, with visible novel components used to additional the story and a few fairly dangerous human fashions. The general artwork route is phenomenal, leaning into real-life areas like Hong Kong’s notorious Monster Constructing and making them the star of the haunting architectural artwork – but it surely’s a sport that has higher environments than character designs. The soundtrack, in the meantime, composed by the timeless Akira Yamaoka, is a masterpiece all through.
Conclusion
Irritating at occasions however fearlessly ingenious, Slitterhead is an absolute must-play should you’re on the lookout for an unique tackle the survival horror style. Serving as a non secular successor to fan favourites like Siren, Gravity Rush, and Soul Sacrifice, this haunting story a few body-hopping spirit – who makes use of people as fodder to place a cease to the eponymous enemy – is a scintillating albeit sometimes undercooked debut from Bokeh Recreation Studios. Repetition and an general lack of refinement do convey it down, however you’ll be hard-pushed to discover a extra imaginative expertise this yr.
