Slitterhead – directed by means of 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, odd survival horror is some distance from best, with inconsistent visuals, repetition, and a few unrefined gameplay methods. However in the event you’ve been lamenting the lack of PlayStation’s oddball first-party output, that is the nearest you’re going to get to it.
You play as an ambiguous, all-powerful spirit named Hyoki, in a position to possessing people and commandeering their our bodies. A illness is ravaging a fictional reimagining of Eighties Hong Kong, remodeling the general public into the eponymous Slitterheads. All you in point of fact know is that you wish to have to wipe those monstrosities out, and so that you start body-hopping during the neighborhood to be informed extra in regards to the risk – and convey it down.
The tale unfolds over a chain of days in a handful of small, sandbox-style environments. As you move, you’ll revisit those ranges time and again at quite a lot of other occasions. You’ll be able to freely possess the general public you stumble upon, and this performs into the sport’s traversal; if you wish to have to succeed in a rooftop, as an example, you could accomplish that by means of inhabiting anyone status out on their balcony after which running your method up.
Whilst it’s no longer equivalent, the program will remind you of Gravity Rush. You’ll be able to bounce off structures after which dispossess your present host simply sooner than they hit the bottom, switching to some other unsuspecting particular person to transport ahead unscathed. Some chase sequences, that are clumsily performed however cool in thought, see you temporarily switching between a string of people to take care of tempo along with your goal. There’s even an mandatory stealth device, the place you physique hop to steer clear of detection.
However there are contrivances to make sure the mechanic works. Hyoki’s motion is restricted, as an example, so you’ll be able to’t drift off without end on the lookout for new hosts. In a similar way, the spirit continuously reveals himself blocked by means of man-made structures, like doorways. In some missions, you’ll to find your self looking for open home windows so as to growth. Whilst we perceive there needed to be boundaries so as to create a point of problem, it feels a bit bit like the foundations are at all times bending to fulfill the necessities of the sport.
That is similarly true whilst you attempt to possess a definite one that would simply get you to the place you wish to have to be, however they’re inexplicably unavailable. The sport needs you to play it precisely because it’s been designed numerous the time, and that continuously leaves little room for experimentation or drawback fixing.
It’s a disgrace as a result of, in battle, the sport’s if truth be told empowers you to discover your personal methods. During the tale you’ll stumble upon Rarities, people you possess who resonate specifically strongly with Hyoki. Not like the opposite folks you inhabit, those include distinctive talents and guns, and can also be completely added on your roster. Tri, a housekeeper, has a couple of bladed oven gloves, as an example – whilst Alex, a physician, is armed with a large syringe.
You’ll be able to normally take two Rarities right into a undertaking with you, and whilst some do require you to choose a particular character for plot causes, normally you’ll be loose to mix ‘n match. This gives quite a few room for experimentation, as a result of glass cannons just like the homeless alcoholic Edo can also be paired with healers similar to the benefit retailer employee Julee. Every persona can also be upgraded in my view, and springs with distinctive skills to reinforce you in struggle.
The battle could be very janky, but it surely makes use of the ownership mechanic neatly. You’ll continuously to find the surroundings populated with human fodder, and you’ll be able to possess those folks to attract consideration away out of your Rarities, then transfer again to take out your objectives. You’ll get a small offensive spice up each and every time you hop our bodies, and naturally it will give you the facility to transport to extra fine positions. Blood can also be sopped up from the bottom to recuperate well being.
There’s somewhat so much occurring right here, and infrequently the guidelines is buried in educational menus. However it makes for a singular battle device not like the rest you’ve ever performed. One persona can drop a blood vortex onto the degree, as an example, sucking foes in; you’ll be able to then transfer to an unimportant human, top them for detonation, run into the center of aforementioned maelstrom, and possess a special physique sooner than they explode.
There’s a counter device which sees you the use of the correct analogue persist with time parries, which provides a bit extra intensity to the one-on-one battle. Whilst the animations and contacts by no means somewhat really feel powerful sufficient to make this a really perfect motion recreation, the team-building methods and physique hopping mechanics make it ingenious and distinctive. It’s somewhat a hard revel in on the usual problem, so that you’ll wish to profit from all of the equipment to be had to you to growth.
Our greatest grievance in point of fact is that all of it turns into a bit of repetitive from time to time. You’ll wish to replay sure ranges to find Rarities required to growth the plot, and those levels can also be padded with overly lengthy chase sequences, which do put on out their welcome speedy.
In a similar way, it’s somewhat a low-budget revel in, with visible novel components used to additional the tale and a few lovely unhealthy human fashions. The full artwork path is outstanding, leaning into real-life places like Hong Kong’s notorious Monster Development and making them the celebrity of the haunting architectural artwork – but it surely’s a recreation that has higher environments than persona designs. The soundtrack, in the meantime, composed by means of the undying Akira Yamaoka, is a masterpiece during.
Conclusion
Irritating from time to time however fearlessly ingenious, Slitterhead is an absolute must-play in the event you’re on the lookout for an authentic take at the survival horror style. Serving as a non secular successor to fan favourites like Siren, Gravity Rush, and Soul Sacrifice, this haunting story a couple of body-hopping spirit – who makes use of people as fodder to place a prevent to the eponymous enemy – is a scintillating albeit every so often undercooked debut from Bokeh Sport Studios. Repetition and an general loss of refinement do carry it down, however you’ll be hard-pushed to discover a extra imaginative revel in this 12 months.
