As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I’ve seen it all – from pixelated classics to modern masterpieces. But Slitterhead, dear reader, is a game that left me feeling more bewildered than entertained.
Title “Slitterhead” is the debut project from Bokeh Game Studio, a team spearheaded by Keiichiro Toyama, who’s famed for creating the “Silent Hill” and “Siren” series. Given Toyama’s history with horror gaming, I anticipated that “Slitterhead” would either be extremely terrifying or have an intriguing, twisted narrative – neither of which are present in my experience. After investing close to 20 hours into the game, I must admit I left feeling underwhelmed, bored, annoyed, and disconnected from the content presented.
In this game, titled “Slitterhead,” you assume the role of a spirit without a body, capable of inhabiting various non-player characters (NPCs) during the semi-linear storyline set in a fictional Chinese city called Kowlong. As a free-floating entity, you can move about, and when you find an appropriate host, you can jump into their bodies, effectively controlling them as marionettes to repel the enemies known as Slitterheads. These creatures are recurring foes throughout the game, but they don’t exhibit much variation.
You either fight worm-like Slitterheads, baby forms that can be taken down in a hit, regular Slitterheads that are pretty tough to take down, and then the Slitterheads will sometimes transform into boss-like, Resident-Evil-like monstrosities that require more effort to kill. And as you fight off these enemies, you can bounce around from NPC to NPC and use blood weapons. All the NPCs will have the same type of moves to use, but if you switch to another NPC during battle, that character will get a small health and damage bonus.
In a significant part of this game, you engage these NPC characters in combat frequently, but unfortunately, it lacks enjoyment. Rather than the physical attacks being impactful with their sound and feel, it seems more like battling with a soggy sponge. The attacks are sluggish, the movements can be clumsy and unrefined, the character designs aren’t impressive, and most disappointingly, there’s no room for learning new techniques or maneuvers.
In Slitterhead, what enhances the fighting experience slightly is the presence of the distinctive characters known as Rarities. These are your primary playable characters within the game. Initially, you control a young girl named Julee who wields blades similar to Wolverine’s. As the story unfolds, more Rarities become available. Each character comes equipped with a unique melee weapon and special abilities that set them apart. Typically, you can pick two different Rarities for each mission, although some missions may require a specific Rarity based on the narrative context.
Many of these characters possess distinctive and entertaining abilities that are worth exploring – one is an elderly woman who wields a cane and another, a man named Edo, dons a bag over his head and fights like a character from a street fighting game. Regrettably, although the Rarities are intriguing in design, they do not significantly improve combat experiences. As you acquire them throughout the storyline, the later additions to your team often receive little on-screen attention, making them seem less impactful compared to the initial group. They don’t feel unique or contribute much to the overall plot beyond a handful of exceptions (there are eight in total). The main plot fails to give these characters substantial focus, and it appears that the game could have omitted 75% of them.
At the midpoint of the game, enigmatically, one of the Uncommon characters unexpectedly joins your team without any background given. He’s a soldier, but the game remains silent about why he can merge with a spirit and why he’s there in the first place. Occasionally throughout the narrative, you won’t receive any new quests until a fresh Uncommon character is discovered.
In order to discover where a particular rarity is hidden, you may need to replay various stages multiple times because past missions don’t always provide clear evidence of its location. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t give much guidance or hints about overcoming progression barriers, leaving players to experiment with different characters and strategies. Additionally, when approaching the end of the game, you might encounter a situation where no levels contain the rarity you need. In such cases, be aware that there could be a specific collectible item required to unlock the final rarity and complete the game.
In the game Slitterhead, the narrative progression follows a linear path, moving you into distinct areas that represent an alternative ’80s/’90s China. As the story unfolds, you acquire the ability to leap through time within different parts of the tale. This results in revisiting certain sections, but without revealing specific plot points.
As you progress through the game, you find that most missions occur in distinct areas of various cities. However, by the midpoint, you’ve explored all these locations. This repetition becomes apparent as you traverse the same narrow alleys and pursue Slitterheads across identical rooftops numerous times. The environments lack variety and don’t offer much visual interest. The only notable features are hidden Slitterhead battles and occasional currency spots. After finishing the game, there’s little incentive to revisit it due to the absence of compelling reasons or new experiences.
The body-changing feature in the game Slitterhead and the chance to manage diverse characters amidst an Asian city teeming with chilling monsters seems intriguing, yet regrettably, it fails to deliver the intended horror/action elements effectively. In truth, it’s not particularly enjoyable to play. If you appreciate a somewhat rough-edged brawler that harks back to the PS2/360 era, there could be some worth found here, but otherwise, it’s challenging to endorse this game.
As a passionate gamer, I’m thrilled to share that Slitterhead is set to drop on my gaming radar come November 8! This bad boy will be available across platforms like PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant has graciously handed me a PC code for a sneak peek at this upcoming review.
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2024-11-04 14:14