Slitterhead is the primary identify to come back out of Bokeh Sport Studio, a building group based via Keiichiro Toyama, identified for growing the Silent Hill and Siren collection. Coming from the person liable for some of the iconic horror franchises ever, I used to be anticipating Slitterhead to be a minimum of certainly one of two issues: 1) actually frightening or 2) have a actually messed-up and engrossing tale – neither of those are provide. After spending virtually 20 hours within the recreation, I, sadly, walked away feeling upset, bored, annoyed and in reality disengaged with the package deal that was once specified by entrance of me.
Comparable
9 Horror Video games With Ownership Mechanics
Ownership is a smart scare tactic for horror villains, however it might probably additionally make for spooky gameplay when the participant persona can possess different NPCs.
Slitterhead places you into the sneakers of a body-less spirit that may possess virtually any NPC all over the semi-linear tale missions during a fictional Chinese language town referred to as Kowlong. You’ll be able to drift, hover round, after which bounce into maximum our bodies, which can be utilized as puppets to fend off the enemies referred to as Slitterheads. Those are monsters that you just battle during the sport, and they do not have that a lot variation.
You both battle worm-like Slitterheads, child paperwork that may be taken down in successful, common Slitterheads which are lovely difficult to take down, after which the Slitterheads will on occasion become into boss-like, Resident-Evil-like monstrosities that require extra effort to kill. And as you battle off those enemies, you’ll be able to leap round from NPC to NPC and use blood guns. The entire NPCs can have the similar form of strikes to make use of, however in the event you transfer to every other NPC all over struggle, that persona gets a small well being and injury bonus.
For a big bite of the sport, you spend time the use of those NPCs in struggle, however they don’t seem to be amusing to play. As an alternative of the melee hits feeling and sounding fulfilling, it seems like you might be combating with a rainy sponge. The assaults are sluggish, the actions will also be wonky and stilted, the NPCs do not glance nice, and worst of all, you aren’t getting alternatives to be told new strikes.
What does make the battle really feel a bit of bit higher, regardless that, are the Rarities. The Rarities are the primary solid of playable characters in Slitterhead. You get started with a tender woman named Julee, who necessarily has Wolverine blades, after which, as you move in the course of the tale, you can liberate the remainder. Each and every one no longer best has a unique melee weapon, however additionally they each and every have particular abilities and results. You’ll be able to typically make a choice two other Rarities consistent with Venture (on occasion a undertaking can have a required Rarity, however provided that the narrative has one thing to do with a undeniable Rarity).
Maximum of them do have distinctive and amusing powers to take a look at – one is an previous girl who fights with a cane and every other, a person named Edo, has a paper bag over his head and fights like a Boulevard Fighter persona. Sadly, whilst the Rarities are cool in idea, they do not make struggle encounters higher. Because you achieve them during the tale, the previous couple of that sign up for your group hardly get any display time, making them really feel much less memorable than the primary batch. In addition they do not really feel particular or upload a lot to the whole tale but even so two or 3 of them (there are 8 in general). The principle narrative has no focal point at the others, and it sort of feels like the sport may just’ve lower 75% of them.
And for some ordinary explanation why, one of the crucial Rarities joins your birthday celebration on the midway level of the sport with out clarification. He is an army man, however the recreation does not provide an explanation for why he can fuse with the spirit and why he’s there within the first position. And there might be two or 3 times during the tale the place you will be unable to get any new missions till a brand new Rarity is located.
Previous missions you will have finished will display if there may be proof of a Rarity to be discovered, so that you will have to replay levels till you determine the place to seek out the Rarity in query. And the worst section is that the sport does no longer telegraph it to the participant. It slightly provides any hints get previous the development block, so I used to be left a couple of occasions replaying ranges with other characters, making an attempt various things to seek out the Rarity. There is additionally an element when you wish to have the ultimate Rarity in opposition to the top of the sport, however not one of the ranges have a Rarity so that you can in finding. It became available in the market’s a undeniable collectible you wish to have to seek out to liberate the ultimate Rarity and beat the sport.
The undertaking construction in Slitterhead is lovely linear, you get dropped into a unique a part of this fictional model of ’80s/’90s China for each and every. With out spoiling anything else, you find yourself with the ability to time commute thru other portions of the tale, which results in repeating some sections.
Whilst each and every undertaking most commonly takes section in several town sections, whenever you get to the center of the sport, you will have noticed all of it. You undergo the similar alleys time and again, chase Slitterheads at the identical rooftops time and again, and there is no lot to make the settings stand out. There is no longer a lot to have a look at, and but even so some hidden Slitterhead fights and the ordinary foreign money spots, there is not any explanation why to leap again into the sport after rolling credit.
The body-swapping mechanic of Slitterhead and having the ability to keep watch over those wildly other characters in an Asian town filled with creepy monsters sounds interesting, however sadly, this horror/motion does no longer carry the spooks in any respect and, frankly, is not relaxing to play. In case you are any individual who likes a slightly janky brawler that feels adore it got here out of the PS2/360 generation, there could be one thing of worth right here, however differently, it is laborious to suggest this one.
Reviewed on PC
Set within the densely cluttered streets of “Kowlong,” stuffed with obscurity and chaos, this struggle action-adventure recreation casts avid gamers because the “Hyoki,” an entity devoid of reminiscence and bodily shape. His best reason is to eliminate the monstrous beings referred to as “Slitterheads” crawling across the town, disguising themselves as people.
Roaming the colourful neon-lit cityscape, avid gamers will have to hunt down allies amongst people referred to as “Rarities,” infiltrate and observe bad organizations, and have interaction in battles harnessing the ability of blood. Because the suspenseful drama unfolds, delve into the thriller at the back of Hyoki’s life and the illusion of the Slitterheads.
- Launched
- November 8, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Bokeh Sport Studio
- Writer(s)
- Bokeh Sport Studio
- Fascinating and Distinctive Idea and Premise
- Monster Designs Can Be Cool
- Uninspiring and Unengaging Battle
- Uninteresting Plot
- Irritating Development Blocks
- Town Environment Leaves Me Short of Extra
Slitterhead launches on November 8 for PC, PS4, PS5, and XSX/S. Sport Rant was once supplied with a PC code for this assessment.
