Slitterhead is the most interesting game of 2024 but you might not want to play it
SLITTERHEAD comes from Keiichiro Toyama and Akira Yamaoka, the minds behind the original Silent Hill.
We were excited for the pair’s return, particularly as they are working on another supernatural horror game.
But Slitterhead has awkward combat, graphics similar to those of a PlayStation 3 game, and mandatory stealth sections that undermine what is one of the most interesting games of this year.
There’s nothing quite like Slitterhead, and the team was obviously passionate about building a game that is completely unique.
Slitterhead is a character-driven detective story with some body horror, and you play as a parasite that can jump from body to body and possess them.
The introduction is mysterious yet a little directionless, but things start improving once you meet your first Rarity.
A Rarity is a person who remains conscious even while the parasite takes over, and can help unlock their innate powers.
Taking possession of Rarities helps you learn more about the world and as you interact with more people you understand more about this supernatural world.
Most of the missions involve tracking down a particular monster and this is where it falls apart a bit.
These missions include a lot of stealth and infiltration, which always feels a bit off.
This feeling continues into the combat. Each Rarity has a unique weapon and abilities, and you have to switch between them to fight efficiently.
The first time we fought a titular Slitterhead, the challenge felt insurmountable.
Slitterhead spends a long time teaching you how to parry as it’s necessary given how little health each human has.
However, when you have multiple Rarities to jump between it’s far easier to use one to distract the Slitterhead and another to attack.
We feel that Slitterhead promised a lot in the opening scenes of the game, but it never manages to deliver on this action.
In the beginning you jump from a building and change bodies as people watch the initial human plummet to their death in horror.
If you try this again later, they land on their feet cat-like, and no one seems to care about this super-human act of strength.
Even if you leave a human in an awkward situation they won’t move somewhere safer once you leave their body.
This lack of reaction from others in the world, makes it feel hollow and it’s a missing opportunity for a game that’s so unique.
Slitterhead is an amazing idea and a heavy yet powerful story, so it’s frustrating when some other gameplay beats don’t hit.
It’s the most interesting game of 2024, but you’ll have to be able to handle some jank to see the adventure through.
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