Game Information
Game Title: Slitterhead
Platforms:
- PlayStation 5 (Nov 8, 2024)
- PlayStation 4 (Nov 8, 2024)
- Xbox Series X/S (Nov 8, 2024)
- PC (Nov 8, 2024)
Trailers:
Developer: Bokeh Game Studio
Publisher: Bokeh Game Studio
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 66 average - 28% recommended - 44 reviews
Critic Reviews
CGMagazine - Justin Wood - 5 / 10
Ultimately, Slitterhead serves as a cautionary tale of high expectations meeting harsh realities and a reminder of how even the most anticipated projects can falter in execution.
COGconnected - Jaz Sagoo - 70 / 100
Slitterhead takes an innovative concept and places it at the forefront of the adventure. The possession mechanic leads to a frantic combat system that encourages you to quickly switch between characters to fight formidable foes. This bleeds throughout acting as a method of traversal and stealth. Although a little clunky and lacking polish, the game manages to deliver a truly unique experience that will resonate with fans of action and horror.
Capsule Computers - Claudio Meira - 7 / 10
Slitterhead delivers an intriguing horror story and fast action, but its exploration sections feel watered down, lacking in player agency.
Checkpoint Gaming - Charlie Kelly - 6.5 / 10
There’s a decent time to be had in Slitterhead as a blood-wielding badass dealing with some dastardly demons in the striking and grungy concrete jungle of Kowlong. The game finds a satisfying balance of empowerment and challenge as you hijack body after body to topple your foes. Similarly, it’s exciting to use these supernatural powers to traverse the land and uncover mysteries across the city. The game, however, is held back by an obtuse story, a frustrating lack of apt signposting in some missions, and an adventure you never really wrap your head around in its twelve-hour runtime. It may not make a huge mark on the horror action scene, but to the select few that vibe with its freakishness, it’ll be an underrated gem for years to come.
Digital Trends - Tomas Franzese - 2.5 / 5
Slitterhead is the most creative action game that I’ve played this year, but it’s also deeply flawed.
Eurogamer - Vikki Blake - 4 / 5
Slitterhead can be a slow-burn to begin with, but once its combat clicks, this is an action horror game like few others.
GAMES.CH - Fabrice Henz - German - 74%
In some regards Slitterhead is fantastic. It offers an engaging story told through the perspective of several characters, a simple yet fun combat system that excels through the ability to possess different people at any moment and super cool monster design in the Slitterheads. Unfortunately a lot of the other aspects feel very underbaked. Stealth isn’t engaging at all and sometimes kills all the momentum the game had going, the controls are always snappy enough for what you want to do and some aspects of the presentation feel very oldschool. As a package the game is a lot of fun though and offers a glimpse into what the developers at Bokeh Game Studio are able to do in the future. That is certainly bright and hopefully brings more somewhat unique titles like Slitterhead certainly is.
Game Rant - Greysun Morales - 5 / 10
Slitterhead is meant to be a horror brawler, but it’s missing the scary and action.
Gameliner - Bram Noteboom - Dutch - 3.5 / 5
Slitterhead offers a quirky, exotic horror-action experience with flaws in dialogue and gameplay, but those who embrace its oddities will find a bizarre, twist-filled story, intense monster combat, and a true cult-classic feel from Bokeh Game Studio.
Gamersky - 心灵奇兵 - Chinese - 7.1 / 10
Slitterhead is a unique blend of horror, action-adventure and time-loop mechanics, showcasing some intriguing concepts. However, it struggles to fully realise its potential due to various limitations. The creativity is commendable, but the execution is poor.
GamesRadar+ - Jasmine Gould-Wilson - 4 / 5
Part sci-fi body horror, part thrilling detective yarn, Slitterhead is a story of humanity versus monstrosity in a city where both are plentiful. Bokeh’s debut release bravely takes strides to manipulate, challenge, and evolve how we play horror games, and while some of these risks do not pay off as well as others, Slitterhead’s sheer creative ambition is impossible to ignore.
GamingBolt - Shubhankar Parijat - 7 / 10
Slitterhead’s unique premise and experimental mechanics make it a compelling experience, even if it can feel a bit too rough and low-budget from time to time.
GamingTrend - Henry Viola - 60 / 100
Slitterhead is the perfect definition of a game that doesn’t know what it wants to be. It falters in both the action combat category as well as the horror genre, resulting in a middling experience overall.
Hardcore Gamer - Michael Murphy - 3.5 / 5
Bokeh Game Studio’s Slitterhead shows a lot of promise in terms of its unique possession action gameplay, direction, music and overall plot. It’s fun, electric and unlike any other game. New IPs are the lifeblood of the industry and the game is a key example of keeping that saying alive. The reliance on narrative tropes, graphical inconsistencies and dialogue-heavy exposition, however, do keep the title from reaching the heights it seemed destined to climb.
Hey Poor Player - Shane Boyle - 3 / 5
“I feel extremely conflicted when I think deeply about Slitterhead. On the one hand, it’s a return to the side of Toyama’s mind that gave us Silent Hill, with Slitterhead presenting players with an otherworldly tale that thrives on surrealism and its gripping central mystery. On the other, it’s a sub-par action game that weighs down its novel ideas with combat that feels weightless and unimpactful. Whether the combat is a deal breaker for the average player is going to depend on how much they value everything that Toyama and his team at Bokeh Studios have got right. For this writer, the answer to that conundrum is that on the whole, Slitterhead’s positives do outweigh its negatives. It feels like Toyama is untethered again, and while not every design choice has worked out for the best, the fact that we have the horror legend operating independently and willing to create something unlike anything else is something to be celebrated.”
Hobby Consolas - Daniel Quesada - Spanish - 79 / 100
The hand of a genius like Toyama is evident in a game whose personality draws attention from the start, although that does not hide a technical (but not artistic) section that is below expectations. It is a remarkable horror and action adventure, but it could have been much more.
IGN - Tristan Ogilvie - 5 / 10
Like a bloody blade worn down by a few too many battles, Slitterhead grows increasingly dull over time and ultimately just doesn’t cut it.
IGN Deutschland - Michael Cherdchupan - German - 8 / 10
Slitterhead is a divisive horror game that will either fascinate or frustrate players. Its unique blend of action, body horror, and surreal storytelling, coupled with a haunting soundtrack by Akira Yamaoka, creates an unforgettable, albeit flawed, experience.
IGN Italy - Alessandra Borgonovo - Italian - 6 / 10
Slitterhead is an action horror game that collapses under its loop-both in terms of narrative and gameplay-and doesn’t shine as much as it could have.
IGN Spain - Mario Seijas - Spanish - 8 / 10
Slitterhead is a successful experiment. It combines a cryptic and complex story within an episodic mission system that simply works. All that spiced with precise, complex and visceral combat.
Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 3 / 10
A deeply flawed attempt to combine survival horror with Devil May Cry style action, that tries to do a dozen things at once and succeeds at none of them.
MonsterVine - Spencer Legacy - 3.5 / 5
Slitterhead may be a bit rough around the edges, but the core concept and story are intriguing enough to make this worth trying. There really aren’t many games like this, and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in strange and dark titles.
Nexus Hub - Ryan Pretorius - 7 / 10
Slitterhead has ‘cult classic’ written all over it with its gritty atmosphere, unsettling creature designs and old-school appeal, though it lacks polish and a satisfying combat system.
Niche Gamer - Fingal Belmont - 9 / 10
While it is apparent that Bokeh Game Studio was working with a tight budget, they knew how to stretch their dollars. Slitterhead is truly a special horror game that is sure to be a cult classic.
Noisy Pixel - Azario Lopez - 7 / 10
Slitterhead exemplifies what an indie developer with ambitious ideas can achieve within limited means. Where one system falters, another aspect of the game steps up, maintaining a balance between innovation and feasibility. While more resources could have enhanced the combat and voice acting, Slitterhead ultimately succeeds as a character-driven horror game with a focus on storytelling and atmosphere. For fans of narrative-driven horror, Slitterhead is a captivating experience that breaks the mold.
PC Gamer - Abbie Stone - 70 / 100
A flawed but fun action slaughterfest with a great NPC-possession hook.
PSX Brasil - Rui Celso - Portuguese - 60 / 100
Although Slitterhead has a nice story, the game makes a generic and crazy mix of Parasyte with a Beyond: Two Souls flavor. With plastered gameplay, half-graphics, a very weak battle system, and poor audio, this game isn’t worth your time or your money.
Press Start - James Berich - 8.5 / 10
Slitterhead offers a refreshing and unique experience that pays homage to Bokeh’s pedigree while still establishing its own identity. Despite some minor flaws, the game makes great use of its weird but wonderful narrative and ingenious possession mechanics to bewitch you from the beginning. With such a distinctive sense of direction and style, Slitterhead is an incredibly strong debut that firmly establishes Bokeh as a studio to watch.
Push Square - Sammy Barker - 7 / 10
Frustrating at times but fearlessly inventive, Slitterhead is an absolute must-play if you’re looking for an original take on the survival horror genre. Serving as a spiritual successor to fan favourites like Siren, Gravity Rush, and Soul Sacrifice, this haunting tale about a body-hopping spirit – who uses humans as fodder to put a stop to the eponymous enemy – is a scintillating albeit occasionally undercooked debut from Bokeh Game Studios. Repetition and an overall lack of refinement do bring it down, but you’ll be hard-pushed to find a more imaginative experience this year.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Ed Thorn - Unscored
An action horror game I respect for trying many interesting things, but one I can’t recommend by virtue of it sucking my patience dry.
SECTOR.sk - Branislav Kohút - Slovak - 7 / 10
Slitterhead relies on the mechanic of possessing and controlling human bodies, which is not new, but is used to great effect in the game. Once you get past the clunky start and get into it, Slitterhead manages to deliver an impressive experience. Although it would be more spectacular if more things were clearer and better handled.
Siliconera - Stephanie Chan - 7 / 10
Despite its innovative gameplay, its lack of variety and somewhat confounding story hold it back. As an action game, the fast-paced body possession system is addicting, but it doesn’t provide as many challenges as you’d expect from its length.
Spaziogames - Domenico Musicò - Italian - 6.7 / 10
Slitterhead is a graphically and structurally rather old game that fails in any way to approach either modern productions or the other glorious works of the Keiichiro Toyama. The only good cues come in the form of the ability to control different characters through possession, which make the traversal and combat dynamics varied, but the dilution and repetitiveness of certain quests tend to dull enthusiasm soon.
SteamDeckHQ - Noah Kupetsky - 3.5 / 5
Slitterhead is a mixed bag at times, but it is an intriguing and enjoyable time for the most part. The combat feels great and utilizing abilities, regular attacks, deflecting, and swapping bodies on the fly makes for a very rewarding experience. The story itself is wonderful, and the visuals exemplify the horrific nature of these monsters and how they form. It can feel a bit stiff at times, and I wasn’t a fan of how the backstory was told, but it’s still a great time that feels unique against the current lineup of horror games.
It is hit or miss on the Steam Deck in some areas, but it will hold for the most part. It feels great on the portable screen, especially with HDR support. Overall, this is a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend it!
Stevivor - Jam Walker - 3.5 / 10
While I’m always thrilled to see more sensibly scoped and budgeted games come along at a lower price point, it’s eminently clear throughout that Slitterhead suffered a messy development. While I’m hugely sympathetic to the situation Toyama’s team found themselves in building the studio and starting production just a few months into the unfolding chaos of 2020, Slitterhead’s realisation just misses the mark in almost every area. It’s an incomprehensible slog to play through and I regret spending so much of my week with it.
The Outerhaven Productions - Scott Adams - 4.5 / 5
Slitterhead is a fun and satisfying horror combat game. It has a lot of variety in designs with plot twists that will keep you guessing after each chapter.
TheGamer - James Troughton - 4 / 5
Excerpt: Slitterhead is an incredibly inventive game with a brilliant, novel idea at its core. It’s the exact kind of release we should be uplifting, a new IP that pushes graphics and trends aside to try something fresh.
TheSixthAxis - Steve C - 6 / 10
Slitterhead is destined to be a cult classic, though mainly because of what it could have been, as opposed to what it is. The combat is functional but feels dated and gets boring before the end, the dialogue sections are unvoiced and feel cheap as a result, and the loop of finding and then fighting enemies through various forms soon becomes unfortunately one note. I enjoyed immersing myself in the world of Slitterhead but the game itself feels too much like a relic of a bygone era than a new title by industry giants.
VGC - Jordan Middler - 2 / 5
Slitterhead isn’t very good, but it is very interesting. In an age of remakes, sequels and safe bets, it’s heart-warming to see something that’s so clearly such a singular vision. We’re disappointed that vision is sold short by basic combat and a focus on the game’s ugly characters, but we’re glad it exists and would welcome more attempts like it.
Wccftech - Kai Tatsumoto - 6.3 / 10
Slitterhead is an experience that’s fantastic in still shots or in story trailers but the actual gameplay becomes a muddled mess when the player is forced into repetitive chase and combat sequences.
WellPlayed - James Wood - 8 / 10
Bokeh Game Studio’s debut horror title is a game entirely out of time with its genre contemporaries and all the more wild, compelling, and beautiful for it. Satisfying combat and a generational eye for tone and design collide in the year’s strangest beast.
Worth Playing - Chris “Atom” DeAngelus - 6.5 / 10
If you can get past the jankiness, Slitterhead has a certain quality that makes it oddly compelling. Everything from the plot to the gameplay and the graphics is a strange combination of insanely dated and bizarrely structured. It’s a bizarre, shambling mess of a game that has a flavor all its own, but it never quite manages to come together into something cohesive.
XboxEra - Jesse Norris - 4 / 10
Slitterhead has a weirdly intriguing plot and cool art design wasted by endless repetition and outdated game design. There’s something here, and I found Slitterhead pulling me in during the first few hours. It was the last 80% of the game that was a dreadful experience.
ZTGD - Ken McKown - 6 / 10
Slitterhead is unique. That is the biggest compliment I can give it. There are things here that I love. The mood of the game, the music, and the concepts. It just doesn’t mesh well into a cohesive experience. It feels stuck in the past, which is fine in some instances, but when it comes to its crimes, it really drags it down. I promise I will never forget this game, and it is included in Game Pass, so definitely give it a whirl if you subscribe, but at full price, I might wait a little while to take the plunge.