GamesHorrorSlitterheadSlitterhead’s body-hopping action makes it “completely different from stereotypical horror,” Silent Hill creator saysWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesHorrorSlitterheadSlitterhead’s body-hopping action makes it “completely different from stereotypical horror,” Silent Hill creator saysWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Bokeh Game Studio)
Slitterheadisn’t just the body-twisting horror game you’d expect from Silent Hill veterans.
Silent Hill, Siren, and Gravity Rush director Keiichiro Toyama doesn’t think his newest game fits neatly into genre tags like ‘action’ or ‘horror’. “If someone were to ask if it’s a horror game, I would say, yes it is,” Toyama concedes in an interview withAutomaton, but that’s not what the long-time director set out to create with Slitterhead. During Silent Hill and Siren’s heyday, players would apparently ask Toyama “What the hell is this?” - and that’s the reaction he was aiming to recreate with Slitterhead.
Slitterhead officially comes out on November 8, but itsrecent trailershave definitely attracted some “what the…” reactions already, what with its mission-based city escapades, odd body-hopping gimmick and chaotic third-person combat. “This game may be completely different from the stereotypical horror genre-defining elements of being surprised and scared.” Toyama explained. “The game does have strong action elements, but these are the points in it that I consider horror.”
With Silent Hill, Toyama wanted to make “something that didn’t exist” at the time. Slitterhead’s weird concoction of ideas, fusing action and horror in some zany ways, might be a modern version of the same idea.
Elsewhere, Silent Hill’s iconic composer Akira Yamaoka, who’s also returning for the latest genre-blender, had similar questions. “What is it, an action game?” he joked. “If I were to put it in extreme terms, it might just not have any horror elements.” Meanwhile, Slitterhead and Devil may Cry character designer Tatsuya Yoshikawa just called it a straight-up action-horror blend.
Read ourSlitterhead interviewwith Toyama to find out more about why it’s as weird as it is bloody.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”