Bokeh Studios Dev Diary Shows First-Look Slitterhead Gameplay

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Way back at the Game Awards in 2021, we learned of a rogue Team Silent employee (Keiichiro Toyama) who was working on a new horror IP intent on unsettling the gaming Populus. Well, after a long wait, we finally have a first sneak peek at Slitterhead, Bokeh Studios‘ upcoming horror title.

Courtesy of a Dev Diary posted on the Studio’s Youtube Channel, we have been granted behind-the-scenes access to get a taste of what Slitterhead has to offer.

Bear in mind that the gameplay shown is still very much in early development and will likely not reflect the quality of the final product. That being said, it still looks very exciting.

Here is the video in question below:

Despite this being a diary into Bokeh Studios’ user testing process, we actually get to see a lot of early gameplay. We learn that this game is going to be a much more combat-focused affair than, say, other horror games of old like Silent Hill or Resident Evil.

The combat has an action RPG, Hack-and-Slash feel to it, and while it is still early days, we can already say that your character will have means of holding their own against the terrors of Slitterhead.

We also get a look at the early graphical details, and while they are maybe a generation behind currently, and very under-polished, you can clearly see a clear art direction in place, and the animations, character models, and enemy types presented look promising.

Plus, you seem able to possess and soul-jump into animals like dogs, which is always a welcome addition to any game in my book. Provided I can pet the dog when not controlling it.

What is Slitterhead?

You would be forgiven for letting this one slip to the back of your mind; as it was announced, we got excited, and then it has been radio silence since.

Here is the announcement trailer from 2021 to jog your memory:

We will give you a rundown of what we know thus far, as every surrounding Slitterhead’s overall tone and story is still pretty cryptic, but based on its announcement trailer Slitterhead is a game based in a dystopian Japanese city where parasites are able to masquerade as humans by using their bodies as shells, and prey on unsuspecting humans.

As for gameplay, we were assured that it would be a 3rd person horror adventure, which seems to have been confirmed by the video above. Then we were also told that the game would be a blend of multiple genres, such as popular RPGs of the moment, and Gravity Rush was also mentioned seeing as Junya Okura is also on the Dev team.

Lead Director Keiichiro Toyama had this to say regarding the game’s multi-genre approach:

“It spans over multiple genres where horror is expressed. From there, I wanted to widen the player base who could access the game, including players who don’t usually play horror games.

I wanted a game that could be enjoyed for its action, yet whose concept doesn’t solely revolve around killing enemies. It conflicts the mind, making the players reluctant to enter certain fights. I want to achieve both action and drama with this game.”

No matter what the final product looks like, I can assure you that it will be worth a look for all curious horror buffs. We will keep you updated on all Slitterhead news as the story develops!

Further Reading

But hey, don’t leave just yet. We have lots of great content for you to peruse. Here is a sample of what we have to offer below!

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