Upcoming horror gameSlitterheadhas been gaining a lot of attention since its announcement. After itsreveal at The Game Awards in December, the head of Bokeh Game Studio has discussed in a recent interview what will make it a unique entry among horror games.
The reveal of the first teaser trailer left manycomparingSlitterheadto aSilent Hillsuccessor, which makes sense due to being developed bySilent Hillcreator Keiichiro Toyama. The trend of grotesque monsters and unsettling scares seen in the iconic franchise is set to continue inSlitterhead,and Toyama reveals more of what players can look forward to upon release.
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Toyama explained via e-mail interview with Techtimes the different facets that make upSlitterhead, pursuing his vision of “unique and original games” for Bokeh Game Studio. In turn, Toyama says his focus onSlitterhead’ssuccession of horror relies on “the fear of the unknown - I believe the most fearful situation is when you don’t know anything.” Fear of the unknown is a big factor inSilent Hilllore and mysteries, meaning Toyama’s endeavor to make genuine horror tropes a staple ofSlitterheadis a reassuring decision.
“Japanese comics for adults,” “Fruit Chan’s films,” and “Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai” were mentioned as direct inspirations for the non-human monster designs. These Chinese filmmakers are renowned for depictions of Hong Kong life and nonlinear narratives in movies respectively. This mix of Asian fiction and hard-hitting reality looks to build on the immersion factor by combining realistic world building with emphasis on characters and unorthodox storytelling devices which are set to make a memorable experience. This is a stark contrast to more urban horrors which feature human protagonists in scary settings, but little else was mentionedaboutSlitterhead’s immersive gameplay.
“We will be focusing on battle-action for this game, however it won’t be what you may call an exhilarating-annihilation sort of approach… we will also deal with powers that ordinary humans don’t possess.” This confirmed concepts tie into Toyama’s earlier remarks about fear of the unknown, with more supernatural and unfathomable horror being worked into monster design. Additionally,Silent Hill’s composer is joiningSlitterheadproduction, opening up more chances for terrifying audio ambience that will have players on edge throughout.
2023 was given as a prospective window forSlitterhead’srelease, and with Toyama’s goal to push the horror scene into a new direction with “completely new mechanics,“Slitterheadis likely to be a different experience from first person horror games. “In terms of storytelling, there are also unusual elements we are going for. I would like to open up gradually as we get closer to launch.” Horror fans should keep their eyes onSlitterheadas development continues.
