The Slitterhead release date is finally here, folks! In case you didn't know already, Slitterhead was one of the most anticipated upcoming horror games of 2024, and for a good reason. Led by Keiichiro Toyama and announced back in 2021, the grisly scare 'em up marks the first game from Bokeh Game Studio, and with a smattering of Silent Hill alums behind the wheel, it had a lot to live up to.
And live up to horror expectations it did, as Slitterhead launched on November 8 to a wave of positive reviews. It's been a long journey, though, as the initial Slitterhead reveal trailer crawled onto our screens over three years ago. It showed us a city being overwhelmed by grotesque parasites, taking control of their hosts. Now that we've seen the trailer's promise of unique combat and story beats come to life, though, Slitterhead is definitely one of the top new games of 2024.
If you want to know more about our thoughts on the game, you'll find our Slitterhead review just a few paragraphs down. But for now, here's a breakdown of Slitterhead's storyline and gameplay mechanics, as well as some insight into how legendary Team Silent composer Akira Yamaoka (who's scored some of the best horror games of all time) came to sign up for Slitterhead.
This Slitterhead hub was updated on November 8, 2024, to reflect the game's release.
Slitterhead release date
Slitterhead launched on November 8, 2024, on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC platforms [via Gematsu].
Players can now head to the Microsoft Store and PlayStation Store and will have two editions to choose from. The Standard edition costs $49.99/£47.99, while the Deluxe edition costs $59.99/£59.99.
Slitterhead review
Slitterhead trailer
The Slitterhead trailer that aired at the Game Awards teased a little of what fans could expect from Bokeh Game Studio’s first project and leads with Keiichiro Toyama’s horror credentials. A caption reads: “In 1999, Keiichiro Toyama chose horror as the genre for his first directorial work. Silent Hill was released to the world. In 2020, he went independent and founded Bokeh Game Studio. And he came back to face a new challenge in horror.”
With that, this new challenge in horror depicts grotesque, shapeshifting monsters, the dismemberment of bewildered civilians and police officers alike, and a ninja-aping, motorcycle helmet-wearing, sword-wielding chap who goes to town on the ethereal beings, who may or may not be the game’s protagonist.
Slitterhead story and gameplay
During the Tokyo Game Show we got a detailed look at Slitterhead’s gameplay, with Keiichiro Toyama himself explaining various mechanics in the title and his creative influences. You can watch the clip shown during the showcase for yourself above, but we have also summed up all the details below for you as well.
In terms of Slitterhead’s story, the game is set during the early ‘90s in a fictional town in East Asia called Kowlong. Chaos ensues when mysterious creatures appear and start hunting humans. It’s up to the people in the city to fight back, which leads us to the coolest gameplay reveal in Slitterhead, the “Possession system.” The main character in Slitterhead is a spiritual lifeform without a physical body. So, as you can probably guess, you’ll have to jump into the bodies of the city’s residents in order to act against the evil stalking its streets.
You’ll be able to change from one host to another, this means you can travel through the city at lightning speed as well as leaving bodies behind as you prioritize your own survival. This new mechanic will force you to change your conventional movement patterns to match the game’s speed and take down tanky enemies in new, creative ways.
In terms of the monsters and vibe of Slitterhead, the trailer also gave us a feel of how quickly things move and can potentially turn to shit in-game as well. In the trailer, we see a man seemingly caught off guard by a woman overcome by parasites and are later shown police scrambling around the streets reacting to a pretty gruesome active crime scene.
Keiichiro Toyama has confirmed that there is a Slitterhead called Yakushi, which mimics humans. We also got a glimpse at this feature during the end of the trailer which shows an older woman standing on a veranda who’s clearly been infected by the parasites we’ve seen earlier. In a flash, her creature-like head – scales, tentacle tongue, and all – retracts, folding neatly back into place to reform her otherwise normal human face.
If you love The Thing (aka one of the best horror movies of all time), you’ll know how this mimic ability is a paranoia inducer and will likely be taking players by surprise constantly. You’ll be eyeing everyone with suspicion and will likely be getting a few jump scares in no time.
Check out the very best survival horror games ever, from Resident Evil 2 to Alien: Isolation. Or, if you want to revisit a classic, read our ranking of the best Silent Hill games.
