The Game Awards 2021 revealed the first look at Silent Hill director Keiichiro Toyama’s Slitterhead, the debut title of Bokeh Game Studio. Slitterhead‘s Game Awards reveal trailer showed off some grotesque body horror as people’s faces split open, transforming them into monstrous, man-eating creatures whose skeletal frames are the stuff of absolute nightmares. After the first glimpse of the concept art was posted in February, these gruesome beasts have come to life in this new trailer with animations that look like something straight out of the anime Parasyte.
Released in 2014, Parasyte follows the story of 17-year-old Shinichi Izumi who wakes up one day to find his right hand has been possessed by an alien parasite. These parasites infect the brains of their victims and take control of their bodies, unraveling their faces in a disturbing display of body horror to reveal hideous teeth and eyes to attack their prey, a design that would be right at home with the most terrifying horror game villains. Between their unsettling movements and the way they twist and distort their host body to attack and kill, these parasites bring body horror to a new level, and Slitterhead’s similar style promises to be just as bone-chilling.
Slitterhead’s creatures seem to either possess or disguise themselves as humans to get the better of their victims, attacking viciously with claws and bones that are warped and shaped from the host’s body. The image of parasitic creature features erupting from the mouths of seemingly innocent people is extremely reminiscent of Parasyte as the two draw on shared elements of the body horror genre, and while the true nature of the Slitterhead game and its human monsters has yet to be revealed, it’s almost certain to evoke the same sort of gut-wrenching fear as the anime. Toyama’s latest creation is sure to push the boundaries of body horror as these graphic transformations give players an incredible first glimpse at a distorted and hostile world.
Slitterhead Trailer Goes Heavy On Body Horror
Like Parasyte, Slitterhead’s trailer features plenty of action as well as body horror, promising to deliver exhilarating combat for players as they get acquainted with these horrific monsters. Not much is known about exactly what Slitterhead’s gameplay will entail, but Bokeh Game Studio has labeled it a horror action/adventure rather than a survival horror. The trailer includes a tantalizing preview of what some of the fighting sequences may be like, so players will have to prepare not just to survive, but to battle these fearsome foes head-on.
It’s unknown which platforms Slitterhead will be available on when the game is released, but Toyama has stated that it’s being designed with PC gameplay in mind, and the studio’s goal is to make it as widely available as possible. An official release date has yet to be announced, but it’s likely that the game will come out sometime in 2023. For now, fans can revisit Silent Hill and Parasyte as they eagerly await Slitterhead’s release.
