Slitterhead Overview (PS5) | Push Sq.

Slitterhead – directed by Japan Studio veteran Keiichiro Toyama – seems like a non secular successor to Siren, Gravity Rush, and Soul Sacrifice all on the identical time. This ingenious, uncommon survival horror is much from good, with inconsistent visuals, repetition, and a few unrefined gameplay programs. However in the event you’ve been lamenting the lack of PlayStation’s oddball first-party output, that is the closest you’re going to get to it.

You play as an ambiguous, all-powerful spirit named Hyoki, able to possessing people and commandeering their our bodies. A illness is ravaging a fictional reimagining of Eighties Hong Kong, reworking the general public into the eponymous Slitterheads. All you actually know is that you simply wish to wipe these monstrosities out, and so you start body-hopping by means of the group to study extra concerning the menace – and convey it down.

The story unfolds over a sequence of days in a handful of small, sandbox-style environments. As you progress, you’ll revisit these ranges repeatedly at varied totally different occasions. You possibly can freely possess most people you encounter, and this performs into the sport’s traversal; if it’s worthwhile to attain a rooftop, for instance, you might accomplish that by inhabiting somebody standing out on their balcony after which working your approach up.

Whereas it’s not similar, this method will remind you of Gravity Rush. You possibly can leap off buildings after which dispossess your present host simply earlier than they hit the bottom, switching to a different unsuspecting individual to maneuver ahead unscathed. Some chase sequences, that are clumsily executed however cool in idea, see you rapidly switching between a string of people to maintain up tempo along with your goal. There’s even an compulsory stealth system, the place you physique hop to keep away from detection.

However there are contrivances to make sure the mechanic works. Hyoki’s motion is restricted, for instance, so you’ll be able to’t float off endlessly searching for new hosts. Equally, the spirit typically finds himself blocked by man-made constructions, like doorways. In some missions, you’ll end up trying to find open home windows in an effort to progress. Whereas we perceive there needed to be limitations in an effort to create some extent of problem, it feels a little bit bit like the principles are all the time bending to fulfill the necessities of the sport.

That is equally true once you attempt to possess a sure one who would simply get you to the place it’s worthwhile to be, however they’re inexplicably unavailable. The sport desires you to play it precisely because it’s been designed a variety of the time, and that usually leaves little room for experimentation or drawback fixing.

It’s a disgrace as a result of, in fight, the sport’s truly empowers you to discover your individual methods. All through the story you’ll encounter Rarities, people you possess who resonate significantly strongly with Hyoki. In contrast to the opposite folks you inhabit, these include distinctive abilities and weapons, and will be completely added to your roster. Tri, a housekeeper, has a pair of bladed oven gloves, for instance – whereas Alex, a physician, is armed with an enormous syringe.

You possibly can often take two Rarities right into a mission with you, and whereas some do require you to pick out a selected character for plot causes, often you’ll be free to combine and match. This supplies loads of room for experimentation, as a result of glass cannons just like the homeless alcoholic Edo will be paired with healers such because the comfort retailer employee Julee. Every character will be upgraded individually, and comes with distinctive abilities to assist you in battle.

The fight could be very janky, but it surely makes use of the possession mechanic neatly. You’ll typically discover the setting populated with human fodder, and you may possess these folks to attract consideration away out of your Rarities, then change again to take out your targets. You’ll get a small offensive increase every time you hop our bodies, and naturally it offers you the power to maneuver to extra advantageous positions. Blood will be sopped up from the bottom to get well well being.

There’s rather a lot occurring right here, and generally the knowledge is buried in tutorial menus. But it surely makes for a novel fight system not like the rest you’ve ever performed. One character can drop a blood vortex onto the stage, for instance, sucking foes in; you’ll be able to then change to an unimportant human, prime them for detonation, run into the center of aforementioned maelstrom, and possess a distinct physique earlier than they explode.

There’s a counter system which sees you utilizing the appropriate analogue keep on with time parries, which provides a little bit extra depth to the one-on-one fight. Whereas the animations and contacts by no means fairly really feel sturdy sufficient to make this an awesome motion recreation, the team-building programs and physique hopping mechanics make it ingenious and distinctive. It’s fairly a troublesome expertise on the usual problem, so that you’ll must reap the benefits of all of the instruments obtainable to you to progress.

Our largest criticism actually is that all of it turns into a bit repetitive at occasions. You’ll must replay sure ranges to find Rarities required to progress the plot, and these phases will be padded with overly lengthy chase sequences, which do put on out their welcome quick.

Equally, it’s fairly a low-budget expertise, with visible novel components used to additional the story and a few fairly dangerous human fashions. The general artwork course is outstanding, leaning into real-life places like Hong Kong’s notorious Monster Constructing and making them the star of the haunting architectural artwork – but it surely’s a recreation that has higher environments than character designs. The soundtrack, in the meantime, composed by the timeless Akira Yamaoka, is a masterpiece all through.

Conclusion

Irritating at occasions however fearlessly ingenious, Slitterhead is an absolute must-play in the event you’re searching for an unique tackle the survival horror style. Serving as a non secular successor to fan favourites like Siren, Gravity Rush, and Soul Sacrifice, this haunting story a couple of body-hopping spirit – who makes use of people as fodder to place a cease to the eponymous enemy – is a scintillating albeit sometimes undercooked debut from Bokeh Recreation Studios. Repetition and an general lack of refinement do carry it down, however you’ll be hard-pushed to discover a extra imaginative expertise this 12 months.