How Slitterhead's combat design can feel like a popular movie genre

Key recommendations

Slitterhead combines a surreal body horror plot with intense third-person action gameplay.
The possession mechanic in Slitterhead allows players to switch between multiple characters armed with a wide range of options to defeat monsters.
Slitterhead's approach to combat and its related features replicates the fast, flashy action of classic kung fu and martial arts films in its look and design.

The premiere release of Bokeh Game Studio, Slitterheadis finally free on the streets. After originally being announced in 2021, fans can now jump into its unique blend of surreal body horror and third-person action. Slitterhead comes from the mind of Keiichiro Toyama, the seminal creator silent hill series. While clearly drawing inspiration from silent hilldisturbing atmosphere and psychological terror, Slitterhead also repeats on some of Toyama's other IPs such as Gravity Rush and Sirenespecially when it comes to its combat design and integration of combat mechanics.

Slitterhead puts a lot of focus on its bizarre story, framed around the mystery behind the insidious creatures that devour and masquerade as humans in the retro 90s-style city of Kowlong. However, once players take on one of the various missions, the focus firmly on the hunt and eradication of monstrosities. SlitterheadHis possession feature forms the backbone of his combat, allowing players to freely switch between controlling different human characters with a wide range of abilities to defeat the slitterheads.

This system encourages and essentially requires constant stalling between hosts to overwhelm and reduce enemies. Because of this, along with the other core combat mechanics and presentation, combat encounters in Slitterhead it mostly captures the spirit and style of martial arts and kung fu films, albeit with a distinct horror bent.

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How Slitterhead balances action and horror

Game Rant sat down with Slitterhead developer Bokeh Game Studio to discuss how the upcoming game balances its action and horror elements.

Fighting Slitterhead is like playing a Kung Fu horror movie

How Slitterhead channels classic martial arts movies

Martial arts movies and video games have long had a close relationship, which isn't surprising given how well they translate. As seen in the classics like Double dragon and The final fight by modern titles as Sifuthe genre lends itself to a satisfying gameplay experience quite naturally. Brawling through the grimy streets of a crime-ridden city against waves of thugs and other baddies is a timeless setup and has been a popular setting in both mediums.

from the beginning, SlitterheadHis world resembles one that might be seen in well-known kung fu movies and the like. The fact that SlitterheadKowlong's inspiration from real-life locations such as Hong Kong, home to some of the most important martial arts films, gives it an added connection to the genre. Even parts of SlitterheadIts marketing material could almost be mistaken for a movie of its kind instead of a game. Bokeh's artistic vision of Kowlong as a seedy 80s/90s town with a cyberpunk veneer further adds to its kung fu grindhouse feel complete with brutal action, which is exactly what many of the fights in Slitterhead it may seem.

Slitterhead's fighting replicates the flashy, frenetic action of classic kung fu movies

At the center of his struggle are SlitterheadHis rarities. These are the main characters that players, like the disembodied spirit Hyoki, can inhabit as hosts to kill the slitterheads. Many rarities carry traditional martial arts weapons such as a katana, claw blades, and a staff. However, SlitterheadNon-Rarity NPCs are also essential to successfully navigating encounters. Because of how the possession mechanic and combat design work in tandem, strategic use of both is necessary to overcome challenges.

What stands out the most is the fact that during the action, the bodies bounce Slitterhead it ends up working like choreographed cinematic sequences that wouldn't be out of place in a high-octane martial arts film. Seamlessly switching between hosts to distract slitterheads and gain temporary attack boosts, while maneuvering to continuously hit them from all sides creates a flow that's as satisfying to play as it is to watch on screen . A certain Rarity can call even more people into battle and have them all converge on one target at once in a chaotic rush that brings to mind some of the more elaborate fight scenes in martial-arts action movies.

There are also perfect parry and slow mechanics that produce more moments for SlitterheadMake his fight visually appealing and rewarding in control, in the vein of a great kung fu movie. Additionally, since most quests allow you to choose between any two rarities, and the overall structure requires you to play levels multiple times, this can keep encounters fresh and interesting even on second or third playthroughs. With its unique combat design and sensibilities, Slitterhead it does a great job of looking and playing like an intense and engaging martial arts film for many of its action sections.