First announced in 2021, Bokeh Game Studio’sSlitterheadis the developer’s upcoming debut release.Slitterheadis a third-person horror-action game,the product of Keiichiro Toyama’s vision, who is famous for creating the firstSilent Hillentry before going on to direct and design theGravity RushandSirenseries.Slitterheadborrows from the old but focuses on the new, with the main character, the Hyoki, standing out in several ways.
As an otherworldly non-human entity lacking a form and memories of its own, but able to inhabit living beings,Slitterhead’s Hyoki veers significantly away from what might normally be expected in mosthorror game protagonists. Toyama, who serves as Bokeh’s CEO as well as director ofSlitterhead, spoke with Game Rant to provide further details on the Hyoki, going into its conceptual origins and how players will interact with and experience the world via this unique lead character.
Toyama explained that the idea of a bodiless supernatural entity serving asSlitterhead’s player avatar was established quite early on. He noted that Hyoki’s initial design and its possession abilities were rooted inSiren’ssightjacking mechanic, withSlitterheadlooking to expand on its potential. Toyama added that while the decision to haveSlitterhead’s main character so far removed from humanity may initially make it harder for players to connect with Hyoki, there will be opportunities to shape and evolve this:
“While I think it is natural for the player to feel uneasy compared to Hyoki at first, there will be various gimmicks in the plot that will play on that.”
As seen in some of the preview footage,Slitterheadwill allow players to possess dogsand perhaps other animals as well. This is potentially one of the “gimmicks” mentioned and creates some intriguing possibilities for interesting interactions.
Slitterhead’s possession mechanicis one of its core features, and players will be taking advantage of the Hyoki’s nature to move between hosts. The human NPCs will have their own specific abilities of varying effectiveness, with the ones known as “Rarities” being “compatible” with and thus more useful for the Hyoki. Toyama stated that there will be much more for fans to discover in this regard, as the Hyoki can encounter certain hosts that will more deeply flesh out this relationship and the overall narrative.
The titular monsters shareHyoki’s possession ability inSlitterhead, and the creatures themselves are insidiously taking over and posing as humans for their own nefarious purposes. Toyama noted the thematic similarities but was careful not to divulge too much beyond to keep the mystique and let players absorb the mystery organically:
“They’re definitely similar in the aspect of possessing others' bodies. However, since this relates closely to the story’s development, I hope players will discover it for themselves during the course of the story.”
With its approach to a nontraditional protagonist in the Hyoki and how it is reflected in the cat-and-mouse struggle between it andSlitterhead’s antagonists, the title promises to offer an experience unlike many adjacent games. In addition to that, how Hyoki will be informed by the NPCs players find will likely result in some surprising, memorable, and unsettling moments. There is a clearly a lot more to unearth about Hyoki inSlitterhead’s setting and story, and fans will soon be able to dive headfirst whenSlitterheadlaunches on Jun 16, 2025.
