Summary
After three years in the making,Slitterheadhas just made its way onto the market. The horror-action title is the debut release from developer Bokeh Game Studio, and the product of Keiichiro Toyama’s vision and the dedicated team at Bokeh. Known for his work on creating theSilent HillIP, before moving onto designing and directing both theSirenandGravity Rushfranchises,Slitterheadmarks something of a return to form for Toyama, while at the same time tossing some new ideas into the mix.Slitterheadmerges a couple of popular genres together to create a compelling story of the titular otherworldly monsters and the group that sets out to stop them.
Straddling the line betweencreepy psychological horrorand intense blood-pumping action (literally in the case of some of its combat mechanics),Slitterheadalso contains a heavy cyberpunk flair alongside its tale of the parasitic creatures infiltrating an East Asian city. As the slitterheads are discovered to be consuming unsuspecting citizens and mimicking them for unknown purposes, an eclectic cast, including a strange spirit-like entity, come together to investigate and prevent their spread. With these trappings combined with its exploration of issues of identity and what it means to be human,Slitterheadhas all the makings that would lend themselves quite well to an animated series. And although there are currently no official plans this, there is plenty of content in the game that could be adapted and/or expanded to great effect in the medium.
Animated Adaptations of Videogames Have Been Finding More and More Success
While there have been numerous videogame adaptations over the years, many of these attempts were strictly movie productions (at least initially) and often came out feeling watered down or substandard. Adaptations of this nature garnered a negative reputation as their quality often remained below par. This persists even to the present day, and was the case with thepoorly receivedBorderlandsfilmas one example. Gamers understandably eventually became weary of any works that attempted to adapt their favorite games into another medium, and they were usually viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.
However, with the steadily increasing rise of various streaming services stepping up to invest in the effort, talent, and capital to produce a quality adaptation, fans have received some standout works in this area in more recent memory. To name a few prominent and well-received ones:
An animated series can provide a given videogame property with room to breathe and properly expound on its aspects without comprising its core identity and feel.Slitterheadhas many elements in place that would fit well into an animated framework, and could potentially be given the same treatment.
Much ofSlitterhead’s aesthetics and plot almost seem like they could have been based on an existing animated property. For example, the leather jacket-clad, motorcycle-riding, shotgun-toting Alex brings to mindAkiraand other similar anime works. Alex andSlitterhead’s major human characters are dubbed “Rarities”, while the “true” main character, Hyoki, is a supernatural entity that possesses them. As Hyoki co-mingles with their minds and bodies, they form a bond and begin to understand more about themselves and the strange situation, adding a layer of philosophical underpinnings to the more supernatural facets. Each Rarity has a unique backstory and displays a range of viewpoints from all walks of life that could be explored further in depth in an animated adaptation.
Slitterhead’s blend of horror and actioncoupled with its grimy cyberpunk setting of the city of Kowlong form another solid starting point for a possible animated series. With the Rarities having unique combat abilities, rendering these on screen would create some incredible-looking action scenes. The slitterheads' grotesque appearances would also translate well to eye-popping and unsettling visuals, and could hone in on the disturbing body-horror that the game already excels at. Though again there may not be plans for it,Slitterheaddoes contain a well of excellent material to draw from, and either by closely adapting the story as-is, or possibly extending some of the threads further, could result in a memorable and animated version of it.
Slitterhead
WHERE TO PLAY
Set in the densely cluttered streets of “Kowlong,” filled with obscurity and chaos, this battle action-adventure game casts players as the “Hyoki,” an entity devoid of memory and physical form. His only motive is to eradicate the monstrous beings known as “Slitterheads” crawling around the city, disguising themselves as humans.Roaming the vibrant neon-lit cityscape, players must seek out allies among humans known as “Rarities,” infiltrate and track dangerous organizations, and engage in battles harnessing the power of blood. As the suspenseful drama unfolds, delve into the mystery behind Hyoki’s existence and the appearance of the Slitterheads.
