While the name Keiichiro Toyama may not be too familiar with everyone, it's a name that carries weight in the horror genre, especially given that he was the writer, director, and co-creator of the original Silent Hill from 1999. As one of the most influential horror video games of all time, Toyama's impact on the genre is rather significant, even if he didn't work on the sequel, which many consider the superior entry in the franchise. As well as working on other games, his new outfit, Bokeh Game Studio, released a trailer for its upcoming IP Slitterhead, as well as a recent Q&A session gave the team a chance to answer some questions.
With part one being uploaded to YouTube recently, the developer has been given an opportunity to divulge a few extra details about the upcoming horror title. The Silent Hill and Siren creator, along with director Junya Okura and producer Kazunobu Sato, who have also worked with Toyama in the past, shed a little light on the vision for the game.
When asked how it will balance horror with action, Toyama said that the game won't "fully enter the horror genre," adding that it will cross over numerous genres, and will appeal to many different types of gamers, including those who "don't usually play horror games." With the Slitterhead trailer unveiled at last year's Game Awards, fans of the genre, and the team's previous work, have no doubt been pondering what to expect from this brand-new title. The teaser does indeed seem to suggest that it will be a mixture of body horror with action.
Another question asked whether the game would be receiving any DLC, similar to "The Ark of Time" content from the highly praised Gravity Rush 2, which Toyama also directed. The responses given suggested that the studio is more concerned with finishing the game first, but it seems as though some downloadable content could be a possibility in the future, but not right now. At the moment, Bokeh Game Studio just wants to finish Slitterhead before deciding what's next. Okura added that the team is interested in trying new things, so who knows what the future holds.
With Slitterhead allegedly releasing in 2023, it doesn't feel like fans will have to wait too long. With such a talented team of developers, and the original director of Silent Hill at the helm, it's sounding like there's potential in it already. While it does seem to be marketed as a horror game, the fact that the studio wants it to be accessible to non-horror players is certainly an interesting take on it. Part two of the Q&A is due on March 4.
Slitterhead is currently in development by Bokeh Game Studio.