Silent Hill creator's new game is the unsettling Slitterhead

News
By last updated

Yes, people's heads literally slit open

Slitterhead
(Image credit: Bokeh Game Studio)

Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama has unveiled Slitterhead, a brand new horror venture.

Yesterday at The Game Awards 2021 in L.A., the Toyama-led Bokeh Game Studio debuted the first trailer for Slitterhead, which you can check out just below. The trailer looks suitably horrific for the pioneer of the Silent Hill series, as we see people's heads splitting open (yes, that title is very literal) and deformed bodies chasing hapless citizens of an unnamed city.

The trailer looks absolutely mesmerizing for any fans of Toyama's prior work out there. It'll also do a lot for fans of the Siren series, as Slitterhead is being co-developed by Junya Okura, who previously headed up the horror series under PlayStation in Japan.

Additionally, the debut trailer for Slitterhead reveals that Akira Yamaoka will be scoring the first game from Bokeh Game Studio. This will actually be the first time Yamaoka and Toyama have collaborated on a game since the pair worked on the Silent Hill series at Konami all those years ago.

This is the first major news we've seen from Bokeh Game Studio since Toyama, Okura, and Kazunobu Sato all departed Sony just about a year ago in December 2020. Later that month, Toyama revealed Bokeh's debut game would feature action-horror elements, and was slated for a 2023 release on PC and modern consoles. Since then, we've only heard the odd comment from Toyama on the game's direction, but now we finally have a good look at Slitterhead, in all its horrifically glorious form.

You can check out our full new games 2021 guide for a complete look at all the games launching over the coming year.

See more Xbox Series X News
Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Read more
Silent Hill f
"That, to me, is what Silent Hill truly embodies": Silent Hill f's A-list team now includes legendary series composer Akira Yamaoka
Silent Hill f
Silent Hill f's re-reveal trailer shows some of the freakiest monsters I've ever seen in the 25-year-old survival horror series
Silent Hill f
Don't ask Pyramid Head's creator what he knows about Silent Hill f: "I didn't work on it"
A top down view of a schoolgirl on the floor surrounded by blood-red leaves in Silent Hill f
Silent Hill f disclaimer is even making a horror buff like me shudder: "If you feel uncomfortable at any point while playing, please take a break"
Silent Hill f: A close-up on Hinako Shimizu's face during the reveal trailer for the new Silent Hill game.
Silent Hill f: Everything we know about the new survival horror game
Silent Hill 2
Famed Silent Hill artist Masahiro Ito, creator of Pyramid Head, says scrapped concepts of freaky creatures "still exist in my mind" and "their children may be" used in future titles
Latest in Survival
Palworld screenshot showing a green dinosaur-like creature with a red mushroom cap atop its head sitting in a wooden hot tub
Palworld isn't coming to the Switch as the open-world survival hit is a "beefy game," but Pocketpair says Switch 2 is "100% worth considering"
Terraria art showing a short-haired blond man sitting atop a grassy field in metal armor, colorful slimes on either side of him
Ahead of Terraria's sixth final update, one dedicated fan has led the creation of the sandbox survival game's ultimate (and first) modpack
Key art for Atomfall showing a character in the English countryside looking at a nuclear plant some distance away
Atomfall review: "This isn't British Fallout – it's something much better than that"
Ark: Survival Evolved
Just days after hinting at Ark 2, a new AI-generated trailer for Ark: Survival Evolved's upcoming aquatic DLC drops – and fans aren't impressed
Palworld
Palworld community manager admits the survival game is "ripe for toxicity" and has a simple solution: "You just call 'em losers and you kick 'em"
Ark 2
After months of radio silence regarding Ark 2, Studio Wildcard finally makes mention of the upcoming survival game sequel once more
Latest in News
Pillars of Eternity
10 years later, in a post-Baldur's Gate 3 and Avowed world, Obsidian is giving its own throwback CRPG Pillars of Eternity a turn-based combat mode
Destiny 2 Lightfall
When Destiny 2 "weekly active users dropped lower and faster than we'd seen since 2018," Bungie assembled an A-Team to put out some fires: "We needed to do something"
Velma, Daphne, Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo looking at a giant key which is also a clue
Netflix is rebooting Scooby-Doo as a live-action series from the producer of Supergirl and The Flash centered around a "supernatural murder" at a summer camp
Astro Bot
Astro Bot went through 23 pitch iterations before its director promised PlayStation "happy gameplay" and "overflowing charm," though it did once end with robot decapitation that made "some people really upset"
Tomb Raider
5 years after Avengers, 2 years after its last layoffs, and who knows how long before Perfect Dark and Tomb Raider return, Crystal Dynamics announces another round of layoffs
AI Limit
"AI is not as effective as it might appear": Dev of AI-focused Soulslike RPG says they didn't use any AI-generated content and it can't match "genuine creativity"
More about survival
Palworld screenshot showing a green dinosaur-like creature with a red mushroom cap atop its head sitting in a wooden hot tub

Palworld isn't coming to the Switch as the open-world survival hit is a "beefy game," but Pocketpair says Switch 2 is "100% worth considering"
Terraria art showing a short-haired blond man sitting atop a grassy field in metal armor, colorful slimes on either side of him

Ahead of Terraria's sixth final update, one dedicated fan has led the creation of the sandbox survival game's ultimate (and first) modpack
Pillars of Eternity

10 years later, in a post-Baldur's Gate 3 and Avowed world, Obsidian is giving its own throwback CRPG Pillars of Eternity a turn-based combat mode
See more latest
Most Popular
Pillars of Eternity
10 years later, in a post-Baldur's Gate 3 and Avowed world, Obsidian is giving its own throwback CRPG Pillars of Eternity a turn-based combat mode
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers with the rest of the gang during the superhero movie, The Avengers.
The OG Fox X-Men are back, with Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and more joining the cast of Avengers: Doomsday alongside a whole new Avengers team to take on Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom
Destiny 2 Lightfall
When Destiny 2 "weekly active users dropped lower and faster than we'd seen since 2018," Bungie assembled an A-Team to put out some fires: "We needed to do something"
The Handmaid's Tale season 6 first look: Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne
The Handmaid's Tale will go back to basics with a "classic" series finale that's been years in the making
Velma, Daphne, Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo looking at a giant key which is also a clue
Netflix is rebooting Scooby-Doo as a live-action series from the producer of Supergirl and The Flash centered around a "supernatural murder" at a summer camp
Astro Bot
Astro Bot went through 23 pitch iterations before its director promised PlayStation "happy gameplay" and "overflowing charm," though it did once end with robot decapitation that made "some people really upset"
Tomb Raider
5 years after Avengers, 2 years after its last layoffs, and who knows how long before Perfect Dark and Tomb Raider return, Crystal Dynamics announces another round of layoffs
Black Mirror season 7
Charlie Brooker promises Black Mirror season 7 is "a bit more OG", having previously said that he didn't want the series to be known as "the 'tech is bad' show" anymore
AI Limit
"AI is not as effective as it might appear": Dev of AI-focused Soulslike RPG says they didn't use any AI-generated content and it can't match "genuine creativity"
Fantastic Four: 1234 #2 cover excerpt
Sue Storm and Namor are officially both in Avengers: Doomsday, and fans are wondering if Reed Richards has something to worry about