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With Keiichiro Toyama at the helm, you may expect an unnerving and exhilarating combat experience inSlitterhead, as it takes the unique and fast-paced action of Gravity Rush and pairing it wonderfully with the horrific sights and sounds you may be familiar with in Silent Hill or the Siren titles.
While not the most complex combat system out there, it can get a bit hectic, especially when you acquire more and more Rarities that have unique actions that can be tricky to implement correctly in the heat of the moment. There’s lots to enjoy about Slitterhead’s gameplay mechanics and lots to get adjusted to, but once it clicks, it’s showtime!
Always Be Changing
First, it’s crucial to know the ABCs -Always Be Changing- of Slitterhead, as itwill be the difference if you survive or bite the dusta bit too early. One of the game’s core gameplay mechanics ispossessing other bodies in the area,allowing you totake control of random civilians.
Not only is this useful for reaching areas you otherwise couldn’t, but it alsoallows you to swiftly jump to a nearby NPC to draw the attention away from your Rarity,quickly jumping back to them, healing up, and continuing your offense. While the NPCs have access to some abilities, they will do substantially less damage than your Rarities.
NPCs have access to a unique abilitycalled ‘War Cry,’ having thempull aggro from all nearby Slitterheads,which will give you more than enough time topossess your Rarity, replenish your health, and try again.There will almost always be several NPCs around, so you shouldn’t be dying too much if you practice your ABCs!
Master The Parry Mechanic Early
You will learn about theGuard and Deflectsystems of Slitterhead’s combat system early on. While it showcases why they’re helpful, youdon’t quite realize how crucial they are until a bit laterwhen enemies become much more aggressive.
Mastering the Parry mechanic early on will set you up nicely for the latter portionsof the game, allowing you to become adefensive powerhouse that can consistently activate Blood Time,slowing the time around you and enabling you tounleash your devastating offenseas a reward for your efforts.
Not only that butlanding Parries will also replenish your Weapon Durability,keeping you in the fight even longer. This mechanicmust be implemented in your offenseif you want to be on top of any situation thrown at you. You can practice this in the game’sPractice Missionsin thebottom right of the Mission tabon the main menu!
Knowing How To Heal
Juleewill be thefirst Rarityyou meet in Slitterhead, and she will have access to the ‘Revive All’Ability,allowing her toheal all nearby NPCs, as well as herself,making it an excellent tool to stay topped offat the cost of Spirit Power.But what if no NPCs are around,or you’re low on Spirit Power?
Fortunately, youcan still heal by holding R1/RB,allowing you toabsorb Blood from off the ground to replenish your HP.While thegame will eventually tell you about thismechanic, itwon’t be until you acquire the Alex Rarity,which takes a bit of time to do if you’re also tackling the side content.
Not only that, butyou might also think that’s exclusive to Alex,whichisn’t the caseat all. So, if you’re ever low on HP, be sure to absorb the Blood from the ground to keep yourself from dying. Typically, you will want topossess a random NPC, perform War Cry, then switch back to your Rarity and heal this way!
Find The Rarity That Fits Your Playstyle
There is agreat deal of Rarities in Slitterhead,all offering aunique twist on the already unique combat systemthe game offers, whichcan get decently complex fastif you’re not gelling with a specific character. However, this also meansthere is likely a Rarity for you that will mesh well withyour particular playstyle.
If youenjoy the more fast-paced brawlers,thenJulee, Edo, and Triwill be up your alley. Would you like tosit back and implement a more strategic approachto dispatch the Slitterheads? Then someone likeAnita, Alex, and Blakewill be more your speed. And a few others will likely sing to your tune as well.
Once youget your hands on a new Rarity,head to theTraining Missionsand give them a thorough shake; you may end up loving what they’re capable of. Again, this game hasno shortage of Rarities, so you will likely find one that fits all your wants and needsin battle!
Companions Can Make A Substantial Difference
After acquiring more Rarities, you will have toselect a Companion to bring along with you on Missions,allowing you toget even more out of the game’s combat system.Not only will you get toswitch to them during combat,but you will alsogain access to one of their Active Skillsto use in battle, which can go a long way.
For example, ifEdois yourCompanion,theother Rarity will gain access to his Burning Edge Skill,allowing them to obtain asubstantial power boost in Attack Power,making it anexcellent pairing for Julee, Tri, and even Anita.And this is only one example of how you can use Companions in synergy with the Primary Rarity.
Additionally,your Companion will also obtain an Active Skill from the Primary Rarity,which cansubstantially improve their combative prowessas well. We strongly suggest loading intoTraining Missions with multiple different Raritiestosee who works best with one another,as it will make a substantial difference!
Alex
Time Bomb
Arm yourself with a bomb that explodes after a brief period, or if you die, launching Blood Needles out in a wide area for substantial damage.
Anita
Poison Needle
Quickly throw Poisonous Blood Needles out in front of you, covering a wide area, building the Poison Status Effect on your opponent, and gradually dealing substantial damage to them over time when inflicted.
Betty
Lunatic
Drive yourself to go Berserk after landing continuous attacks on your target, having you lose control of your Rarity for a brief period, having them attack on their own.
Blake
Bloody Gamble
Materialize a Revolver out of Blood, allowing you to shoot powerful shots at the cost of Blood that gradually increase in damage with each subsequent shot. However, the Blood Revolver has a chance to explode, dealing damage to yourself.
Doni
Curse Resist
Allows you to remove any Status Ailment from yourself instantly, making it useful against Slitterheads that can inflict Poison or other harmful effects.
Edo
Burning Edge
Your Blood Weapon becomes less durable at the cost of substantially more Attack Power, allowing you to deal unmatched damage for a brief period.
Julee
Blood Ripper
Launch small Blood Blades forward, slowing enemies on contact and dealing minuscule damage on contact.
Tri
Crimson Chains
Ensnare your target with Chains of Blood, limiting your own movement options at the cost of slowing theirs, allowing you to catch up to a fleeing Slitherhead more easily.
Invest In Passive Skills
Speaking of Skills,every Rarity will have access to a laundry list of Passive Skillsthat you can unlock and upgrade via Skill Tokens and should be taken advantage of relatively early if you like the character and plan on using them frequently as you progress through the game’s story.
ThesePassive Skills are initially grayed out except for the initial Vitality Boost and Durability Boostoptions. Don’t let this fool you. Youcan unlock the others whenever you feel like it,and theydo not require you to level upyour Rarity to gain access to them. This is crucial to note, as the game never really points out that they’re readily available to unlock.
Every Rarity has access to Regenerate,which allows you toreattach a severed arm,and is aPassive Skill we strongly urge you to unlock for every Rarityas this will happen frequently. Then, theothers are up to you and will vary from Rarity to Rarity,and we strongly recommend reading through all of them as they’re quite good overall!
