Headhunter for PlayStation 2

Hey all. I wanted to review Headhunter for the Dreamcast but it wasn't an option on Epinions. Before I wrote a review for the PS2 version (which I DON'T have and have NOT played) I wanted to be sure it was the same as the Dreamcast version. Fortunately, they do in fact seem identical in story and in-game perfornace. Given that nothing is perfect, keep in mind that there may be some slight differences. I'm betting though, that those looking for a review of Headhunter for the PS2 before shelling out the dough won't object too much.

Premise
You are Jack Wade, Headhunter for the AntiCrimeNetwork (ACN). The time is the very near future. The new hot commodity in the world is human organs. It seems that biomedical technology has reached new heights and the demand for fresh organs to prolong the lives of others has grown at a fever pitch.

The future has also brought the world a new type of crime, organized crime of the highest sophistication. It's grown mostly around the trade of human organs...hmm, wonder where they get them from. The ACN wants to wipe out the crime syndicate at all costs. The capture of criminals of any kind has been glamorized in the media and business world and a new sector of the economy has grown around the value of capturing criminals of various levels of notoriety. The people responsible for the tracking and capture of these criminals are called Headhunters.

While all of this sounds sort of farfetched...keep in mind Dolly the cloned sheep, the new love of reality shows, and constant news coverage like CNN. If you're still not convinced, don't worry...there's a five minute live action video of a newscast to start the game. The two actors are TOP-NOTCH at portraying real news anchors and the seemless blending of the live actors with computer generated images blurs the lines of reality. This sets the tone of the game right from the start...more live action news coverage throughout the game helps to move the plot along nicely.

Gameplay

You'll start off not knowing a darn thing about who you are...seems you have amnesia and are scheduled for a nasty little operation of unknown intent. You'll play from a 3rd person perspective as you crouch, crawl, stealth, and shoot your way out of the 'lab' in which you awaken. Most of the game is played in this behind the character 3rd person. Sneaking along walls, using the environment for cover as you get into gun battles, and sliding up behind enemies one at a time for some nasty little neck snapping is all part of the gameplay. On the Dreamcast version, the controls were very simple to use...I hope that stays true on the PS2.

Assuming you make it out of the lab alive, you'll then take it upon yourself to figure out who you are, why you woke up on an operating table, and the bigger connection to the ACN - your former employer. To give away the plot now would defeat the purpose of you playing the game, but I'm willing to be that there's a Conspiracy afoot.

You'll also take control of a female lead in the game by the name of Angela Stern, you'll learn who she is as the game goes on and what her connection is to your predicament.

There's also some motorcycle driving in the city that allows you to move from area to area. This is graphically the worst part of the game. There's a lot of building popup and not that much detail. The control is ok but takes some time to get used to. Fortunately, by the time the plot becomes motorcycle dependent (and it's not for very long) you'll have the hang of driving. This is only a small part of the game so the lower quality graphics isn't a big deal.

There's also a bit of birds-eye view control of Jack Wade in a few parts of the game. This shows up in one clever part of the plot that adds a twist to the game...think "Gladiators meets the Running Man".

Weapons

You'll have to be licensed to carry different weapons as a Headhunter. To get these higher licenses, and to get access to more detailed case documents that advance the plot, you'll have to pass the LEILA tests. These are virtual reality tests that do two things...they teach you the controls you'll need to play the game, and they serve to move the development of your character at a logical pace.

Weapons include a pistol with unlimited ammo, a stun pistol, a shotgun, land mines, and some other goodies. Switching between them in gametime is very easy to do. I found that I depended on just one or two of them however as the game doesn't force you to incorporate your full arsenal to advance - a bit of a shame I think.

Missions

This is a very, very fluid game. The missions are varied but never feel clunky. They all flow together beautifully and it never feels like you're moving from one seemingly stupid task to another. Each mission builds on the former and all tie together to the bigger plot of the game. While the missions are linear, movement in the gameworld is 100% free...assuming you've gained the rights to access different areas. Once you have, you can move back and forth at will. By the way, access to different areas is limited to control crime, you're just following the rules of society here.

Here are two examples of the missions you may encounter, in no particular order:

Disarm a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles with multiple trigger points throughout the city.

Get a DNA sample and make a vaccine to save Jack Wade while exploring a top secret lab.

Bosses
Yes, there are Bosses at the end of each major stage. Don't worry, they don't violate the smooth flowing of the plot and they're not giant monsters that just show up. The bosses are tougher than what you'll encounter in normal game play and make use of some pattern recognition that is a throw back to the video games of the 80s and 90s.

Puzzles
There's really not much of a puzzle solving element to this game. The one place it does show up feels a bit out of place. And it's hard to figure out. I had to cheat with a Walkthrough and was disappointed by the sudden complexity level...fortunately, it doesn't last for very long.

Maps

The game gives you complete city and area maps right off. This is a good thing because some areas are quite large and can get confusing in the heat of the moment. The city maps display when you're on your motorcycle as a small subscreen in the corner of the bigger screen - very easy to use.

Graphics

Ok, this is a tough call. Remember, I played this on a Dreamcast (thanks to importing the game). They looked rock solid the whole way through. Not the cities though. Definite popup here and not much detail. All the other game environments looked fantastic (I also played on a VGA monitor). Great water effects, control rooms that look splendid with security monitors glowing, you name it. Will the PS2 owners be as wowed? I don't know. From what I've seen of other PS2 games, I think you'll find it to be quite acceptable but maybe not knock you on your butt stupendous. However, there's lots of detail, almost no slowdown anywhere, rock solid framerates, and mostly superb collision detection.

Sound

Gun blasts sound perfect. Music is good, nothing obnoxious but not groundbreaking.

Voice Acting
Really happy with this. The programmers got talented actors and actresses for Jack Wade and the other characters you'll encounter. Plus, the live action video newscasts are really, really, I mean REALLY good. Kudos to the two actors that filmed these parts.

Control
This was my only complaint. There were times when I got shot and killed because my character was facing the wrong direction. I got annoyed with this at times, but it's not a biggie and shouldn't detract from your enjoyment overall.

Saving
You can save anywhere you want, but you'll find that loading a gamesave puts you at the start of a mission. This can make for some increased difficulty as some mission aspects can be quite long.

Summary
This was a GREAT Dreamcast game that should have made it to the USA. On the PS2, I think it will earn very high marks. Aside from some minor sticking points, I really could fine very little to complain about in this game. The designers didn't release this product until they were happy with it and it shows. It may not use the full power of the PS2 console, but the solid graphics, acting and voice-acting, plot, action, and gameplay will make it a hit.