Platforms: PC (reviewed), PS4
Developer: Double Fine Productions
Publisher: Adult Swim Games
MSRP: $19.99
Introduction:
I had no idea what Headlander even was until about a month and a half ago, but once I saw it, I was instantly hooked on the premise. Adult Swim was a regular channel surfing stop during my undergrad days, but I hadn’t yet played any of their games until this point. The late night cartoon comedy affiliate began publishing games back in 2010 with Robot Unicorn Attack, but I hadn’t taken an interest until Headlander, which was backed up by the fact that Double Fine was handling the development. So with those two big names behind the project, it would seem that Headlander had a pretty decent shot of turning out well, and for the most part, it has.
Headlander is an aptly named game with a very simple premise. You play as a rocket powered head that can jump from one body to another and take control of it. The name of the game is so ingeniously spot on since you will have popped off hundreds of heads by the time the credits roll. The idea behind jumping from one body to another is that each body comes with different traits that allow you access to different areas, and while this theory sounds great on paper, in practice it ends up sounding like more than it actually delivers.
Both Double Fine’s and Adult Swim’s humor are initially on display, but it can feel faded out for a majority of the game.
Hehe, Boob Tubery. That’s one of the several instances where I giggled at Headlander’s naming conventions that seemed to set the game up for a ride of non-stop laughs. Sadly, this doesn’t end up being the case, and while it’s not a total deal breaker, it is a bit disappointing. Whoever the writers are for Headlander, they certainly have a talent for at least naming conventions. Between the name of the game and the areas of the game called Boob Tubery, Pleasure Port, and Fondlarium it felt like the game was going to dish out laughs at a constant rate.
Unfortunately, this was not the case, but it can be taken one of two ways. While some might feel disappointed at the absence of humor, one could also make the argument that Headlander never lets its narrative outweigh its gameplay, the mechanics of which are pretty solid for the most part. Metroidvania games are known for their emphasis on gameplay over narrative, so from a design perspective, this does make a lot of sense.
There is a positive effect on this decision, as what little narrative context there is in Headlnader feels like a very rewarding reprieve from the constant challenge and gameplay that gets thrown your way. So all is not lost.
Headlander emulates traditional Metroidvania design very well, but its combat leaves something to be desired.
Outside of a few occasions of mildly obnoxious backtracking, Headlander does maintain a constant sense of progression throughout its entirety. I will say that probably the weakest aspect of Headlander’s gameplay comes with its combat mechanics. You will find out very quickly in your time with the game that lasers have a tendency to fly and bounce at a sometimes overwhelming rate.
While this may not seem like a big deal, the problem stems from Headlander’s combination of lackluster cover mechanics and mildly wonky aiming systems. The thing that hurts the game the most is the half-second delay that comes after you fire a laser and when your character is able to jump back into cover. This can lead to a lot of cheap damage in some of the more chaotic moments, and while it’s not hard to pop your head onto another body, you may end up having to swap to a weaker and damaged body, even if you do everything right. On top of that, aiming in real-time can be a bit hit or miss, resulting in a lot of missed shots and gun overheats, so if you combine this with the half second cover delay, you can see where combat can get problematic.
On the plus side, Headlander is an absolute joy to explore and a lot of that has to do with how you overcome obstacles by unlocking new powers that allow you to access new areas. Headlander is packed with lots of little nooks and crannies, and just about every hidden area has some sort of reward that makes them worth exploring (especially the ones that give you experience to unlock abilities). You will encounter plenty of areas that you won’t be able to access at first, but once you unlock the corresponding ability, getting back to the early areas is relatively painless via the game’s teleportation pads.
Verdict:
Considering the price of admission, Headlander is certainly a game worth your time. It’s head popping mechanics aren’t a genre revolution, but they do add a neat twist to a traditional, but tried and true formula. Headlander is easily Adult Swim’s best game to date, even though that’s due to the fact that Double Fine handled much of the heavy lifting.
The game does suffer from some issues with its combat, and can become a bit one-sided once you realize that body jumping is a much more effective strategy than shooting. But navigating the lasers of enemy fire is fun enough on its own that I was able to overlook (and forego) the game’s shortcomings with shooting and cover.
As a whole, Headlander isn’t going to command your attention over the bigger AAA games that release every year, but it represents a fun diversion when you are in-between titles or are simply a fan of Metroidvania games.