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HEADHUNTER (DC)
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Publisher: SEGA.
Developer: Amuze. Released: November 2001 (Europe). Genre: Action/Adventure. Other versions: PS2. Posted 4th May 2021. By Shane Battams © 2021 |
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As the Dreamcast approached the twilight of its productive lifecycle in late 2001, European gamers were treated to Headhunter in November. Journalists at the time would, perhaps damagingly, compare it to the likes of Metal Gear Solid, Syphon Filter and other key action games of the period. While Amuze’s debut would be constructed with familiar parts, it’s significant for how fantastically they come together. Mechanically strong and with a politically satirical narrative that apes a slew of 80s movies that inspired it, Headhunter’s engaging structure ensures it’s one of the Dreamcast’s best action games, and like Crazy Taxi, home is still the best place to enjoy it.
Set in a not too distant future, within a city bearing some resemblance to Los Angeles, crime is combatted by the Anti-Crime Network who utilise Headhunters to track down bounties. Traditional weapons are outlawed, as criminals who perish in an underwater arena are harvested of their organs to enrich the lives of the wealthy. Players follow the exploits of Jack Wade, a high-profile hunter who would be on-form, were he not suffering from amnesia and his license revoked. As he looks to restore his memories as well as his headhunter skills, he dives head-first into conspiracies, betrayal and a darker scheme underneath mere bounty hunting. The moving parts of Headhunter’s story fall into place very well: Jack’s gruff wit bounces off other characters beautifully, the satirical ABCBS news skits are incredible and the script and voice work are competent for the time. You can tell it takes inspiration from Robocop’s sharp satire and it benefits greatly from this, creating an intriguing and unnerving world.
Headhunter borrows a lot of its ideas from other action/adventure games, but the combination is explosively enjoyable
Amuze would balance the spinning-plates of multiple gameplay elements very well. A majority of the game takes place on foot, as you either sneak or shoot your way through while solving item-based puzzles. Between missions, you can drive around the relatively small hub on a motorcycle. The handling takes some getting used to, but you get the hang of it eventually. Driving with precision is a necessity, as your Headhunter rank is determined by Skill Points, which you earn driving fast and cleanly but lose if you crash. Each part of the game requires you to upgrade your rank, done through a handful of Leila tests that challenge your driving, sneaking and shooting abilities. The VR-esque nature unquestionably recalls Metal Gear Solid, but these challenges are good fun. Each also has a record set by a competing hunter. Beating all of his records, alongside some other requirements, unlocks a secondary mode which ups the challenge and promises more rewards. When the campaign is already 12 hours long, it’s great to have reason to return.
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It helps that the game is mechanically sturdy. The stealth takes some getting used to, but the satisfying neck-snapping and consistent detection elements work really well. The shooting also feels robust for the time, with a decent cover mechanic that lets you avoid gunfire, a lock-on that makes swapping between targets a breeze and a slowly expanding armoury which includes a potent shotgun, stun darts and eventually a rocket launcher. Despite the admittedly limited nature of the Dreamcast controller, camera woes and control confusion which affects some games are not a problem here. Wade lacks the fragility of some stealth heroes, meaning combat doesn’t become a chore if you are caught. Stages are often punctuated with a trickier boss fight, requiring keen pattern memorisation and some quick actions to stay alive. Whether it’s blasting through waves of bikers in a gas station or disarming bombs under time pressure around the city, Headhunter is just a lot of fun.
While the Dreamcast would be outdone visually by the new crop of consoles arriving the same year, Headhunter takes great advantage of the system’s unique quirks. Environments feel chunky and detailed, with quite a few interactive elements that add a bit of life to the surroundings. The draw distance is sizeable, even during the open-world parts. Character detail and animations feel a step above other games, though the lack of facial movement during in-engine scenes is a shame. Beautiful FMVs more than pick up the slack though and are highly prevalent, which is likely why the story is spread across two discs. The audio is fantastic too, with an awesome soundtrack that captures the sci-fi tone of the films which inspired it, potent effects such as ear-ringing gunshots and solid voice acting which backs up a sturdy script.
While the Dreamcast would be outdone visually by the new crop of consoles arriving the same year, Headhunter takes great advantage of the system’s unique quirks. Environments feel chunky and detailed, with quite a few interactive elements that add a bit of life to the surroundings. The draw distance is sizeable, even during the open-world parts. Character detail and animations feel a step above other games, though the lack of facial movement during in-engine scenes is a shame. Beautiful FMVs more than pick up the slack though and are highly prevalent, which is likely why the story is spread across two discs. The audio is fantastic too, with an awesome soundtrack that captures the sci-fi tone of the films which inspired it, potent effects such as ear-ringing gunshots and solid voice acting which backs up a sturdy script.
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Headhunter proves a real gem for the Dreamcast, a last hurrah before its untimely demise. Amuze balance the myriad of gameplay mechanics very well, creating a consistently enjoyable action game that hooks you from beginning to end. There are some quibbles you could levy, such as some cheap moments with the bosses and the bike handling taking some getting used to. But otherwise, this one deserves its place amongst the best the console would offer. Ahead of its time, considering the direction the action genre would head after its release.
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VERDICT
"Headhunter is a real gem. Amuze balanced a myriad of gameplay mechanics to superb effect and in doing so, created a consistently enjoyable action game.” OVERALL: 9/10 |