Post by RSunn on Jul 29, 2004 22:18:27 GMT -5
Headhunter: Redemption Preview
written by Emmett Schkloven on Thursday, July 15, 2004
Will you lose your head over it?
Platform: PlayStation 2
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Amuze
ESRB Rating: Pending
Release Date: Summer 2004
It’s always good to see an old Dreamcast title rethought and sequelized. Right before Sega’s plucky tweener console faded away, Amuze came out with Headhunter -- an apocalyptic tale that had a good mix of guns and vehicles to play around with. On this episode of X-Play, we preview Headhunter: Redemption, available later this summer for your Xbox and PlayStation 2.
Welcome Back, Jack
At the end of the first game, the Bloody Mary virus had effectively wiped out great portions of civilization. Twenty years later, Redemption picks up, and things haven’t improved much. After the virus, a gigantic earthquake struck that reduced just about everything to rubble. After the quake, a new society emerged. The privileged ones, led by President Goodman, live in towering, gleaming structures in a land simply called Above. Below, of course, are the ruins of the old world where the poor toil and prisoners are sent to labor colonies.
Law enforcement in this future is the domain of the headhunters. Jack Wade, hero of the first game, is back as an older, grizzled vet with no fear and a ratty couch. The other star, a hot criminal named Leeza, was saved from her murderous father by Jack when she was a child. As the game opens, he busts her attempting a data theft and instead of throwing her to the hellpit below, he takes her in as a Headhunter trainee. This, of course, is how you learn the game.
Tough Choice
Leeza refuses at first, but Jack persuades her by knocking her out and taking her home with him. The first playable sequence, after an avalanche of cutscenes, features Leeza after she wakes up and agrees to take up his job offer. Playing as Jack comes later, and you'll change between the two characters quite often. Jack’s warehouse doubles as a training center where you learn how to manipulate your environment and pick up basic combat skills. The facilitator for this training is the IRIS, a souped-up scanner that gives you radar, zooming, and targeting capabilities. In addition, the IRIS can detect and analyze items of interest and then helpfully explain their meaning to you. This helps, for example, when you have cleared an area and are trying to figure out what to do next.
Fire Away
Unlike the first Headhunter, which was a combination of gunplay and stealth, Redemption is unabashedly a shoot-em-up before anything else. The battle controls are intuitive, especially the targeting and aiming mechanism. It automatically locks onto the nearest thug, so you can focus on important things like ducking and dodging bullets. All the sneakiness isn't eliminated though. Many times you'll be forced to slowly creep along a wall, Metal Gear-style.
Dark Times
This preview build of Headhunter: Redemption looks almost good enough to hit store shelves. The details are clean, right down to Leeza’s tattoos and Jack’s craggy face. There’s no shortage of realistic gore, either. The overall feel of the game is of a dark, sleek, futuristic world, helped along by occasional cinematic effects like soft focus.
Tough Talk
The dialogue between Jack and Leeza is pretty limited so far. She threatens to leave, he threatens to follow, and she reluctantly agrees to learn the trade. However, the characters are well defined. Leeza has some genuine sass, and Jack is a virtual embodiment of the crusty old tough guy who has no time for fooling around.
Let’s go Hunting
Headhunter: Redemption looks promising. The techno/noir-thriller is a rich vein for video games, and it’s good to see Amuze produce what appears to be a quality follow-up to an overlooked title from the past. Check back at the end of summer to find out if this resurrection is also a redemption.
written by Emmett Schkloven on Thursday, July 15, 2004
Will you lose your head over it?
Platform: PlayStation 2
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Amuze
ESRB Rating: Pending
Release Date: Summer 2004
It’s always good to see an old Dreamcast title rethought and sequelized. Right before Sega’s plucky tweener console faded away, Amuze came out with Headhunter -- an apocalyptic tale that had a good mix of guns and vehicles to play around with. On this episode of X-Play, we preview Headhunter: Redemption, available later this summer for your Xbox and PlayStation 2.
Welcome Back, Jack
At the end of the first game, the Bloody Mary virus had effectively wiped out great portions of civilization. Twenty years later, Redemption picks up, and things haven’t improved much. After the virus, a gigantic earthquake struck that reduced just about everything to rubble. After the quake, a new society emerged. The privileged ones, led by President Goodman, live in towering, gleaming structures in a land simply called Above. Below, of course, are the ruins of the old world where the poor toil and prisoners are sent to labor colonies.
Law enforcement in this future is the domain of the headhunters. Jack Wade, hero of the first game, is back as an older, grizzled vet with no fear and a ratty couch. The other star, a hot criminal named Leeza, was saved from her murderous father by Jack when she was a child. As the game opens, he busts her attempting a data theft and instead of throwing her to the hellpit below, he takes her in as a Headhunter trainee. This, of course, is how you learn the game.
Tough Choice
Leeza refuses at first, but Jack persuades her by knocking her out and taking her home with him. The first playable sequence, after an avalanche of cutscenes, features Leeza after she wakes up and agrees to take up his job offer. Playing as Jack comes later, and you'll change between the two characters quite often. Jack’s warehouse doubles as a training center where you learn how to manipulate your environment and pick up basic combat skills. The facilitator for this training is the IRIS, a souped-up scanner that gives you radar, zooming, and targeting capabilities. In addition, the IRIS can detect and analyze items of interest and then helpfully explain their meaning to you. This helps, for example, when you have cleared an area and are trying to figure out what to do next.
Fire Away
Unlike the first Headhunter, which was a combination of gunplay and stealth, Redemption is unabashedly a shoot-em-up before anything else. The battle controls are intuitive, especially the targeting and aiming mechanism. It automatically locks onto the nearest thug, so you can focus on important things like ducking and dodging bullets. All the sneakiness isn't eliminated though. Many times you'll be forced to slowly creep along a wall, Metal Gear-style.
Dark Times
This preview build of Headhunter: Redemption looks almost good enough to hit store shelves. The details are clean, right down to Leeza’s tattoos and Jack’s craggy face. There’s no shortage of realistic gore, either. The overall feel of the game is of a dark, sleek, futuristic world, helped along by occasional cinematic effects like soft focus.
Tough Talk
The dialogue between Jack and Leeza is pretty limited so far. She threatens to leave, he threatens to follow, and she reluctantly agrees to learn the trade. However, the characters are well defined. Leeza has some genuine sass, and Jack is a virtual embodiment of the crusty old tough guy who has no time for fooling around.
Let’s go Hunting
Headhunter: Redemption looks promising. The techno/noir-thriller is a rich vein for video games, and it’s good to see Amuze produce what appears to be a quality follow-up to an overlooked title from the past. Check back at the end of summer to find out if this resurrection is also a redemption.