Headlander doesn’t forge a bold new path, but it’s a lot of fun to live in its strange world for a while. Its various elements are well trod – ‘70s aesthetic, Metroid-style exploration, big questions about the nature of identity and consciousness – but they’ve been arranged in a fascinating way that feels fresh.
Head over heels I’ll admit I was totally wrong when trying to decipher the name of Headlander before actually knowing what the game was. A land of heads? Seemed a bit odd, but possible. Maybe it was just a cool sounding word. Little did I know the...
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...
I'm a pretty big fan of the Metroidvania style games. I know people for some reason dislike that term, but when I say it, you know exactly the style of game I'm talking about. Well, Double Fine has decided to make their very own Metroidvania game in the...
Headlander shows a lot of promise in its concept, but it quickly becomes complacent with its most original ideas and falls into a dull fug. There's little that wrong with Headlander per se - it's a perfectly pleasurable project to while away the spare evening or two - but for a game with such a strong opening act, it's quietly heartbreaking to see it conform to such a tired template. It's got a head alright, but not a lot of heart.
It’s not always clear but Headlander doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it doesn’t waste time on extraneous stuff. Instead, Headlander finds smart core mechanics and a really cool idea and pushes them both to smart places that make for a game remains engaging even as it steadily grows more challenging. It’s not the funniest guy in the room, but it’s still a lot of fun to hang around with.
From its odd mechanics to its captivating presentation, Headlander's parallels to Metroid bubble under the surface; it's the game's fresh qualities that grab your attention and make it one of the most delightful takes on the well-worn formula in years.
Headlander is an unexpectedly great take on Metroidviania-style action. Some of the objective design renders its flashier, body-endangering powers moot, but the quick and complex moment-to-moment gameplay carries it splendidly. It’s difficult but fair, and fast-paced but satisfying through to the end. And with a story so dangerously loaded with trope upon trope, it’s a joy to see Headlander sidestep some cliches with a beautiful setting, dark humor, and, well… a rocket-powered head. That’ll do the trick.
Headlander doesn’t forge a bold new path, but it’s a lot of fun to live in its strange world for a while. Its various elements are well trod – ‘70s aesthetic, Metroid-style exploration, big questions about the nature of identity and consciousness – but they’ve been arranged in a fascinating way that feels fresh.
Without those lackluster diversions, it would be an amicable trifle. Even at its best, the game feels like an idea gestating in real-time, like a sponge dinosaur filling up with water. So much of Headlander teases you with the idea of what could have been; a shame, because the game we actually got is kind of a bummer.
Headlander proves to be a nice distraction in the midst of the Summer drought season as I enjoyed its humor from start to finish. While its humor helped carry me to the end, the literal disconnect of the character's head from his body turned into a figurative disconnect as its story wasn’t engaging enough. It has some nice Metroidvania moments, although it sputters towards the end to only rely on its color-coded components to keep me out of certain areas, which felt like a cheap way to finish the game.
The moment you begin Headlander and see the VHS-style lines show up along with the formation of the old-school title with a blast of colors and a jaunty tune, you know you’re in for something good. And the moment you learn how to nail fifty headshots and earn a trophy called “The Gun is Good,” you know you’re in for a classic.
That's an apropos summary of Headlander as a whole. It's a bit tedious at times, both combat and puzzle-solving. None of it makes much sense—the story is thin, and the entire denouement seems to be missing, with the story just cutting off after the...