Headhunter

THE BAD:
Dodgy camera angles.
Fluctuating difficulty.
Bike control is strange sometimes.

SUMMARY:
Headhunting. The practice among certain peoples of removing the heads of slain enemies and preserving them as trophies is not exactly what many would consider an adequate gaming experience. Indeed, such tribal rituals would put most off. So, imagine the joy that was abound when Headhunter was revealed not to include blood-thirsty pygmies, instead focusing on a vision of near future America. That's right, Headhunter has landed. And how.
Perhaps the first point to deal with is that, as most of you probably know, this game has not been released for the US. A baffling decision, given the success a high profile game such as this would bound to attract, but the taken decision nonetheless. However, just because the game has not made it across the Atlantic, it does not mean you can't get your hands on it. And you really should. Why? Well, read on.
Near-future visions of America are rarely pleasant. Just look at Bladerunner and The Terminator. However, in Headhunter, things are definitely looking up for the average joe. A new crime fighting organisation - the ACN - has just been initiated and, with the help of employed 'headhunters', criminal activity has dropped to an all time low. Compulsory organ donation has also been introduced as a preventative measure in crime, giving the story an eerie feel since humanitarian issues have clearly been swept under the carpet. What's more, lurking deep within the shadows of this seemingly safe society is Don Fulci, a crime lord who deals in illegal organ, narcotics and weapon trade. A fierce hatred of the ACN wells within him - a company he calls an abuse of democracy - and it's not long before he strikes at the very heart of the organisation...

Pop A Cap In His...

The name's Wade, Jack Wade. So maybe it doesn't quite have the same ring as our favourite English spy, but nonetheless it's who you take the role as when you start the game. A training mission is offered to you at the beginning and it is wise to accept this since the game drops you in at the deep end, having you on the escape from a laboratory. Perhaps the aspect that hits you most when you take control of Jack is the fluidity and speed of the controls. Running then rolling and ducking behind a metal crate to avoid oncoming enemy fire is so easy to do, it's quite incredible. Quicky nipping up and returning fire whilst the opponent has to reload is a joy to execute and behold. Headhunter also incorporates some gameplay aspects of Metal Gear Solid, allowing you to 'hug' the wall for stealth purposes. The level of AI in the enemies is high, as they duck and roll to avoid your fire, or try to flush you out of hiding places by throwing grenades towards you. This particularly apparent later in the game, when even one enemy alone can cause you problems. The boss encounters are also impressive, since each one has some kind of twist to make the battle memorable. Whether it be Greywolf or the Aquadome Gladiator, you won't forget the meeting in a hurry. The range of weapons that you get to pulp the enemies is admirable, too. You start off with a regular ENP hangun, but can progress to machine guns and shotguns. Grenades and proximity mines help to widen not only the selection of your arsenal, but the tactics which you employ to defeat opponents. Fancy an all out gun battle? Prefer to use stealth and break necks? Or maybe resort to explosives and then pick off the injured with a few sharp shots? The choice is yours.
After the initial adrenaline rush that is the first stage, the graphics really become a tour de force. The game had been touted as 'the European Shenmue', and it's not hard to see why. The graphics are easily on a par with Japanese game, though replacing late 80's Japan with a more modern, sun-bleached American outback. The characters are detailed and well animated, but really it's the city environments that will leave your jaw securely fastened to the floor. The level of detail is awe-inspiring, especially in the later levels, and the freeness of movement within the town is very refreshing. You're not restricted to the roads, and there is so much to see in each district. Except people. For some reason, the city is totally devoid of pedestrians. While this is a bit unrealistic, it also helps to create a somewhat surreal effect, which is in keeping with much of the game. As mentioned before, you have the freedom to move around the city at your will. Get to the next location, or simply cruise around on your bike for a while - it's up to you. Oh yes. The bike. This is your main way to negotiate the city streets. It handles well, and you get a real sense of speed when travelling at a high velocity. Perhaps the only niggling aspect is the tendency the bike has to swerve, though this occurs only after initial startup if you're not careful. Not that riding around and shooting people is all you do. There are Shenmue-style QTE events, where you have to press the buttons in a certain order to complete a task or dodge enemy fire. Also evident are various, and sometimes devious, Resident Evil-style puzzles for you to solve, inducing a slightly more cranial challenge. The variety of gameplay modes is a big plus, and stops any sense of repetition - a quality sorely lacking in many of todays games.

So Much To Do, So Little Time...

Since the game arrives on two disks, you would expect plenty to do. Fortunately, developers Amuze have seen to it that you are kept well occupied in both parts. Sneaking aboard a smuggler's ship, storming a mall that has been taken over by terrorists, breaking into the mysterious Biotech Labs... it's all there and everything has you glued to the control pad in anticipation. Each level is well designed and lovingly crafted for your gaming pleasure, and such pleasure it is. You're not even restricted to one character, at times having control of Angela Stern, daughter of the ACN chief and possible love interest for Jack. Aside from the main quest, there is also the task of becoming the number one headhunter - a position stolen from you at the start of the game by Hank Redwood, your main competition in the field. Rising in the ranks of headhunters occurs at the LEILA headquarters, where there are four sets of four sub-tasks to be completed. When you complete a set, more information and items become availible. However, Jack needs to have a certain amount of skill points before he can try his hand at them. Skill points are gained by travelling at a constant high velocity on the bike, but can be lost for crashing into walls or oncoming traffic. This in itself provides a nice challenge, especially when driving around tight corners. When you have gained enough points, the virtual reality quests open up, and range from riding through the city flagging checkpoints in a specific time, to stealthily killing all enemies within a level. Of course, you also have to beat Hank's record time in all 16 tasks. Only then can you reclaim the title as the number one headhunter and get access to... well, that would be spoiling it. These sub-tasks can also be accessed from the main menu, allowing you to hone your skills for the real thing.
Special mention must go to the sound as well. The orchestral score that follows you around in the game is fantastic, setting off the atmosphere perfectly, whether it be in an abandoned warehouse or amidst a raging gun battle. The sound effects are realistic, and thankfully the developers have opted for decent voice actors and a non-cheesy script. So, no cliched speech from some overly camp actor, then.
Upon completion of the game your results are shown, and there is a one statistic that really intrigues - the number of rats you've killed. Is there a special secret that opens upon a high rat kill, or is it just a cheap way of making you perform a public service for free? Certainly, it provides some incentive to go through the game again. Interestingly, you can restart the game using your completed file, which then saves everything as 'Version 2'. Are there yet more secrets to be discovered? The mind boggles. Fortunately, even if you don't fancy ploughing through the story again, the main game is big enough to satisfy the needs of most the first time round. And it is long for an action game, taking around 15-20 hours to complete.
I have gushed praise for the game, but it's by no means perfect. No game is. One of the main sticky points is the way the camera sometimes obscures your view. It's difficult to be stealthy when you cannot see where you are going. The difficulty fluctuates through the game as well. At one point you may find it difficult to take out one enemy, then mercilessly slaughter an entire group at the next. However, these are only small niggles in what is otherwise an awesome gaming adventure.
Graphically, aurally, and gameplay-wise, Headhunter is up there with the best. It's an experience that everyone should have at least once, and just because it might not be released where you live, there's no reason not to import such a beautiful game. Even the pygmies would buy it.