When Headhunter was first announced, it was immediately labeled to be the Dreamcast's Metal Gear Solid-killer. Whether it was done purposely, or something that was brought about by the gossip of excited Dreamcast gamers, Headhunter was rumored to be the Metal Gear Solid of the Dreamcast.
Let me be very blunt. I've played Metal Gear Solid and I've played Metal Gear Solid 2, and Headhunter is no Metal Gear Solid-killer. There are aspects of the game that will remind gamers of MGS and as I mentioned earlier that the controls and actions mimic that of the MGS series, but the game plays more like a cross between Tomb Raider's collecting items to solve puzzles and the very basic action of Metal Gear Solid.
People who are familiar with the MGS series, especially the new Metal Gear Solid 2, know that there's an element of strategy to those games. Guards patrol the hallway, and work in teams when your character is spotted. In MGS2, the characters seem move alive, however in Headhunter the enemies lack a realistic A.I. They feel programmed. Enemies only seem to approach when you start an attack or walk in front of them. Headhunter is more action and puzzle-oriented, while the Metal Gear Solid series relies on espionage and stealth, with very little "adventure style" puzzle solving.
However, this review is not meant to be a comparison between the Metal Gear Solid series and Headhunter, but I thought that I would express my honest opinion of Headhunter being the so-called Metal Gear Solid-killer. However, because I feel that Headhunter isn't as good as the Metal Gear Solid series, doesn't mean that I think it's a horrible game.
While the game has the look and feel of Metal Gear Solid, the game handles a lot like a Tomb Raider adventure game. For one, your basic handguns have unlimited ammunition, so conserving ammo isn't much of a priority to Jack, just like with Lara Croft. And much like Tomb Raider you navigate Jack through an area, find items and use them to solve puzzles so that you can proceed to the next area. Figuring out how to advance to the next area can be challenging, but it can also get very stale and frustrating because you're locked into one specific location until you work your way out of it. In other words, you might spend 30 minutes running around the same area looking for an item or a device to help you progress. Important items are usually highlighted to make their discovery easier, but some are a little tougher to find than others.
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Riding a motorcycle was one of the coolest "mini games" that I was looking forward to during the game's initial hype, but it turned out to be the game's biggest downfalls, in my opinion. The motorcycle turned out to be very difficult to control, especially at top speeds. Some of the motorcycle sequences require you to get a certain number of skill points before you proceed to the next area (again, another "locked in" puzzle), which requires you to drive fast and dart in and out of traffic, but at times it's very hard to react quickly, as the motorcycle's controls can be very stiff and unresponsive. Reversing the bike is a very slow process. Maybe this was done to be more realistic, but everything else about this game is stuffed full of action-oriented gameplay, so why not throw in some quicker and more responsive arcade controls for the driving?
The load times are also a bit long when the game is loading a completely new location or new building floor.
Although this is purely subjective, I thought that the "coolness" of Jack Wade's character was too clich�d and seemed forced upon the gamer, without allowing him to build up his credibility. The storyline was also nothing that you havent already seen and heard before in many movies. For most games, a good plot isn't necessary, but Headhunter is a more cinematic game like Metal Gear Solid and if the storyline doesn't work, it reflects negatively on the overall game experience. I'm sure that some gamers will enjoy Wade's badass attitude and the "trust no one" clich�d plot, but I didn't really.
A lot of extra features that were supposed to be included in Headhunter, like the online motorcycle racing, were not included in the final release, and I can only blame that on Sega's announcement of their console departure. I'll be honest, I could have cared less if it was included or not, because it's not a feature that would interest me. But I'm sure some people who were looking forward to this release will be a little disappointed.
The most problematic aspect of Headhunter is getting your hands on the game, as it is not available for purchase in your usual game shops, unless you go to a video game import store, or order it from an online import shop -- which means you could be paying well over $50 for it. In addition, you will either need a European Dreamcast, a modded Dreamcast, or an import "boot disc", like the Gameshark or DC-X.
Although Headhunter has some great graphics and impressive CG-rendered transitional movies, and some fairly enjoyable gameplay, the game as a whole falls short from my original expectations.
The screenshots and information that surfaced about this game many months ago, really gave the impression that this would be the Dreamcast's Metal Gear Solid, but in reality it wasn't much more than a watered-down version of MGS with a mix of "infinite ammo" action and find-the-items-to-solve-puzzles gameplay of the Tomb Raider series.
I would only recommend importing this game if you're a hardcore Sega fan, as I see Headhunter as a mediocre game. If it was a little less linear, with more open-ended exploration (like Shenmue), I think I would have found Headhunter to be more enjoyable. Being locked in a location until you "solve the puzzle" was also a turn off.
I would label Headhunter as one of those games you should rent first, but not many stores carry import titles, although some online game rental sites, like RedOctane.com, do carry a plethora of import games.
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