Headlander Review Thread

PS4. But I bought it. :p

T minus 2 hours till it unlocks here on the West Coast, but I'm going to put in serious time this evening into it. I really enjoyed what I played of it last year at PSX, but we'll see if it manages to keep the momentum of what I enjoyed early on, throughout the whole game; some of the criticisms of HL suffering from a strong opening that fails to keep pace are concerning, but my experience with games rarely squares up with a lot of the reviews I see from press on Metacritic.
 
Polygon - 8/10

Headlander isn't Double Fine's funniest game, but it's one of its most consistently fun

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.

http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/25/12227500/headlander-review-PC-PS4
 
Game plays exactly as I remember it from last year. It's lighthearted Double Fine fare to fullest, with a bit of combat-cum-puzzler a la The Fall. Maybe The Fall x [Something Else], can't quite figure it out yet... Anyways, as always, go in with your expectations in check and see what the developer wants to show you. As for me, I'm having a blast. Pun intended.
 
The reviews are about what I expected, which is good, as I pre-ordered. Speaking of which, the PS4 theme is amazing. Not particularly relaxing, but amazing.
 
Enjoy guys. One of my favorite double fine games for sure. Still has some mission stretching in the center but I really loved the evolving gameplay systems. They don't continue to unlock like say This is the Police but still good.
 
Eurogamer.es has reviewed the game. My spanish is a bit rusy, but I'm making the assumption here that they liked it.

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http://www.eurogamer.es/articles/headlander-analisis
 
Eurogamer.es has reviewed the game. My spanish is a bit rusy, but I'm making the assumption here that they liked it.

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http://www.eurogamer.es/articles/headlander-analisis

Huh. That's interesting since Eurogamer.net gave a much more reserved review, and not "Recommended" status. Obviously different strokes for different folks, but it's always interesting to me when a media outlet has review disparity among its international incarnations.
 
Looking forward to this one, stoked for the positive reviews



jesus

The difference is to me a C+ game isn't bad. It's enjoyable, while not being lasting. I won't remember it for the GOTY awards, but it does things that are cool and interesting. That's okay.
 
Anytime I see a crazy outlier like that Destructoid review, I just ignore it ... I mean, a 4.5/10 indicates to me an almost broken game where no enjoyment can be had.
 
Hardcore Gamer - 4.5/5

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. The unique gimmick of being able to hijack enemy bodies builds upon the metrodvania standards quite beautifully and the over-the-top ’70s sci-fi setting provides a lot of jaw-dropping sights and scenery to experience. This is easily one of the year’s most enjoyable games and one you won’t be forgetting anytime soon. As dementedly fun as one of its hedonistic trips to the Fondlarium, Headlander is an amazing metroidvania game that you really need to check out.

http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2016/07/26/review-headlander/218230/
 
9/10 from Push Square. http://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/headlander

Push Square said:
It's a testament to the excellence of Headlander that it can only be faulted for its slight technical flaws. Everything about it is so finely tuned, from its gunplay to its platforming to its puzzles, and it doesn't just stay true to classic Metroidvanias – it also builds upon the foundations that they laid. The story is well told, the characters are entertaining, the environments are fleshed out, and the humour is as brilliant as always. Headlander's one of the best games that Double Fine has ever produced.

8/10 from Paste Magazine. https://www.pastemagazine.com/artic...-isnt-perfect-but-still-head-and-shoulde.html

Paste Magazine said:
Headlander is a little action, a little puzzle, and a great time overall. At around 10 hours or so, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and I think it’s perfectly balanced as a game to pick up for an hour of gradual progress after work or school a couple hours a day. It’s well-designed and has a clear purpose in mind. Nothing feels extraneous, and no time feels wasted. I wish more games were like Headlander.
 
I loved this game. It's one of the few I've actually finished this year. It's about an 8 hour casual playthrough and it stayed fresh enough throughout that I was impressed.

I've personally never liked the metroidvania style of game but this one really stood out to me. I'd played Super Metroid and found it too directionless and frustrating (for my tastes, It's still a fantastic game), and conversely with Metroid Fusion I found it too focused and kept trying to interfere with my exploration with a story I didn't much care for, but Headlander has this perfect happy medium. It gave me enough direction to know where I was going but the freedom to tackle it in my own way.

I really enjoyed using the abilities of the game, and I found at least one situation where each was useful and I never found myself relying too much on any one of them for any extended period of time. I've seen other reviews say that the Headbutt ability that lets you swap heads with with whomever you hit was "a cool idea in concept but isn't as useful in practice" but as a fairly impatient gamer it allowed me to run through areas, chaining new bodies together and keeping my health up that way than through careful shooting. The fact that this game accounts for both, and probably many more styles of play is what is so fascinating to me and a real testament to the thought put into the game's design.

I'm really excited to try playing this game again with all my new knowledge and potentially even trying to speedrun it, seeing which abilities work the best. The game has a lot of cool movement and the controls feel right.

I would recommend this game to anyone who isn't sure about the 2D exploration genre, as this may help you clarify your feelings one way or the other. But personally it's one of my favourite games of 2016.
 
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