It was unfortunate that the demise of the Dreamcast in the US came when it did. Because on the horizon were several games that could have pumped some much needed life back into a dying system. One of those was Headhunter, a 3rd person action shooter that combined the best elements from Metal Gear Solid, Syphon Filter, and a hint of Resident Evil that made a fairly solid action game. But it would never see the light of day on the Dreamcast as far as American DC owners were concerned. But the buzz about this being the "end-all" games based on tactical espionage was too big for this game not to reach the US market in one form or another. Long after it's stint in Europe, Amuze has returned with Headhunter, but now under the wings of Acclaim on Sony's powerful PS2. And while all of the elements that were featured on the Dreamcast, the same problems that plagued the now defunct system are ever so present. "MGS-killer" it surely isn't, but you still are bound to enjoy this game.

The story takes place in Southern California, with an environment a la Robocop 2. You play the role of Jack Wade, a former headhunter (or bounty hunter, if that makes you feel more comfortable) who was the best in the business. During some government experiments, he loses his bounty hunter status as well as his memory. After making a daring escape, he awakens in a hospital, only to be confronted by his former boss. He then discovers that the same agency that relied on him to bring in the tough bounties, has now abandoned him. Now as a hunter-for-hire, Angela Stern, the daughter of the recently assassinated Christopher Stern, who was an important politician in Southern California, immediately requests his services. For two million dollars, he is hired to go out and eliminate the person(s) responsible for her father's death. And this is where your adventure begins.

Now if you are like me, you are thinking that this sounds much like Total Recall. But I assure you, Arnold ain't got nothing on Jake Wade. The story of Headhunter is very strong in terms of plot, twists, drama, and action. But let's make this clear: this is no Metal Gear Solid. Instead, Headhunter is like those movies that you catch on Friday Night Action Theater, it has more than enough substance to keep your attention throughout. The time spent into bringing the gamer into their rendition of Southern California is apparent throughout, which in the end provides the strongest and most crucial part of Headhunter.

Gameplay:

Headhunter doesn't feel just like one game, but more like a range of range. You are bound to see some Syphon Filter, WinBack, MGS, and Resident Evil, with some Tomb Raider thrown in for good measure. To help get you acquainted with playing Headhunter, Amuze takes a page from Konami by offering their version of the VR training missions seen in MGS. Known as Leila, you are given four missions that you must complete within a given time or you fail the mission. Should you become successful in completing all for missions you will be granted the first of four licenses. These licenses will allow you access to weapons or other parts of Southern California that you may not have had access to with a lesser license. However, to keep people from gaining all of the licences before they actually play the game, Amuze has made it so that you can only train for the licenses that are relevant to your current place in the storyline. But there's no way around the training missions, as parts of the game that advance the story are only available if you have the license.

The twists don't end there. In order to even qualify for the VR missions, you need to acquire a certain number of credits before you will be accepted. To do this Jack is must take his motorcycle around the city while trying to maintain control at top speeds. The more dangerous your driving becomes (such as driving through/between cars), the more credits you earn. This is a nice feature, though it's too bad that they bring out its full potential. For one, if you happen to crash, there is no penalty as far as health mission penalties. Though you do lose some credits during each crash, you can just as easily get up and start over again. Controlling your motorcycle can be somewhat difficult due to slightly stiff controls. With plenty of room to maneuver around, it still amazes me that turning a simple corner could mean life or death.

When it comes to controlling Jack Wade, it's a mixed bag. Like most games of this nature, Jack can run, shoot, and hide when needed. If he needs to climb ladders or gain access to particulars, pressing the action button does it all. This eliminates the need to jump, which has plagued numerous 3rd person action games. But there is some trouble when switching between targets. There appears to be a brief pause when switching targets, which in an intense battle will cause you to be the recipient of an extra flurry of bullets that would have never been fired had you switched over to the other target in time. Thankfully, Jack can perform several evade maneuvers to reduce this from happening.

Now Headhunter isn't a straightforward action shooter, thanks to some well-placed Resident Evil-like puzzles. Once again, a company shows that puzzles can be done right as long as they make sense to the environment and do not over saturate the rest of the game. The puzzles are fairly simple, and do not have that complexity that you would find in Soul Reaver. But in the end it works out, because the pace of the game remains steady, which a game like this relies on. Tied in with the puzzles, you will occasionally run into several bosses. I must say that Headhunter beats MGS in this area, as the battle sequences with the bosses are more fulfilling than annoying.

But I can't say the same for the overall AI. MGS 2 raised the bar huge when it was released on the Playstation 2, and after playing Headhunter I can see why it will never be able to take Konami's masterpiece on a equal playing field. The AI in this game is rather dumb for the most part, as it takes a lot to get a rise of these guys. They don't react to live grenades, and by learning some simple strafing maneuvers, you can beat any target in a one-on-one firefight. Now it could be argued that I am comparing MSG 2 opponents, which are highly trained soldiers, against the thugs in Headhunter. But you always expect a little more common sense from AI, and Headhunter isn't even close.

Graphics/Sound:

Despite the game being a Dreamcast port from two years ago, the graphics are fairly solid. The character models are nicely detailed and designed, making each character that you encounter unique. Jack has that rugged-action hero look going for him, beard and all. The animations are also well done. There are also some nice explosion and weather effects, which really compliment the overall environment of the game. But signs of a console port are there. The poly count is considerably low for a PS2 game, and the textures could have benefited in a boost in resolution. You will also notice that the number of models that you will encounter is very scarce, and usually appear in large numbers in remote concentrated areas.

Although many wont mind the lack of graphical quality that PS2 gamers are used to, they may not be so forgiving to the technical issues that are present in the game. First and foremost, the load times are extremely long. For a game that heavily relies on a steady pace, the load times disrupt the flow of the game significantly. They even try to cover this by displaying some rather amusing advertisements based on the game, but even those quickly become tiresome. Another issue is with the camera when going into attack mode. A lot of times, it the camera shifts into a position to where you have to take time out of your attack to readjust. You'll get used to it, but the closer you reach the end of the game, the problem will become more frustrating as more enemies are on the attack.

The sound also comes out strong in Headhunter. The voice acting is also very well done. I should point out that there are some moments that showcase some very cheesy voice acting, but it was done so deliberately that it actually turns into a plus. Definitely top-notch. The main characters in the game also do a good job bringing that movie-like voice quality into the game. You will have no trouble identifying/understanding the plot because these guys tell it so well. While the game is a bit light on the sound effects, the soundtrack helps make up for its shortcomings. The music is more reminiscent to Sega's innovative titles (which is probably why they were first to pick this game up).

The Wrap-up:

In the end, although Headhunter is a short adventure, it provides enough action, a solid story, and good graphics to entertain anyone who comes across it. If you can get past the obvious technical issues, then Headhunter will be a nice addition to any PS2 library. It's not of the same quality of games like Metal Gear Solid 2 or Resident Evil: Code Veronica, but Amuze has shown that a good game will always shine against the competition.