Science fiction is arguably the most influential genre in video game history. From the earliest games like Spacewar and Asteroids to the modern next-gen experiences such as the terrifying Alien Isolation and the upcoming No Man’s Sky, video games in a futuristic setting have always been a popular and important aspect in gaming history. This year alone has seen (and will see) the release of many different sci-fi inspired games, some set in the Cyberpunk world, and others set in the dusty, hellish confines of the planet Mars, so it’s understandable that there is a risk of oversaturation looming on the horizon for the genre. In a time where it is becoming increasingly more difficult to release a sci-fi game that stands out from the rest of the crowd (not just in theme, but in gameplay style), how is it possible to keep things fresh and entertaining?
Headlander has found the answer, and it’s a humorously unique one at that.
Headlander is a “Metroidvania”-style side-scrolling platformer from Adult Swim Games and Double Fine Studios. The game is set in a suitably retro-futuristic era, one in which humans have totally depleted their natural resources and poisoned their world. In order to save humanity, scientists devised a way to move human consciousness into artificial brains and robotic bodies known as “Imposters”. You awake onboard the “Starcophagus” ship as a rocket-powered disembodied head (and suffering from amnesia), which is currently under attack from an Orwellian AI named Methusalah, who controls the galaxy and keeps this new robot-kind in check with an iron fist. With the help of a voice from a mysterious voice known as ERL, it is up to you to unravel Methusalah’s control, and to figure out your own past.
The game begins by explaining Headlanders’ key gameplay element: the ability to launch your head from one body and attach it to another one. Your helmet is equipped with a vacuum, and you can suck the head off any android you see and attach your own helmet to its neck (amusingly referred to in-game as “headlanding”), effectively possessing it. This is useful for a myriad of reasons; you’ll need it to open up security doors by possessing a security guard (known as “Sheperds”) with a matching clearance colour or better; enter tiny doors only accessible by headlanding on a robot puppy or maintenance bot; shoot at swarms of incoming enemy robot patrols, and more. A strange aspect of this mechanic is that you can’t jump once you’ve headlanded onto a body. At first it feels a bit restrictive, but eventually you’ll get used to figuring out the proper path to the next area through tactical launching of your head.
Another aspect of the head launching is having to navigate through the ventilation systems of whatever ship you’re currently exploring. In these vents you’ll find energy powerups and upgrades for your head, as well as lasers that you’ll have to outmaneuver and avoid. Luckily the controls for the head are really smooth and relatively easy to get to grips with, so these sections are an absolute breeze to get through.
The game’s combat system is primarily based around firing lasers. Instead of a basic assault that you’d expect in a metroidvania title, the combat is somewhat puzzle-minded. In order to survive and progress through the game, you’ll have to strategically bounce lasers off corners to hit enemies on higher levels, and tactically shoot from behind different areas of cover. As interestingly executed as it is, the fighting system is very fiddly and a little frustrating at times, especially the aiming mecahnism, controlled with the right thumb-pad. Aiming can be fine-tuned by holding down L2, which does make up for it somewhat, but I still opted to go with the headlanding technique more.
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