Life can be tough for a private detective. Oh sure, things are fine for a while. You have your own business in a “quaint” office with a partner who isn’t drunk all the time, a hot girlfriend who sings at the club, and a big case that promises to further your career. That is, until the “entrepreneur” you’ve been tailing discovers you, has you killed, and takes your head for his trophy case. Next thing you know you’re on a slab in some crazy scientist’s basement with your brain in a jar attached to your shoulders.
Needless to say, Fred’s in a bit of a bad mood.
It’s no real surprise that Dead Head Fred was totally overlooked when it was first released. Aside from some tiny previews in a few magazines and a handful of reviews, there was very little fanfare surrounding the head-swapping P.I. It’s as though D3 and Vicious Cycle just resigned the game to the niche market. This, of course, is a grievous error and I hope to do my part to correct it.
You see, Dead Head Fred is nothing like what you’d expect from a niche title. For starters, it’s surprisingly good looking. It doesn’t hold a candle to the likes of today’s recent releases, but it’s a very well realized handheld Noir world. There’s also much more depth to it than one would think. Oh sure, you can run through the game, face the final boss and watch the credits roll, but you’d be missing out on everything else it has to offer. Mini games like pinball, fishing and “Unprotected Sax” are spread all over Hope Falls and its boroughs, and none of them feel like throwaway activities. Fred can even take on odd jobs and side missions from various townsfolk for money, items, and the ability to say you’ve completed the game 100%.
As Fred gains access to new areas in Hope Falls, he’ll also come across new enemies. New enemies can be slain, their heads can be torn from their shoulders (did I forget to mention this is a very mature game?) and then given to the resident creepy Head Shop owner. This allows Fred to then be able to use that head for himself. There are a total of nine heads to be acquired, and seven of them have their own special uses in combat as well as exploration. For example, the zombie head can suck up gasoline. Spit a little of that onto a fire and you have a makeshift flamethrower on your face. The heavy Stone Idol head allows Fred to walk along the bottom of a lake or other body of water, allowing access to hidden areas. There’s even a mannequin head that allows Fred to talk to the various residents of Hope Falls without sending them into a blind panic.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this out-of-nowhere game is the fact that it’s actually good. Like REALLY good. Ignoring all of the extras, the game itself is just fun to play. The basic mechanics are that of an action/adventure game, and the combat plays much like a typical brawler. With the addition of the head-swapping, things get a bit deeper. While exploring, different heads can reveal hidden items and areas. Using the zombie head to suck up air from an air conditioner and float to a previously unreachable platform is just one example. In combat, certain enemies can charge up special attacks which can be countered by a specific head. Switch to the proper head and hit the counter button fast enough (it’s easier than it sounds) and you’ll be treated to a brutal, stylish and often funny takedown. It’s shockingly well put together, and still rivals many of the action/adventure titles on the PSP today.
I’d be doing Dead Head Fred a disservice if I didn’t also mention the voicework. The voice acting throughout is spot on (despite the character lip-syncing being noticeably off during most of the cutscenes), but the most notable voice, of course, belongs to Fred himself. And really, who better to play an extremely pissed-off headless P.I. with a chip on his shoulder than John C. McGinley (most widely known as Dr. Perry Cox from Scrubs)? His sarcasm and general anger at the world are a perfect fit, and almost every line will at least evoke a chuckle. Again, this is some very impressive stuff coming out of a game no one paid any notice to.
It’s really a shame that Dead Head Fred didn’t receive more attention when it came out. I suppose it just coasted under everyone’s radar. But that was then, and this is now; and now is the time to play one of the PSP’s best. I’m addressing this to all PSP owners: “Buy this game!” It’s quirky, fun, wonderful, hilarious and full of stuff to do. It’s also been around for so long you can find it for under $10 (assuming you can find it, that is). Do it. You won’t regret it, and maybe… just maybe… we might find ourselves blessed with another one of Fred’s adventures in the future.
—–
Things We Liked: Extremely quirky characters and humor. Lots of things to do. Surprisingly deep combat and exploration. Head Jokes.
Things We Disliked: Character lips don’t always sync with the voices (when they have lips, that is). Odd little pauses in the sound when walking up to pedestrians. Not enough head jokes.
Target Audience: PSP owners. Fans of action/adventure games. People who love John C. McGinley. Anyone that’s a sucker for a game with a unique style.
(Dead Head Fred – Developer: Vicious Cycle Software. Publisher: D3Publisher. Available on PlayStation Portable. Buy it Now at Amazon.com
