Headhunter

"Stands strong in the action game jungle"

So, it's finally here, the first real good Swedish (I am from Sweden) Dreamcast game (and actually game too for that matter). And it's not that bad of a first try. In fact it is an excellent breakthrough for the developpers, Amuze Studios.

So, what's the game about. Well, you are thrown into the role of Jack Wade, an amnesiac bounty hunter who is working for the Anti-Crime Network. As the game begins, you will have to take a couple of missions before actually grabbing what is happening.

The gameplay is mostly Resident Evil style, with a good bit of Metal Gear Solid thrown into it (check the first boss battle and you will probably see what I mean).
But what does a secret agent do when he has no criminals to take care of. In the case of Mr Wade he takes a nice ride with his MC. However this MC is extremely difficult to control. You will probably crash into a whole lot of things before actually getting the hang of it.
And the same goes for the entire game. The controls aren't that good always. I like Jack's to roll, though.

The graphics are what you would expect from a late Dreamcast game and while they don't rival Shenmue they are still some of the best to be seen on the system. Kudos to Amuze for their sense for detail.

The sound is great. Good voice acting, nice tunes and good sound effects. The voices are a bit stiff at times, though.

The story, without spoiling too much, is the amnesiac-hero thingy that I mentiones earlier. But it gets pretty exciting later on. You will gradually start regaining you memory and some villains from your earlier life will show their ugly faces again.

Overall this is a great game. With Resident Evil-esque gameplay, along with a Solid Snake style hero and some nice twists I can only look forward to Amuze's next game. Show the world what Swedes are capable of. I am counting on you guys.

Gameplay 8/10: Weird controls att times but the level design and roll feature make up for it.

Graphics 9/10: The detail, animations and overall feeling of the game make it one of the visually most enjoyable DC games to date.

Sound 9/10: The sound really helps in creating the mood.

Story 9/10: Not quite revolutionary, but personally I would be more than satisfied if all games had a story this good.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/05/01, Updated 12/05/01