Playing A Game Headlander PC

Headlander is an imperfect game with some strong core mechanics and a fun gameplay loop -- which is about as much praise as I've given any game in the last 2-3 months.

It's an action-adventure game with an interconnected world map, i.e. a Metroidvania, although it isn't an excellent example of the genre; the campaign's critical path rarely involves revisiting a previous area. But it nails the sense of exploration that comes from filling-in a map grid, and the undirected freedom of scouring that grid for overlooked doors and missing upgrades.

Likewise, the upgrade mechanics weren't terribly compelling for their own sake; I used almost none of the extra abilities I unlocked, hell I couldn't even tell you how they were activated. (Headlander gets 50 DKP minus for showing PlayStation button icons in the UI while I was using an Xbox One controller.) But passive enhancements like health and charge time got me interested in the upgrade system, and my compulsion to "collect 'em all" filled in the rest.

I didn't follow the story all that well; I think it had something to do with transhumanism? Most of the campaign didn't focus on its main plot, opting instead to surprise me with random, zany directions like -- hey it's a 1970s disco lounge in space! but now we're in a giant game of battle-chess. oh, and now there are NPCs who give sidequests? but who cares, we're going to a new world map, on the moon! However, that lack of focus didn't really feel like a negative, because I kept looking forward to whatever insane thing the game might throw at me next.

Critically, although Headlander's central combat mechanics had a bit of a learning curve - getting the "vacuum a robot's head off" balance just right took some practice - they ended up being fun throughout the game's 6-hour running length. This was, in no small part, thanks to the satisfying "pop" sound that robot heads made when they detached.

Headlander's overall style, its tubular soundtrack and retro-futuristic visual effects and mostly-humorous voice-overs, comes together really well. It never takes itself too seriously, which is perfect for its manic story direction and somewhat-unsophisticated ability upgrades.

You're a floating head who possesses robots with laser guns, and everything else is pretty much gravy on top of that.

Better than: Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, Stacking
Not as good as: Indivisible
Roughly on par with: Timespinner, plus-or-minus that game's seriousness vs. this game's lack thereof.

Progress: 100% map and upgrade completion.

Rating: Good