Headlander Reviews
While Headlander's brand of humour isn't quite as pronounced as Adult Swim might have wanted it, there are so many absorbing elements at play here.
Headlander injects new ideas into a familiar genre and does it brilliantly. While the story might be unsatisfying and the gameplay gets repetitive, the balance between combat and puzzles is so good that'll keep you coming back for more.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Headlander is a game that will attracts you from the first moment by it has a perfect retrofuturistic setting. The idea is very original, and the soundtrack it’s just fantastic, however, not everything is good and the difficulty levels and combat system can be very improvable.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Headlander is a unique take on a familiar genre, and one that works thanks to its design. The humor is classic Double Fine, and even a bit dark at times, but it succeeds in what it sets out to do. The progression is great, and the challenge is there, but never unfair. For those that missed this game on PC or PS4, now is the time to dive in. This is one trip worth taking.
Headlander probably won't be the best "Metroidvania" everyone has ever played, but it is one of the most unique. Its overuse of door-based progression is unfortunate, but is more than made up for by a plethora of inventive scenarios. This is all backed by solid controls and combat mechanics, which is always appreciated. The visual and sound design is reason enough to convince players not to quit until they've finished the game. The way everything comes together makes for an unparalleled sci-fi experience.
Headlander deftly delivers a smart story via a constant stream of varied, original ideas, to ensure a journey that feels remarkably vibrant and fresh from start to finish. Crammed full of Double Fine's trademark humour, and loaded to the brim with references to classic sci-fi, it pays loving homage to that corny, yet fun, era of film and television, that often gets overlooked in the age of the green screen and digital effect.
In the end, Headlander is a very good adventure game for fans of the Metroidvania blueprint. The gimmicks that come from a flying head are used well, and the idea never feels tired. The action in firefights is good, and the number of areas and slightly hidden passageways in the world makes exploration equally worthwhile. It does feel like a drag whenever you have to perform the same action multiple times in different parts of a level, but the game is short enough that the padding doesn't feel too bad. Overall, genre fans will have a great time with Headlander.
There are attempts at switching up the formula, but these are brief departures. Like the combat, it feels like the game’s story, outside of gags, also has nothing to say. Headlander filters transhumanism through a comedy lens, but it never provokes thought. Considering you’re all head, you’d think there would be more brains.
I loved my time with Headlander. It’s 70s sci-fi inspired aesthetic, tight Metroidvania gameplay and crazy “dock your head on other bodies” mechanics have been keeping me happy for a while. As I did my Headlander review I kept thinking about how varied Double Fine’s output is. The studio has given us adventure games, action games, Russian nestling dolls games, and games that are the most metal ever. I can’t wait to see what the studio does next, and I highly recommend that you give this one a go today.
Headlander is a funny, well designed game with an excellent aesthetic, it's a shame that a few shortcomings let it down in the long run
Headlander is worth the price of admission, just be warned that its combat can lead to a fair share of frustration.
Headlander is a unexpected but pleasant title that has rekindled my interest in 2D side-scrollers. The title is both familiar and wholly unique, and the main mechanic of Headlanding is entertaining and intuitive. A sleek and stylistic design matched with an incredible attention to detail more than make up for any frustrations with the game’s combat or puzzles.
Headlander it an outstanding game artistically speaking, gameplay-wise its really fun and even though it's story is lost midway through, it's not something that hurts the game at all. The difficulty scales linearly as the game progresses, finding more powerful enemies as we advance, enemies which in turn we can posses, making it all beautifully balanced. Some gameplay mechanics fall short as they are not used enough, however the game is enjoyable from beginning to end. This is why i absolutely recommend this game, it's a fun experience all the way through, although clocking at around six hours, it left me wanting for more.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Headlander doesn’t rise above the genre in every respect, but it honors it and enhances it through clever gameplay and inventive new mechanics. It succeeds because it adds a wonderful new spin to the action-adventure side-scroller while maintaining a distinct aesthetic and personality. It’s quirky and fun with a big dose of silly humor. Fans of the genre shouldn’t miss it.
Sharp visuals and story don't save a would-be strong Metroidvania platformer from endless pitfalls.
"yet another game that strengthens the standing of Double Fine as pioneers in eccentricity, one of the few developers respectfully willing to pay attention to their bizarre ideas"
Headlander has a few faults, but when getting into a flow of this style of game, it turns out to be a pretty well made Metroidvania game. Filling out the map is addicting, and seeing a room I can’t enter without having a certain body usually always had me backtracking to see what exactly was in it.
By narrowing their focus, Double Fine have crafted probably their most cohesive and mechanically sound game to date, one that takes its gimmicky concept and executes it to perfection.