Headlander Reviews
Sharp visuals and story don't save a would-be strong Metroidvania platformer from endless pitfalls.
Without those lackluster diversions, it would be an amicable trifle. Even at its best, the game feels like an idea gestating in real-time, like a sponge dinosaur filling up with water. So much of Headlander teases you with the idea of what could have been; a shame, because the game we actually got is kind of a bummer.
Headlander isn’t a lost cause, yet Double Fine should have done a couple more reinventions on the drawing board before they let this one loose. The main idea is intriguing and might convince some dedicated players to go all the way through, but to anyone else it will be a drag with some laughter, but mostly tedium.
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.
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 proves to be a nice distraction in the midst of the Summer drought season as I enjoyed its humor from start to finish. While its humor helped carry me to the end, the literal disconnect of the character's head from his body turned into a figurative disconnect as its story wasn’t engaging enough. It has some nice Metroidvania moments, although it sputters towards the end to only rely on its color-coded components to keep me out of certain areas, which felt like a cheap way to finish the game.
What starts as a fine homage to Super Metroid and ‘70s style sci-fi ends as a disappointing waste of both story and gameplay potential.
It’s not that I think Headlander is a bad game — quite the opposite. It’s just that I want Headlander to realize its potential — to be so much more than what it is.
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
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's retrofuturist aesthetic is creative enough to make up for the fact its underlying mechanics are anything but.
‘Headlander’ is a lovely dystopian 70s sci-fi game that's strange, good fun.
Headlander is an okay game made much better by a suitably daft concept, and the way it’s presented. It’s an amusing take on the Metroidvania-style genre that adds little new mechanically.
Headlander is entertaining, looks and sounds excellent, and gives off a cool vibe, but this isn't quite a classic.
Headlander also has an extensive upgrade system for your helmet, but I found myself only making use of a small percentage of them, but this might act as the perfect example for the game itself: a ton of great ideas without fully making use of all of them.
Headlander is an enjoyable 2D metroidvania that successfully merges the usual wacky style of Double Fine with some straightforward gameplay mechanics.
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 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 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.