Headlander (2016)

I've decided it's time to start actually PLAYING the many games wasting away in my backlog. I've put everything in a random name picker and we're seeing what comes of it! First up: Headlander.

My prior knowledge of this game came solely from it's brief mentions in the Psychonauts 2 documentary from earlier this year. I think I bought it in a steam sale at some point. And I think this game had some really cool concepts! The music was great, the art and aesthetic were super charismatic, the door that sounded like Michael Cera got a decent number of laughs from me- but I found the controls a little hard to manage, and ultimately just found myself putting it down after 2 or 3 play sessions and I have yet to feel any pull to pick it back up. But maybe someday!

This one sucked me in right from the get-go. It had such a great gameplay mechanic, and the world was interesting and full of humor. Exploration was fun, and I loved the entire premise.

But this game really didn’t know how to grow beyond its roots. The exploration became pointless - every secret is marked on your map and requires zero challenge to obtain. The combat is really annoying. The puzzles were mostly obvious. And the story really is boring.

I think this could have been much much better, but it kind fell flat for me.

I really enjoyed my playthrough of Headlander. The game's 70s sci-fi aesthetic is expertly executed and sets it apart from other games I've played lately, and its story and characters exude that trademark Double Fine charm and wit. Controls feel tight (particularly while boosting around as just a head, something I imagine was difficult to pull off) and maps feel large but well-designed... I resisted consulting a walkthrough until a portion of the final boss battle, which I often resort to doing for most "Metroidvania" games I've played.

For all its strengths, it isn't perfect. There's a sequence right after the tutorial that shows you a glimpse of a larger galaxy you never really get a chance to explore... there was a point about halfway through the game where I realized the scope of environments I'd be seeing was narrower than I was expecting. Upgrades are satisfying to discover but less so to accumulate, as they don't affect your appearance and only modestly improve your weaponry. And the puzzles, while fun and intuitive, grow a little repetitive over the course of the game.

Quibbles aside, I consider this a stellar new entry in Double Fine's oeuvre, in many ways an alternate-reality sci-fi evolution of Lee Petty's previous game, Stacking... and possibly my favorite Metroid game that isn't a Metroid game.