Headhunter Preview

Headhunter has been in development for around three years now--originally as an exclusive Dreamcast game. Though the game has just been released in Europe, most gamers won't be playing the game on a Dreamcast. Due to the demise of the Dreamcast platform, Sega has opted to bring the project to the PlayStation 2 as well. As it stands now, the Dreamcast version will be released only in Europe. The good news is that PS2 owners will get a chance to play the game. We've had the chance to play the first sections of the game on the PS2, and it's looking quite good.

The game is set in California in the near future, where crime is getting out of control and gangs are becoming more and more ruthless. In an attempt to fight crime, the government gives a private law-enforcement company--the Anti Crime Network (ACN)--the green light to go after criminals. The ACN tracks down wanted felons to extract "payment" from them, because when you commit a crime, you must pay the government. If criminals can't pay, then body organs are considered currency, and they will be used to enhance the lives of the rich. While the rich people can afford costly transplantations, the major part of the population has to deal with shadowy crime organizations.

You take the role of Jack Wade, a headhunter in the service of the Anti Crime Network, who's chasing criminals for their money (or organs). It's a good life until the day the head of the ACN, Christopher Stern, is murdered, and Jack wakes up tied to a table, surrounded by people in white clothing who obviously want to experiment on him. Jack manages to escape but blacks out soon after. He wakes up in a hospital with next to no memory. His former boss at the ACN, Chief Hawke, visits him at the hospital and informs him that he's been fired and that his headhunter license has been revoked, although he can't tell Jack why. The main thrust of the action will have you applying for a new license and trying to find out what happened to you and why you can't remember a single thing. Before you leave the hospital, Angela Stern, the daughter of the ACN's murdered chief, asks you to find her father's murderer. Given that you have no real choice, you agree to the deal and head to the LEILA, the agency where you can apply for a new headhunter license. LEILA stands for Law Enforcement Intelligence and License Approval unit and is an organization appointed by the government to support and regulate law-enforcement activity. It cooperates with the ACN and maintains an extensive database of criminals, records, and other information. When you enter the LEILA offices, you can apply for a C-level license and work your way up to an AAA license. To get a higher license, you need to pass a few virtual-reality training missions that also serve as a tutorial to help you get a grip on the controls. Here you'll learn how to crouch, sneak, shoot, use objects, and develop strategies for becoming the best headhunter. Your mission goals will be updated constantly via your communication device, which serves as a link to the LEILA database and as a cell phone to put you in touch with characters like Chief Hawke or Angela Stern. The first clues lead you to a guy named Grey Wolf, who is part of a gang called Wolfpack. Investigations lead to assumptions that the Wolfpack gang is part of a syndicate headed by a highly sought after mafia boss.

The game can be best described as an action adventure played in a third-person view. You'll investigate numerous locations, look for objects and clues, and eliminate criminals in the search for Christopher Stern's killer. As in Metal Gear Solid, you have a radar showing the positions of enemies and which direction they are facing. It's not wise to enter a room and blast your way blindly through the enemies, because it will almost always end in your death. Enemies react to suspicious activity and gunshots either by running for cover or by finding a way to approach you from behind. The stealthy approach from the rear is usually the best way for you to approach enemies, because if they can't see you, you can sneak up behind them and twist their necks without the need for loud gunfire. That way, felons in the next room won't be alerted, and you can proceed with exploring the environment. To move from one part of the city to another, you'll use your motorbike to speed through the streets.

The presentation of the game is incredible, with beautifully designed menus and a gorgeous orchestral soundtrack recorded at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios where Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones have recorded. The score by the London Session Orchestra (earlier credits include the Hollywood flicks The World Is Not Enough and The Mummy) fits the game perfectly, giving it an epic movie touch. The voice work is also impressive, as is the amount of detail that has gone into small sequences such as the updating of mission goals. Sometimes you'll see a sequence on your communication device where Angela Stern tells you how codes are being hacked and uploaded to the database so you can read the documents and the updated info. Elements like this immediately grab you and pull you into the story. The graphics also look very solid, with some nicely lit buildings and outdoor environments. Jack's animations sometimes look a bit rough, and there are still some camera problems, but these issues should be taken care of before the game's release.

As it stands, Headhunter is an epic thriller with a huge dose of satirical humor, such as the FMV sequences of TV station ABCBS, where the presenters exaggerate their voices when they're presenting the latest news about organ crime and other weird topics. No matter how tough and serious, the story will make you raise an eyebrow and grin every now and then. The whole mix is very refreshing and leaves us with a desire to play the full game, which definitely is a good sign. Headhunter for PS2 is due in Europe early next year, no word on when or if it will be released for the PS2 in the US. Note: Screens shown are from the Dreamcast version of the game.