Dead Head Fred

Rating ESRB: Mature Genre adventure Publisher D3 Publisher of America External Links Official Dead Head Fred Website

PSP owners: head to your local game store and pick this title up pronto. Why, you ask? Because Dead Head Fred is one of the first original and truly inspired titles for the PSP since the system’s launch. I’m sure some of you will disagree about that, but here are the reasons why I’m right.

The story is simple, but darkly twisted and fantastically spun. You are Fred Neuman, a former private eye in the most extreme sense. Found dead in a dark corner of Hope Falls, you’re helpless corpse is reanimated by Dr. Steiner, but only after your head has been removed to be sent to a crime boss as a trophy. Your brain and eyes are salvaged, placed in a jar, and connected to a system that allows for head swapping. This mechanic takes a cool game and makes the gameplay surprisingly diverse. Throughout the game you are given an array of heads to use at your will, each one with it’s own special power moves, rage abilities, and ranged attacks.

Heads can be swapped on the fly, even in mid-battle, which allows for varied combat based on a simple button-combo system. Each head has its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, the corpse head can collect gasses and liquids and spray them at enemies for short- and long-ranged attacks, yet moves slowly. Fred’s jar head allows for life rejuvenation but isn’t very strong. My personal favorite is the shrunken head, which appropriately shrinks Fred. And the best part of these heads—nine in total—is that each one is upgradeable as you progress through the game.

Vicious Cycle really went the extra mile to optimize gameplay for the PSP. They took full advantage of the system’s layout. The controls are intuitive, the menus are easy to navigate, and the environments are stylistically impressive. The ‘twisted-noir’ universe of Hope Falls comes across in all facets of gameplay, including every item, every enemy, and every location. The dark and gruesome world is supported by an appropriate soundtrack, which keeps you on your toes. However, you might encounter a feeling of repetitiveness from time to time. If that happens, switch heads and try bashing stuff. There is plenty of violence and gore to go around.

One of the most striking features of this game—and the one you’re sure to hear about the most—is John C. McGinley’s staring role as the voice of Fred. McGinley currently takes on the role of Dr. Perry Cox on NBC’s Scrubs, and any faithful Scrubs fan will love how wonderfully McGinley’s voice suits Dead Head Fred’s wicked sense of humor. I have to admit, though, that the barrage of four-letter words always surprised me. It was almost too much. But McGinley does a great job, as do the other voice actors in the game. The dialogue can be a bit lacking, but too much talky-talk and you take away from the awesome environment of the game.

The Single-player gameplay is supplemented by fun mini-games and multi-player action. However, the single-player is so unique that if you skip that stuff you’ll most likely still feel like you got your money’s worth. Make sure you watch through the game’s credits. You’re bound to run into a hilarious surprise. It’s worth it. Trust me.