Dead Head Fred is a remarkably entertaining title for the PSP, which truly falls into one of the best original IP category for any portable device. PSU was excited to have a hands on look at this title. Although M rated, Dead Head Fred has a charmingly morbid sense of humor and looks to have enough action, puzzles, and story to keep players happy.
Throughout the game, one thing that apparently stands out is: mechanics. Fred collects many heads that all accumulate as the journey progresses. Let us extend our definition into storyline. Fred had his head stolen by a crime boss named Pitt who wanted his head for his trophies of enemies. Doctor Steiner, the man who saved Fred’s brain and brought it back to life, decides it would be a good idea to give Fred the ability to swap his own brain in a jar head out for other heads that might be more useful due to other circumstances.
Imagine that. Apply a little bit of Fred’s ability to life, and you can grab someone else’s brain during that tough math test you know your own brain won’t do well on. This core mechanic allows for the intricate puzzles that require different heads. For instance, in order to talk to humans, Fred has to put on his dummy head which was taken from a mannequin or else they would run away in fear of his appearance.
Voice acting, combined with the comical music, make the game extraordinary. Fred’s voice is the talent by John C. McGinley who currently plays Dr. Perry Cox on NBC’s Scrubs. As an already violent and sporatic doctor on the show, his experience at a violent role seems to be a perfect fit for Fred and his violent temper.
PSU was fairly impressed by this title, and can’t wait to review it fully. So, get ready. Grab someone else’s brain. Because you might need it to beat the traffic to your nearest game store when this title hits August 28th, 2007.