Headhunter - PS2

The future is here and it’s a dangerous place – especially when you don’t know who you are, who wants you dead, and why.

Gang warfare and soaring crime have led to repression under a near-fascist regime. Strict censorship controls the media, and new laws measure everything and everyone by their value to the state. Wrongdoers face ‘chipping’ with experimental implants and compulsory organ donation, their body parts used to prolong the lives of law-abiding citizens.

Leading the war against crime is the Anti-Crime Network, an elite force of privatised law enforcers. Like the bounty hunters of old, the CAN’s Headhunters track down the city’s ‘most wanted’ wherever they hide. Combining combat skills, stealth and cunning with the latest in high-tech weaponry, the Headhunters are beginning to turn the criminal tide. But when the millionaire founder of the ACN is found murdered at his desk, it seems the underworld may be striking back. Is his death the work of the Syndicate and its mysterious criminal mastermind, or does the truth run deeper and darker?

You play as Jack Wade, the black-clad guy who, at the beginning of Headhunter, has to be reminded exactly who and what he is. Jack’s presented with mission after mission which, rather than go for a lie down like the majority of us would, he undertakes without question. One thing Jack does know is who the bad guys are, and this is partly thanks to some of the gadgets and gizmos he picks up at the start of and during the game. These accessories are in limited supply to begin with, but as you become familiar with the gameplay, you’ll find it easier to gain Headhunter licences, thus opening up more of the story. And what a story! Discretion prevents us from telling you too much, but the basic premise is that there is treachery afoot regarding illegal organ and body part trading. Suffice to say it’s essentially a case of ‘get the girl, kill the baddies’, only without the girl, and with the added bonus of a gift motorbike-from a girl! Oh, just get yourself a copy of the game and it’ll all become clear.

We could toss a bunch of superlatives at Headhunter, but the lasting impression is that you’re involved in something special once you get to the heart of the tale. ‘Immersive’ is a word that’s bandied about far too frequently regarding video games: this one truly is. Its filmic quality (special mention has to go to the rousing score) is akin to that of Konami’s MGS series-it’s that good.
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