PSP Fanboy hands-on: Dead Head Fred

We're still bashing our ways through Dead Head Fred, which was recently released to stores. Our initial impressions of D3 Publisher's PSP exclusive are fairly positive, although we still have a few reservations. The character and premise is undeniably the game's strongest selling point. The tale of Fred, who loses his head to the mob, is fascinating, and we're glad to see the game has an equally compelling script. Yes, this is a game for adults, and you can expect a lot of appropriate cursing, handled by a well-trained vocal team. John McGinley is absolutely perfect as the titular character.

The gameplay doesn't manage to achieve the same quality as the production values. We're absolutely in love with the brutal kill animations players can engage in. They easily rival the most gruesome death sequences found in the God of War series. The combat is a bit shallow, and simplistic, but the fortitude of heads at your disposal certainly tries to liven things up. Thankfully, the generous checkpoint system makes any frustrating moments in combat a bit less tiresome: you won't lose too much progress, and you'll be able to learn the intricacies of the battle system in no time.

The other elements, such as platforming and puzzle solving, aren't coalescing properly for us. Somehow, the controls, and the somewhat stiff camera seem to be hindering our progress. We'll reserve final judgment for later next week, but for now, it appears that Dead Head Fred is a promising original title on PSP that deserves some attention. Expect Colin's review soon.