Dead Head Fred

The real enjoyment of playing this game came from wanting to explore the detailed and often mysterious world and to get to a new cut-scene and be introduced to another unique character.

Dead Head Fred is one of my top favorite PSP games of the year. I haven’t had this much fun with a corpse since that frat party back in…err…I mean since Stubbs on the Xbox.

Dead Head Fred is a very good game with a lot to offer. It is a shame, though, that some will pick the game up and put it down due to the frustration of the first level and boss fight.

Dead Head Fred is one of the better titles available on the PSP, and until Chains of Olympus comes out, it has no challenger for title of best action game on the PSP.

There's more to this game then meets the eye and, just like an onion, it has many layers. Peel one back and as well as making you cry with laughter, it'll keep you entertained for hours on end.

Dead Head Fred is genuinely funny, well written and simply fun to play.

Dead Head Fred is a wildly unique PSP game that will not fail to hook you into its quirky, deliciously twisted and downright satisfying adventure. It’s rare to find a game - especially a handheld game - that walks its own distinctive line and when we do find it the game in question will make you appreciate it even more.

Dead Head Fred is a fantastic adventure game full of memorable characters and ingenious puzzles. If you're the type of person who likes to do and see everything then you'll be at this game for weeks. And even if you don't care about all of the extra content the developers stuffed into this $30 PSP game you'll still find an interesting story full of twists and turns.

The tale of revenge in a dark world is twisted, unapologetically humorous and packed with balanced gameplay that should keep players engaged for hours.

The game engine is silky smooth and, for the PSP, quite detailed and amazing. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better-looking game on the PSP. Combat is neither easy nor shallow, and you’ll soon find that with multiple heads in your inventory, Fred can pull off a wide variety of moves.

One of the most entertaining games to hit the PSP this year.

Even if the combat mechanics aren't alive and kicking, with its inventive puzzles and unique sense of style the body of Dead Head Fred offers an experience PSP owners shouldn't miss.

Dead Head Fred's greatest strength is its humor. The world that was created is almost depressingly dark, but the biting humor and incredibly smart writing keep it light enough that you want to see if you can make everything better.

Even with the profanity, the game manages to pull off a high degree of charm that could give this new IP a lot of legs if they can clarify the target audience in a sequel.

Original, stylish, entertaining adventure. [Nov 2007, p.89]

If you fancy something a little different, punctuated by brilliant scripting and fantastic characters, look no further that this substantial chunk of action-comedy greatness.

Dark for many reasons, but most make this a decent adventure. [Dec 2007, p.83]

A stiff camera and fiddly paltforming frustrate, but this still proves to be a unique, fun experience. [Nov 2007, p.84]

A perfect example of a game whose strengths far outweigh its minuses. The great visual style, graphics and voice acting, along with the head switching mechanic certainly makes up for the less than stellar platforming and slightly repetitive combat.

Dead Head Fred is an interesting, immersive and innovative game that makes good use of the PlayStation Portable's capabilities. A few gameplay issues and the eventual receptiveness drag the title down a notch or two though.

Although it might not have be an entirely enjoyable ride from start to finish, there's a definite sense of style and intelligence in the approach. In its current state, Dead Head Fred comes maddeningly close to what could be defined as a genius cult classic.

Nearly a quirky classic. [Dec 2007, p.123]

With some great moments full of humor, great voice acting and some original ideas, Dead Head Fred could have been something else if it managed to get the combat right. Still, it’s something different for PSP owners. [Jan 2008]

There are some very good reasons to play Dead Head Fred, but a lot of them aren't the moment to moment gameplay until surprisingly late in the game.

Dead Head Fred has some great ideas that are obscured by a lot of messed up mechanics.

Beating up enemies and stealing their heads works, but is rarely compelling. Navigating bite-sized environments is easy to do, but almost never offers a sense of exploration or accomplishment.

It's mostly rubbish; the focus is on combat, and the combat's tied to a camera that flops around like, well, a brain in a jar. [Dec 2007, p.114]

Weighing in at a hefty 20-25 hours in length, Dead Head Fred outstays its welcome and never really elevates above being a fun yet ultimately frustrating platform-cum-action adventure game.