Ludography
Headhunter Redemption cover

2003 · Amuze · Adventure · Science

Headhunter Redemption

In the 21st century, a dreadful virus wiped out millions. The vaccine was found, but at the time the world was engulfed into chaos. A new world order emerged, splitting the world into two distinct yet dependent worlds: Above and Below. The world Above reflects a chrome city, a high-rise, high-tech metropolis served by elevators and elevated freeways.

Released
31 October 2003
Platforms
PlayStation 2Xbox
Genres
AdventureScienceShooterThird-person shooter
Developers
Amuze
Publishers
—
Series
Headhunter
Modes
Single-player
Perspective
First personThird person
Themes
ActionScience fiction
Engine
RenderWare
Country
Sweden
Age ratings
PEGI 16ESRB M
Entry
#2 in Headhunter
Composers
Richard Jacques

About

Headhunter Redemption is a 2004 action-adventure video game developed by Amuze and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is the sequel to Headhunter and the last game to be developed by Amuze before its closure.

Keywords

  • modern warfare
  • cyberpunk
  • death
  • futuristic
  • action-adventure
  • modern military
  • renderware

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Story

Set twenty years after the Bloody Mary Virus (released in the original Headhunter), Jack and his new partner Leeza X find out something is amiss when they try to stop Weapon Smugglers. The pair must face opposition from the Glass Skyscrapers filled and media controlled 'Above' and The Dregs & Criminal Infested colonies of 'Below'. Jack and Leeza must also face their fears as they try to redeem a world from chaos, especially Jack, whose son was taken away by forces from 'Below', but might still be alive.

Development

Headhunter: Redemption is the second and final entry in the franchise Headhunter. According to creative director John Kroknes, the name of the game was chosen because it "sounds cool", and also in an attempt to reflect the studio's desire to "give real depth to [their] characters and storyline". Jack and his partner Leeza X "face personal demons and grow as characters during their adventure […]. They redeem themselves from past mistakes and give society a chance to start over."

Gameplay-wise, Redemption retains "all the core elements of the Headhunter world" but focuses slightly less on stealth "in favour of more intense combat action": shooting "is the core, with a range of evasive manoeuvres" necessary to thrive against enemies. In spite of this, stealth often remains "a wise tactical approach - a way of evening the odds before plunging into a firefight." Bike riding sequences were removed in this sequel because many players found them "frustrating" in the first game. While developing Redemption, the team "felt that the biking sequences distracted from the flow of the story and the gameplay", and they didn't want to make it a "mini-game" or disappoint players by not offering "the kind of limitless roaming expect[ed] with vehicles today." That being said, Jack still rides his bike but, unlike in the previous game, it only appears in a few cutscenes, "pretty much for the nostalgia factor".

Reception

Headhunter Redemption received "mixed or average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.

According to John Kroknes, the game didn't sell well, due to a "complete lack of marketing support" from Sega.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Xbox27 August 2004Europe · North America 21 September 2004
PlayStation 227 August 2004Europe · North America 21 September 2004

In the same series

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Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.