Hands on with PSP's Dead Head Fred

Sorry '60s music lovers, you're going to have to wait a bit longer for that portable Jerry Garcia action-adventure game. Dead Head Fred is definitely packed with action, but Fred's adventure has little to do with rock and roll, tie-dye, and hemp. Rather, D3's PSP-exclusive is more concerned with crafting a game so unique that it will make your cranium spin.

Dead Head Fred tells the unfortunate story of Fred Neuman, a private detective investigating a local mob boss not too keen on his snooping. Fred ends up brutally murdered for his probing, his head severed from his body. But a bizarre scientific experiment subsequently gives new life to Fred, albeit without either his memory or his head.

Still, urged on by a sense of vengeance and a desire to put a good head on his shoulders, Fred begins a quest to take out the mob boss who killed him. As Fred (and his various heads), then, you'll explore 12 different locations set around his hometown.

The mob's increasing influence over the township has not only put fear into the citizens, but also ravaged the landscape. Toxic sludge runs through much of the place, turning animals into ravenous beasts and people into zombies. Beating back these unfortunate foes and making your past environmental hazards requires swapping out Fred's head.

A total of nine heads can be unlocked through the course of the game, each affording a unique ability. There's a head specifically enabling Fred to swim underwater, for instance, as well as another used for climbing walls. Heads can be used in combat, but the emphasis is placed on puzzle-solving and platform challenges.

Take the early level we played through that saw Fred stuck in an alley without any forward route. Equipping his stone head, we were able to slam his head into a brick wall and open up a path. The stone head proved particularly useful because it's useful in solving puzzles and nailing enemies with a heavy blow.

Fred's primary jar head offers a number of practical applications as well. One area we played required sucking up exhaust from an air conditioner to blow up Fred's jar head and make him float. Doing this enabled us to reach a previously inaccessible high platform. In another area, we took in a bit of water and then used it to hose down a fire blocking a path.

Beyond puzzles and platforms, Dead Head Fred features plenty of enemies to combat. We noticed hordes of citizens-turned-zombies, mad cows that explode when touched, mutant roosters, and freaky farmers that attack on sight. Presses of the Square and X buttons enable you to attack, with successive hits landing you combos. We didn't get the opportunity to see them, but wacky special moves that enable you to sever enemy heads, blow corpses up into balloons and more are also promised.

At the end of the playable demo, we confronted a rather nasty voodoo priestess named Ju Ju Judy. Aside from looking in dire need of a shower, Ju Ju Judy was particularly unpleasant in summoning zombies to attack Fred. Clearing her minions from the screen ultimately enabled us to get in a few hits and send her back to the bayou.

All of this action takes place without much of an interface on the screen, which, while aesthetically pleasing, may or may not prove problematic. There isn't a health meter anywhere; instead, Fred's backpack serves as an indicator of his condition.

Potentially an issue as well is the lack of control over the camera. Currently, Dead Head Fred uses a hands-free camera system that often pulls out from the action to give you a wide view.

But even if the above worries are realised in the final game, Dead Head Fred will still possess its unique head-swapping mechanic that is guaranteed to be entertaining, while the game's mix of action, platform and puzzle-solving elements already seems to work well.

We'll know for certain this summer – the US release is set for late August. A European date has yet to be confirmed, so click 'Track It!' to wait for a heads up. (Sorry!)