Dead No Head – Review
There are some simple RPG elements in Dead No Head, but the overall feel of the game is more roguelike than anything else. Too complicated? I assure you, it’s not difficult at all. This short-to-medium-length journey, created by a single person, is more of an action adventure, in which our hero is brought back to life but has no idea what is going on.
We’re on a quest to find a way to retrieve the missing head, so we’re paddling the waters off the coast of this strange land in search of information. If you’re up for a laugh or two along the way, the overall concept is straightforward. The game’s storey is told through a series of short and simple dialogues between the protagonist and other key characters.
Norix, our protagonist, is able to fire his gun and use his hands for close-quarters combat. Throw grenades; dash; jump; and climb to perform some basic platforming. It is one of Norix’s most important skills, along with the ability to slow time, to learn dash. Possibly the most intriguing of all the included options.
XP will be earned for each enemy killed, which will eventually lead to a selection of unlockable skills. This is where the “roguelike” elements come into play. Although it isn’t a true video game in its genre, dying and trying are just ways to gain experience that can be used to prepare for the more difficult challenges ahead. What are the components of these abilities? At this point, it gets a little more interesting. Ability Points are a type of skill upgrade, while Upgrades are a type of skill point. As a result of the Upgrades, Norix’s life and ammunition capacity can be multiplied multiple times. A skill’s abilities can only be unlocked once, such as boosting the amount of damage inflicted. This isn’t anything special, but it does the job of providing some variety.
Everything from the vibrant forests to the mysterious swamps has been beautifully rendered with fine details and excellent use of colour. Don’t expect an open world in this short and linear game. In this game, the level design is fairly straightforward, allowing the player to move forward and deal with enemies at their own pace. Secrets and hidden documents don’t offer much in the way of interactivity. Making a world with a rich lore and history took very little time and effort.
Dead No Head makes extensive use of the Unreal Engine 4’s optimization features. There’s no need to mention them, as they all appear to be present. In the beginning, there were a lot of missing features, but the developer made sure to include every single one of them.
To get the most enjoyment out of Dead No Head, you should aim for the most difficult difficulty setting. No, this isn’t going to be the best game you’ve ever played, but given that it’s developed by a single person, has a nice visual style, and no major bugs, I think it’s worth a try.
