Headhunter Release
The developers, the Swedish company Azme , had taken on the daunting task of creating a tactical-action-espionage game featuring a bounty hunter. The game will only be released in Europe for the Dreamcast . There are rumored US prototypes like the recently discovered canceled US versions of Shenmue 2 . The publisher Acclaim will publish the game for the PS2 on the American continent while Sega will take care of the European market. Because yes, it's the Playstation 2 version that I'm going to tell you about!
Dreamcast owners could be delighted to have their own little Metal Gear. Betrayal, he passed to the West.
The story takes place in the near future. The government will control everything, through a strict regime of laws and absolute control over the media, in order to manipulate the information intended for the citizens. It is in this heavenly atmosphere that we will play Jack Ware, a professional bounty hunter. Jack has forgotten all about his former life as a policeman and his early career in the ACN, the government agency that fights criminals who threaten supremacy. From the start of the game, Jack is hired by a certain Angela Sern to track down and neutralize the murderer of her father, who is none other than the president of the ACN.
This kind of Shenmue, Headhunter can be considered as an open world, promised a gigantic theater of operations and many cutscenes. Here the goal is not to shoot at everything that moves, on some occasions, it will be better to sneak up on your opponents rather than coldly shoot them down. The sets are interactive, it's not a good idea to stay near gas pumps when you're being shot at.
Headhunter brilliantly mixes police investigation (with riddles and search for clues) and fight scene (with big guns and full of blood). The icing on the cake is the possibility of visiting the entire city by motorbike. It is even possible to take part in urban rodés (illegal races) and pocket the bets.
The soundtrack accompanying the game was done by Richard Jacques who had previously worked on Metropolis Street Racer.
Who will find the canceled American version of Headhunter Dreamcast if it exists?
The PS2 Prototype (Nov 18, 2001)
Main Debug Menu
Scene Menu
Scene menu : Allows access to the level or scene of your choice among 107 possible entries.
Load/Save Menu
Load/Save Menu : Provides access to options for saving and loading a game (in game).
Vertex Buffer Menu
Vertex Buffer Menu : Nothing happens on screen, its purpose is currently unknown.
Enemy Menu
Enemy Menu : Open system information related to enemies. I don't know if the options work.
Stream Volume Menu
Stream Volume Menu : Change the sound status.
This prototype looks like the final version, the differences are few or non-existent. The particularity of this beta is its active Debug Menu. If it was already known, it is now no longer necessary to modify the game, the hacker, in order to have access to it. To open it, press the "Square" button and hold it then press "Start".
The Debug Menu is very comprehensive. It allows to modify the game according to the preferences of the players (Cheats) or to open development options used by the team of Azme. This menu will allow you to explore Headhunter from a new angle. It comprises 16 sub-menus of which here is a brief overview:
Item Menu
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Item Menu : Allows you to add items (weapons etc.) that exist in the game to your inventory.
Misc Options Menu
Mis Options Menu : We could consider this menu as a Cheat Menu. By disabling "Collision", the character will be able to pass through walls. It is here that it will be possible to activate invincibility.
Movie Menu
Movie Menu : Allows you to view cutscenes, scenes from 52 different entries.
Collision Menu
Collision Menu : Specific menu to adjust various parameters concerning collisions.
File/DB/OBJ Menu
File/DB/OBJ Menu : Allows you to add the objectives to be completed readable in the pause menu?
Debug Info Menu
Debug Info Menu : Nothing happens on the screen, its purpose is currently unknown.
Sound Menu
Sound Menu : Modifies certain sound effects (fire, bullet impact) by modifying the values ?
Trigger Menu
Trigger Menu : Displays map-specific markers.
VM Menu
"Sound Database Menu" and "RT Cutscene Menu" are nothing special
VM Menu : Memory card option.
You can download Headhunter's Playstation 2 prototype below
If you prefer to play Headhunter on Dreamcast with Debug Menu, visit JC 's blog here: Catching up part 3: Out of bounds Jack
Thanks :
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to Sined Collection for sharing the prototype ISO
Prototypes with Debug Menu : Skies of Arcadia Dreamcast - Time Stalkers Dreamcast - Sega Marine Fishing Dreamcast - Sonic Shuffle Dreamcast - Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare Dreamcast - Headhunter PS2 - Shadow Man Dreamcast - Shenmue 2 Dreamcast (Game Jam) - Shenmue 2 Us Dreamcast - Geist Force Dreamcast - Jet Set Radio Dreamcast (E3) - Disney's Dinausor Dreamcast - MDK 2 Dreamcast -Test Drive: V-Rally 2 Dreamcast -Stunt GP Dreamcast -Slave Zero Dreamcast