dead head fred japanese hepburn horror themed action adventure video game playstation portable developed published publisher released north_america august powered vicious engine features premise combination 1940s style noir contemporary horror dubbed twisted noir design team game single player experience title character private investigator ability switch heads fred recently murdered memories events leading death plot follows fred pieces clues murder tries revenge man killed unlike action game heroes fred conventional weapons relies solely powers available severed heads fallen enemies game received generally positive reviews reviewers mentioning dark humor noir inspired motif high points received criticism controls lack combat depth won writers guild america award video game writing gameplay person action adventure game incorporates variety gameplay styles including combat puzzles core gameplay dead head fred revolves fred missing head ability switch heads defeating certain enemies collecting heads referred fred explores city collect assortment heads unique abilities examples include stone idol head fred use ram corpse head suck spit water gasoline materials fred uses heads navigate city certain parts city accessible certain heads found high level radiation led worms player collect use upgrade fred heads temporarily increase fighting abilities benefits money special items earned defeating enemies completing missions unrelated plot fishing scattered city combat players attacks disposal depending head fred equipped attacks include head specific ranged attacks counterattack player complete instantly kill enemy removing head gives fred rage points rage energy builds time player use powerful attacks multiple foes dealing large damage opponent time fred remove head collected heads traded head shops usable version types environmental puzzles player solve order progress game requires specific head bone head gives fred sharp claws allow climb sides buildings head decreases size dramatically lets navigate levels saw mill head fred use residents terrified heads available heads seven suitable combat plot setting takes place new_jersey prosperous area based american cities 1940s city steadily fallen grace business named began accumulating power background petty crime allegations responsible disappearance influential businessman new plant recently finished construction caused high level radiation city leading strange phenomena like wildlife monsters composed areas fred access castle ancestral home family fred resurrected outside castle large cemetery borders forested area proper urban areas downtown old downtown home headquarters fred office found old hope falls suggests overrun zombies residents fled neighborhood homes rural areas border city freak farms fred owns small cabin highly area built area contains form sewer fred use quickly area characters protagonist voiced private detective fred playable character head gives different set animations considered separate characters proper face fred mood portrayed tone voice face like expressions formed eyes frontal fred sarcastic personality occasionally breaks fourth wall player dies game primary antagonist small time turned employs prominent lieutenant right leg replaced fred makes allies game including resurrected girlfriend partner fred enemies generally employees like skeletal bone creatures created radiation like zombies animated story game begins fred waking castle employee fred soon learns murdered subsequently resurrected head missing place liquid filled contains brain eyes explains fred private detective investigating discovered fred murdered fred memories missing result trauma brain explain arrive fred hides lab announce taken resides fred leaves castle meets blue skinned cemetery outside introduces head merchant help fred providing quality heads fred continues defeats rescues little information fred investigation suggests question residents learn demise fred begins exploring meeting strange personalities way old girlfriend daughter prominent citizen fred learns reported missing subsequently hired fred find fred eventually followed trail fred partner fred promptly caught shot death right hand man armed knowledge death events leading fred continues investigation recovers murder learns fred alive kidnaps use leverage fred confronts headquarters shutting centerpiece criminal enterprise plant defeating exposed nuclear waste fight subsequently huge beast comes aid game final battle fred ultimately defeats atop building killed battle manages escape remains battle fred head held hostage shown open near building unbeknownst fred final scene game shows fred having dinner restaurant celebrate fred loss head development dead head fred uses game engine created maintained game design company considered video game industry engine designed simple set creation tools multiple consoles game originally conceived platform game based character president staff developed conceptual world called prime lived ability switch head different shapes cube sphere cylinder pyramid help solve puzzles fight prime quest stop evil king trying destroy prime shaped heads unique properties gave different abilities sphere head allowed roll quickly example concept described development team similar platform games like younger audience concept complete development team presented publishers stated liked idea geometry based core strongly resembled interested developing edgy adult premise early choice hosting game chosen noir setting vicious cycle went drawing board produced new concept felt darker better suited older audience head switching game mechanic praised potential publishers kept time replaced angry private detective named world prime replaced bleak film noir esque city fred seek revenge presented new project sony promptly approved game despite having secured publisher shortly project picked submitted concept art company develop initial character sketches massive black artists allowed use imagination developing fred stipulation beginning fred head developers wanted liquid filled detective brain eyes floating inside massive black came different versions fred including guns lead designer decided game include receiving sketches chose portrayed fred appearance retained youthful focus scrapped project publisher decided present concept art test group developers surprise test group interested darker intimidating portrayal fred playful look chosen developers decided flesh concept took chosen sketches time art came darker similarities matrix evil dead inspired look influence game art style violent theme testing provided development team focus groups result game slowly incorporated combat puzzles fred combat capabilities revamped attacks combinations gave time develop game hope receiving better reviews potentially turning franchise delay pushed game release january august bought months game release company headquarters remained north_carolina staff retained audio soundtrack music composed recorded studio graves worked previous games like composers interested developing sound retro futuristic borrowed death themed pieces like zombie development team substantial ideas game music theme mood giving composers free soundtrack direction voice work crucial area development formation game mood theme story dark humorous quality hiring hollywood screenwriter create script proposed ultimately designer given task writing game cutscenes script focused game dialog referred noir films inspiration especially miller crossing framed roger rabbit time cast voice actors including aforementioned miller crossing cast fred character wit cast role mob boss similar role miller crossing development team set recording game dialog proved challenging location east_coast recordings phone studio hollywood despite fact fred lines game dialog recording went smoothly exception unidentified actor walked middle session original script instance word fuck recording sessions resulted great deal colorful improvisation design team liked recordings script modified permit actors curse focused portraying fred having chip shoulder head missing guy unique head gone open imagination roll makes sense pretty unlike promotion release announced video game convention trailer shown public following little heard game started developer diary website march diary entries written provided details game pre production voice work announced voicing fred month company issued press release stating game finished ready mass production game delayed allowing publisher eventually released august north_america nearly years development released october europe november australia march japan december reduced price game october available download sony soundtrack released itunes september future designed specifically intended flagship title system game designers hinted game potentially ported months work march announced sequel designers stated subsequent titles discussed game development expressed interest reprising fred parent impressed game wanted publish sequel wanted test gameplay reception received generally favorable reviews critics game writing dialogue considered main strengths game gamespy reviewer stating vast sea titles stands head shoulders rest ign said tale revenge dark world twisted humorous publications impressed reviewer stating profanity makes feel like designed teenagers desperately trying edgy game supernatural themes comparisons gamesradar included list overlooked games generation editor felt games lacked creativity exception reviewers pleased game premise setting variously describing weird silly especially area compared work graphics warmly received gamespy noting game looks simply phenomenal screen pocket gamer said game won blow head undeniably stylish pocket gamer felt game level design emphasis changing heads solve environmental puzzles mediocre combat system character design praised gamespy said fred interesting entertaining characters hit gaming said fred form like looking car crash don want help voice acting particular portrayal fred widely praised rest game audio said great music game sound effects wonderfully detailed sound title fantastic majority centered voice acting anchored office space fame brings dry sarcastic delivery fred lines consistently delivers humorous lines entire game focal point reviewers criticism gameplay specifically combat generally considered tedious repetitive australia described combat elements game game informer called combat mechanics awful performance camera criticized ign noting considering camera choose horrible angles battle puzzles annoying fight want dead said wish camera wouldn reviewers unhappy loading times eurogamer considered excessively high ign said crops comes visuals continual loading times single area awards nominated awards including award video game writing won game nominated best best handheld game award group prominent media journalists lost legend phantom nintendo notable new intellectual property nominated handheld category audio nominated awards 6th annual ceremony year lost logan shadow respectively
Dead Head Fred