Headhunter: Redemption Hands-On

At E3 this year, Sega is showing off a 25-percent-complete version of Headhunter: Redemption, a third-person story-driven sci-fi-themed action adventure game for the PS2. You could say the game is styled after the Metal Gear Solid series, since while it uses a fixed third-person perspective, it's heavy on plot and involves some stealth as well as shooting elements. It's the sequel to 2002's Headhunter, a similar game, and it introduces a new female character, Leeza-X, who works alongside the original game's protagonist, Jack Wade. Wade now looks somewhat older and appears to be training Leeza as his replacement. Leeza, with her sleeve tattoos and punk attitude, seems like she could handle her own, and the E3 build of the game features a level in which you can take her through an enemy-infested compound.

The gameplay is reminiscent of other, similar games. Targeting and shooting are much like in the recent Grand Theft Auto games, meaning you can auto-target enemies and then fire away at them while trying to dodge their attacks. Leeza can perform evasive rolls and flatten her back against a wall and peek around corners. She can also switch to a first-person scan view, reminiscent of the scan visor from Metroid Prime, to examine objects in her surroundings.

Headhunter: Redemption's visuals look good enough, though the game's visual design doesn't particularly distinguish itself. Instead, Headhunter: Redemption will likely rely on the strength of its story, details of which aren't available from the build on display. Stay tuned for more on the game.