Dead Head Fred is a PlayStation Portable game from D3 Publisher and Vicious Cycle Software. The game incorporates action with a well-developed storyline, colorful characters, and silly dialogue in an over-the-top experience you won't want to miss out on. The storyline falls under the genre of film noir, although with a twist. The developers refer to it as "twisted noir". The basic premise is that a resurrected from the dead private investigator seeks to take down the mobster that took his life (and head)!

The game takes place in a little place called Hope Falls. In the opening of the game, a news reporter is providing the latest details on the government's efforts to shutdown local mobster Ulysses S. Pitt's nuclear (or nukular as Pitt calls it) power plant down for good. Pitt insists his power plant is well within safety codes and he only has mankind's interests at heart. Of course, it is just a facade. Pitt is a really a bad, bad dude.

In the following segment, the game's hero awakens, unable to move or speak. All he can see is the crazy Doctor Steiner. He then learns that his name is Fred Neuman. Fred is a private investigator and while investigating Pitt, he got to close for comfort and was killed. The crazy, yet good doctor couldn't bear the guilt and decided to help Fred out. He rebuilt Fred's body to the best of his ability. The only real problem is that Fred's head was taken by Pitt as a trophy and Fred now looks like a freak with his eyes and brains in a jar attached to a life support system. Well, it is better than being inanimately dead... or is it?

After Fred gets used to the idea he is still "alive", Steiner helps him get acquainted with his new body. Then Steiner notices Pitt is approaching for an unexpected visit. He is pissed that Fred's body is missing. While Fred hides, Steiner tries to bull his way into Pitt's good graces. Unfortunately, Pitt doesn't buy it and takes him away, leaving an undead grunt to guard the laboratory. From that moment on, Fred decides to get even with the mobster and those who betrayed. And of course, to reclaim his missing head!

As for the game play, Dead Head Fred is an action/adventure genre with a twist. The combat itself is button-mashing style, where you will use different combat techniques to punch, kick, bash, smash, pulverize, poison, and destroy gangsters and the undead. Different fighting techniques can be changed by equipping one of nine heads. The nice thing about Fred being undead is that he can put on different heads and consequently gain characteristics and attributes with the head he is wearing. For instance, in the beginning you start with three heads: "Jar" is the basic level-headed Fred that allows for short-term cloaking, "Corpse" is from the remains of a dead guy that is good for undead-style attacks and emitting poisonous gas, and "Stone", a mysterious head from a stone idol that gives Fred super strength to smash things.

The game has six additional heads that include "Bone", "Scarecrow", "Toxic", "Shrunken", "Tiki", and finally "Fred". In addition to providing different fighting styles, each head has special attributes and abilities. Initially, each head has unique special attributes and abilities that allow Fred to accomplish certain feats. These attributes and abilities are expandable by using "Head Upgrades". When you have progressed far enough in the game, you can use collected worms to upgrade heads to increase health regeneration, increase recovery time while stunned, upgrade attack power, learn special attacks to infect the enemy, etc.

As previously mentioned, the heads' unique attributes and abilities allow Fred to accomplish certain feats. While playing you will find that you will need to have certain heads on to proceed. For example, the Stone head allows you to move heavy objects and break through certain obstacles. None of the other heads can accomplish such a feat. When you approach an area that requires a certain head, the icon corresponding to it will appear. In this regard, Dead Head Fred has a few small puzzles to get through. These moments slow down the action and require you to think a little, albeit the answer is almost always a given (as the corresponding head icon is revealed). Nonetheless, it is still an important aspect of the game.

In general, Dead Head Fred's game play works well. It is a fun and challenging game with a lot of to offer. However, the game play is not the only aspect that gives the game oomph. The other major drawing point is the enveloping story and animated cut scenes. While the plotline is over-the-top, unrealistic, and absurd, it is the good kind. The characters are all very colorful and fun to see in this silly and outrageously weird story.

On a related note, the game's technical aspects are topnotch. The animated cut sequences look great and really help the story come alive. The animations are supplemented with voiceovers. The individuals selected to provide voices fit the personality of the characters well. As for the actual game's technical aspects, the visuals are pretty good. There is a fair amount of detail in character models, although some of the backdrops are on the plain side. The audio is decent with an unobtrusive soundtrack and somewhat generic sound effects.

Overall, Dead Head Fred is a very fun game with a solid storyline. The game play has a unique combat system with the hero having the capability to change his abilities by equipping different heads. It boils down to is an action/adventure genre with a twist. The twist is an absurdly weird storyline that takes film noir to new levels with the undead, gangsters, and a quest for sweet, sweet revenge. In the end, Dead Head Fred delivers when it comes to fun and engaging game play.