Henry Halfhead Review | No Half Measures Here
Henry Halfhead is a game that’s difficult to pin down as one idea. It’s part puzzle game and part story game. It has a dash of exploration, with a heavy dose for creativity. There’s a bit of goof, a bit of chaos, and a surprising amount of heart. Regardless of what you want to hone in on, Henry Halfhead is a jolly good time.
In Henry Halfhead, you play as the titular character who is literally the top half as a person’s head (trust me, it’s adorable and not horrific). Within the game, you have a narrator who presents various moments in Henry’s life that you act out through your actions. This third-person perspective was an interesting approach that allowed the experience of Henry to be more of a story written as I created it through my actions within the game.
The game starts up with Henry as a baby, then continues through school-age, and so on. I was a bit curious how, or rather what, the story would present itself in the game. Was there an underlying conflict? Perhaps a big bad? Nope Instead, there were moments of goofiness, childlike wonder, and utter mundane - not unlike our lives - that allowed me to connect with Henry and his experiences. Though each era in Henry’s life is level-based within the game, I was surprised how the story eventually culminated into a tight, heart-felt, and profound ending moment.
As you experience all these moments in Henry’s life, you’re challenged to complete various tasks within each sandbox-like area. In order to do this, you have the ability to become any object within reach. As you adorably transform into those items, you often gain various abilities to complete the tasks presented (for example: as a pencil you can draw, as a scissor you can cut objects, as a match you can light up, etc). These transformations were a fun moment each time since Henry’s eyes would adorably fixate onto the items and drew me into the whimsy. Movement for each object would also take its own characteristics. More cylindrical items, like batteries, would be tricky to pull off tight turns, but the ability to jump as any object resolved most of the mobility limitations on items.
Within each level, a specific story emerged from Henry’s life. Early on you play as Henry as a baby, where he eventually makes a big ‘ol mess of things. However, getting to that exact moment opened up a bit more for me to play around and see exactly what kind of mischief I could do. This creative freedom was a fun, low-stakes opportunity to see what this sandbox could offer and how I could best engage with it in a goofy and boundary-pushing way. As I engaged more with the items in each level, I noticed that the narrator also comments and revels in the chaos. I really appreciate how he not only comments on specific story beats, but also all the side content to bring the game to a full experience. This was even further amplified by all the Easter Eggs and nods to pop culture as a whole. I was chuckling each time I found an item or heard the narrator comment on an action in a way I wasn’t expecting!
The game also presents some hints for various actions that can take place within each level. However, I found the hints as less than hints but rather actions that need to occur. Some of these actions were very straightforward, while others left me more puzzled than how I felt below looking at the hint. There is also a local co-op mode in the game, but due to limitations on my end during the review, I was not able to dive into it.
Breakdown
Game: Henry Halfhead
Developer: Lululu Entertainment
Publisher: Lululu Entertainment, popagenda
Availability: PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
Game Length: 2 hours
Major Accessibility Options: Invert controls
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
Final Thoughts
Henry Halfhead is a delightful afternoon game full of silly shenanigans and playful puzzles for anyone to enjoy. With the minimalist approach to the artstyle, the game is all fun and no fluff. The short and sweet approach was the perfect amount of Henry that let me latch on and enjoy the zany ride.