Bizarre minimalistic platforming game
Airhead is a premium adventure game from developer Octato and is a side-scrolling platforming adventure set in a dark interconnected world. In it, players will take on the role of a bipedal organism with a balloon-like head as they explore a perilous world with an environment that threatens their very existence.
In the same vein as games like Inside or Limbo, Airhead offers players a dark and atmospheric experience coupled with various puzzles they need to overcome to progress through the story. It also features a Metroidvania-like open world with various secret passages and hidden mysteries to discover.
Head full of air
In Airhead, you play as a dark creature called Body that stumbled upon a balloon-like organism and used it as a head. However, its life is under threat as it slowly deflates with each passing moment. You will need the help of air cylinders to keep it inflated and figure out how to save it as you explore a mysterious land.
The journey will not be easy, though, with multiple platforming challenges involving ancient machines and other creatures standing in your way. Learn new abilities and figure out the puzzle before you run out of air. In some cases, you will even rely on your head's free-floating nature to get past obstacles. Other times, you will need to operate independently to solve more complex problems.
This is a game that encourages exploration, with many secret areas to uncover that will help you piece together the truth behind the strange world you inhabit. However, this aspect of the game is working in contradiction with the core gameplay's time-bound situations. You'll be in constant panic as you race from one air cylinder to another to even think about aimless wandering.
Use your head
All in all, Airhead is an intriguing puzzle platformer that offers compelling gameplay with some nice unique twists and complexities to keep things engaging and challenging. It's in world exploration where it falls a bit flat as you don't really have much room—air in this case—to work with. It's still worth a try, but the experience could definitely be better.