The Headliners
" Unique co-op horror action with creative photography and dynamic environments, but frequent bugs "
The Headliners Review
The Headliners is a chaotic, co-op horror-survival game centered around capturing photos of alien invasion chaos while trying to escape alive. Players appreciate the unique blend of adrenaline-pumping gameplay and humor, with a focus on teamwork and creative risk-taking. The game supports up to 8 players and features destructible environments, custom art assets, and a dynamic scoring system rewarding daring photo captures.
However, player experiences vary due to bugs, lag, and occasional frustrating mechanics like instant deaths, glitchy movement, and a punishing duplicate photo system. While some find the roguelite-style resets and time limits limiting, others enjoy the replayability and evolving content. The developers are praised for active communication and ongoing updates, though some recent patches introduced new issues. Overall, it’s a fun, quirky party game best enjoyed with friends, offering hours of entertaining chaos but with room for polish and balance improvements.
Highlights
Gameplay is praised for its originality, combining co-op horror with photography mechanics and competitive scoring.
Graphics and sound design are appreciated for their atmospheric and cinematic qualities, with custom art replacing earlier AI assets.
The teamwork and social aspect shine, making it enjoyable for groups and fostering hilarious moments.
The game offers good replayability with a variety of monsters, maps, and evolving challenges.
Criticisms
Common criticisms include frequent bugs, lag, and glitches affecting movement and gameplay flow.
Players find the duplicate photo system and roguelite reset mechanics frustrating and punishing.
Some feel the game lacks depth beyond initial fun, with repetitive objectives and limited story.
The recent updates introduced issues like rubber-banding, unbalanced monsters, and problematic scoring counters.
Matchmaking and player base concerns, along with occasional crashes, also detract from the experience.
Pros
- • Unique and fun co-op gameplay combining horror and photography mechanics.
- • Engaging scoring system rewarding creativity and risk-taking.
- • Great sound design and atmospheric audio effects.
- • Custom art assets replacing earlier AI art improve visuals.
- • Supports up to 8 players, enhancing social play.
- • Dynamic, destructible environments add immersion.
- • Active developer communication and regular updates.
Cons
- • Frequent bugs and lag disrupt gameplay experience.
- • Frustrating duplicate photo system punishes players.
- • Roguelite reset mechanics reduce long-term engagement.
- • Glitchy movement and rubber-banding after recent patches.
- • Some monsters feel unbalanced and overly punishing.
- • Occasional crashes prevent game from launching.
- • Repetitive objectives can make gameplay feel stale.
Rating Criteria
Co-op horror game where you play in teams of 1 to 8 reckless journalists, ready to explore a city overrun by deadly creatures to snap spectacular footage. Your only goal: make the headlines without becoming one.