Private detective Fred Neuman's been murdered and brought back to life via a freakish scientific experiment. Now he's on the hunt for his killers. And you're hit with an "unexpected," and not entirely comfortable, twist: Someone's stolen his cranium, leaving him a floating brain in a jar where his skull should be instead. Shakespeare it isn't. But between satisfyingly dark humor and solid controls that let you spit flames and splinter obstacles using powers gained by wrenching off opponents' heads, you'll still enjoy this above-average, if slightly off-kilter, 3D adventure.

You'll battle voodoo priestesses, escape burning buildings and decimate undead adversaries with vicious claws or paint-peeling breath. Ultimately, though, gameplay is divided into one of three core diversions -- exploring trap-laden landscapes, solving puzzles or slugging it out against evil mobster Pitt's snaggle-toothed henchmen. The title suffers periodically by not offering players greater sense of direction, but its open-ended approach and creepy-crawly atmosphere will keep you happily plugging away, thanks in large part due to the wide selection of special abilities at your disposal. You collect stone idols, giant tikis and even shrunken heads, which confer talents including the power to inhale and regurgitate liquids or transform to miniature size. The bizarre storyline, tricky brainteasers, engagingly awful voice-acting and responsive controls add considerably to the title's ambience.

There's nothing here that's truly revolutionary for handheld gamers, but the morbid twists and ample gallows humor make for a surprisingly engaging faux-noir epic.