Bulletstorm Review

This has been available on boards.ie for quite a while now but time to post it here. After playing through the game a second time - this time on Very Hard - I am still perfectly happy to stand by what I said.

Further points that I did want to add:
The only irritating parts are when the player is "on-the-rails" in a vehicle. There is little cover, plenty of people shooting at you, and no real way to use most of the excellent skillshot system.
The skillshot system is almost made redundant towards the end as enemies become beefier. This is a pity as many players will be loaded up with multiple charge shots, and well adept at using the system.
One point that I did want to make: The game is linear, but so are rollercoasters. When the ride is this much fun, you can't really complain about travelling along a pre-determined line.  (and hopefully that makes as much sense when reading, as it does in my head)

And onto the original review:
The life of a space pirate is not quite exotic, but it sure is exciting. At least, that is the image painted by People Can Fly’s Bulletstorm. In the role Grayson Hunt, essentially an R-Rated Captain Jack Sparrow, the player sets off on a quest for revenge. An order from General Sarrano went differently than planned, and now Grayson and his team of misfits are looking to set things right.

Ten years pass from that incident but after going toe to toe with the General’s ship, in a strategically poor move, Hunt’s ship crash lands on Stygia. Once he finds out that the General has crashed, and is still alive, Hunt makes it his mission to find him and kill him.

Early on, the player picks up a leash, which is used to great effect throughout the game. Without it, Bulletstorm could be just another shooter. However, the use of the leash allows players to set up mad trick shots, or skillshots as they are called in game, and toy with enemies at their will. There are over 130 skillshots in game, which encourage players to be as creative and sadistic as possible.

Bulletstorm is not for the sensitive or faint at heart. It’s crude, crass and gory, but that’s all part of the appeal. The dialogue is not going to win any awards for script writing, but is creative in the way it jams swears and insults together. The skillshots themselves cause enemies to double over, scream in anguish and explode in a shower of gibs. Even the names are full of sexual innuendo. In the end, it’s all part and parcel of the Bulletstorm appeal.

Some of the set pieces are truly spectacular. Players can appreciate the beauty even though scripts are relied upon. But when it’s well implemented, and it works, there is no need to dismiss it. People Can Fly has sculpted a wonderful environment, with a fine blend of beauty and destruction.

In the single player, you can get away with not utilising the skillshot system. It will take much of the novelty and innovativeness away from Bulletstorm, but it is possible. However, if you try the same tactic in multiplayer, you will either languish at the bottom of leaderboards or be very unpopular, depending on the game mode of choice.

There are two multiplayer modes on offer. The Echoes mode pitches the player against themselves, their friends and the world. Described by Epic Games lead developer, Cliff Bleszinski, as “snack gaming”, it is possible to pick up and play for minutes at a time. The mode is split into smaller versions of the single player levels. Weapons from the single player are unlocked at the relevant point, but players are equipped with the charge shots from the get go.

All the player has to do is finish as quickly, with as many skillshots and combinations racked up, as possible. It’s back to the good old days of competition with bragging rights being the order of the day. It is one thing saying that players can play for a couple of minutes; it’s a completely different proposition stopping after these few minutes are up.

Then there is Anarchy mode. There was a lot said about the Gears of War Horde mode, and how it was the more popular form of online play within Gears. It influenced other games, which took the concept for their own use. However, the idea has been given another kick start with the Bulletstorm system. Surviving is no longer the goal. That is too easy.

Instead, players must work together and team up against the swarm of enemies. Earn enough points from individual and team skillshots, and you move on to the next wave. Unlike the horde modes featured in other games, players can be as creative as they like in early levels. While the score target is quite low, players can compete to be the top performer of the round, and points equate to ammo and upgrades. Upgrades become very important in later waves, so it is in teams’ best interests to go all out from the off.

It’s nice to see a game that is a little bit different. Bulletstorm doesn’t take itself seriously, and is well aware of what it is doing. Lines of dialogue even refer back to the game’s mechanics with one character even exclaiming that Grayson didn’t have a witty one-liner to throw out at one point. The single player campaign may be short, but it’s sweet. It’s the extra touches in the creative skillshot system, and the long-term appeal of the multiplayer side, that set Bulletstorm apart.