2 Bulletstorm- Review

How to begin with a game like Bulletstorm? I'm not sure, because I think that, “OMG awesome!” only begins to scratch the surface. If you read my excited rant about the demo, then you know that this game had already won me over in many ways. However, I am very happy to report to you that the full version of the game is just as good if not better. Bulletstorm pushes the envelope when it comes to the established norm of first person shooters. Especially those that have come out over the past few years. A lot of games these days try and take themselves too seriously, but Bulletstorm intentionally throws realism out the window in order to create one of the most fun and explosive gaming experiences that I have had in a long time. So lets crack right into the meat of it, shall we?

 Most things are in disaray.

You play as a space pirate named Grayson Hunt, who crash lands on a crazy planet packed full of gun toting freaks and flesh eating monsters. Hunt was set up by a man they call General Sarrano to kill hundreds of people who turned out to be innocent civilians and reporters that were digging too deeply into government business. Well, when Hunt finds out about this, he gets pissed and swears to do whatever it takes to kill Sarrano. The story in this game is nothing special, and it echo's something you would see in a cheesy b-movie, but this is hardly a complaint. The game isn't so much about deep character development or intricate plot lines. Just awesome, high octane gun fights and great game play.

 Can't this thing go any faster!?

As you can see from the screen shots, the graphics in this game are jaw dropping, especially in certain portions of the campaign. It was really interesting to go straight from playing DC Universe to this game, seeing how both of them use the Unreal engine. Huge difference. I know that MMO graphics are going to be toned down for online player to player interaction, but this is just a great example of the wide variety of results that can come out of the Unreal engine.
The color pallet that EA and Epic games used for the planet's surface reminds me of a Ratchet and Clank game, as well as some of the screen shots that have been released for Bioshock: Infinite. This was a very welcome change from other shooters, as many of them tend to be very dark and gloomy. The bright colors and bright sunlight also goes hand in hand with this game's light hearted spirit. I found the entire experience to be very refreshing.

 The structures and buildings are very cool.

Also, this game is actually funny. It made me laugh on multiple occasions. The voice acting and commentary from Hunt and his companions carries on all throughout the game and it really enhances the experience. You feel like you get to know the character you are playing as, rather than having him just be a pair of hands holding a gun. Hunt's commentary is by far my favorite and I applaud Steve Blum for his performance in this game. Hearing Hunt scream: “Awe, what the DICK!?!” as a big boss or obstacle emerged simply never got old. In fact, I think 'what the dick?' has now been permanently added to my verbal repertoire. Thank you Bulletstorm.
If you have seen screen shots or videos of this game (or played the demo), I am sure you have seen the combo system, or have at least noted the big flashy numbers that pop up next to dying enemies. Well this scoring system is great fun, as I mentioned in my review of the demo, but the full version of this game takes this concept one step further. As you shoot baddies and rack up points from 'Skillshots', you get to spend them on weapons, ammo and weapon upgrades later on. This is a wonderful idea, because it adds that feeling of progression and accomplishment that you normally only see in RPG's or hack and slash games like God of War.

  Wheels were spinning and water was flying everywhere.

I had been trying to score high points in the demo simply because I liked to see all those big numbers flying up on my screen. But when I found out that I could actually do something with those points, it added another kick of motivation that is rarely seen in a single player game. Each different weapon in the game has a different list of Skillshots that you can execute, which entourages the player to try all the different weapons consistently throughout the campaign. You are also rewarded for pulling off fun combo's or for killing large groups of baddies all at once.
The campaign itself is somewhere around eight to ten hours long. I could have stood for it to have been a little longer, but this was sufficient enough to satisfy me considering it all has a very high replay value. Because the story is not really the focus, the game then amounts to being a long series of bad ass gunfights. And this happens to be an extremely repayable formula. A game that immediately pops into mind that does the exact same thing (without the guns and what not) and is also one of the most repayable and interchangeable games ever created: Mario.

 You really shouldn't bring a knife to a gunfight.

After I finished the campaign, I happily booted up a new game with a thirst for more and a higher difficulty setting. You will be riding on trains and flying in helicopters, controlling giant robots, climbing across huge gaps hand over hand, and sliding down steep hills at high speeds. Of course you get to do all of this while kicking, blasting and slinging your way through hordes of crazed space pirates. There are also some great boss fights where you are fighting massive creatures and get to slide and run about trying to take them down in various ways. But just like all games, this normally amounts to shooting at or hitting a weak spot of some sort. Oh and don't worry, mini bosses are around every corner.
The weapons are also very cool. I am especially a fan of the gun that shoots out a rocket propelled drill bit and sends enemies flying through the air as it digs in deeper. But who can forget the four barreled shotgun or the cannonball gun? Each weapon is fun to use and can be very handy in a variety of situations. Plus, each of them features a 'charged' secondary fire that almost always annihilates whatever is in front of you. You can also kick enemies through the air and pull them towards you with a gravity tether called a 'leash,' which Hunt takes off a dead Slaver at the start of the game.

 Drool...

There is also a multiplayer feature that is a lot of fun. You can hop online with your friends or people around the world to see who can rack up the highest Skillshots and scores as you progress through a series of challenges. Each different multiplayer map features specific challenges (killing enemies), but unfortunately there is no versus mode. I was disappointed and surprised when I discovered there was no versus in this game. It would be so fun. But it would also be hard to balance I imagine. Regardless, I hope they add it sometime... I mean there is a section in the main menu for downloadable content.
Aside from there being no versus mode, my only other complaint with this game is with the animations. This might just be a matter of opinion, which is why I put it towards the bottom. But something about the way the enemies move seems sort of clunky. Especially when they are grouped together. Somehow they just don't seem to move with the same degree of realism that I have seen in other games. But hey, they are still a lot of fun to shoot at!

 Your digital friends: Trishka and Ishi

So in closing, this game is absolutely fantastic. I would most certainly rank it up there with some of my favorite first person shooters. I am afraid Half Life 2 still takes the cake for me, but this game is bordering on being a close second. If you are looking for an FPS that really breaks the mold then I highly recommend this title to you. The only FPS players who might want to shy away from this one are those who only care about versus multiplayer. But I am sure even they would have a great time playing this game. Go pick this game up and play the campaign or online with your friends. And even if you don't have any friends, you should still buy it.
-ZwiAn
p.s. “What the dick!?”

Relevant links:
http://www.bulletstorm.com/  Official site
http://www.thegamestrand.com/2011/02/bulletstorm-demo-lasting-ecstasy.html  My first impression.
http://www.strengthgamer.com/Bulletstorm_Review.html Strength Gamer's opinion.