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Bulletstorm
In a world of copycat First Person Shooters that seem to be
pasted together from the same dull brown and grey textures Bulletstorm comes as
a breath of fresh air. It didn't have a military advisor breathing down the
developers necks or mandatory weapon training for the programmers so they could
accurately recreate real world weaponry but instead focussed on fun. Breaking
free from all these oh so fashionable constraints it is a game with its tongue
firmly in the cheek and proud of it.
Starring Grayson Hunt who is a drunk, disgruntled and disgraced ex soldier it is not a tale of saving the universe or even the planet. Grayson and his elite squad, "Dead Echo" became fugitives after turning their backs on an unscrupulous commanding officer. Instead of being the professional exterminators of all evil doers as they thought they were it turns out they were just killing innocent people to cover up a corrupt generals messes. The general does not take too kindly to their sudden attack of morality and subsequent desertion which leads to them being branded as enemies of the federation and living a life on the run. A few twists of fate later and a drunken tango with a vastly superior battleship, Gray and what is left of his squad find themselves stranded on the planet Stygia, a scenic resort world gone to hell. The good news is that the general is located somewhere on the planet as well. The bad news is he might be their only ticket off the hellhole. If you've been paying any attention to Bulletstorms advertising then "Kill with skill" will be a phrase you will be familiar with. Initially I thought it is just typical marketing waffle but turns out it is actually quite accurate. Trying to play Bulletstorm like your typical First Person Shooter will result in a very dreary and boring experience. Killing enemies is easy, it's how you kill them that counts. Shoot an enemy in the crotch then boot the unfortunate soul in the head to put him out of his misery or wrap a par of grenades around his neck before tossing him to his mates and detonating the whole lot. Each unique kill type comes with a humorous name and point value to indicate how well you are doing. With names like "Rear Entry," "Topless" and "Gag Reflex" these descriptions aren't very subtle either. The points are used to upgrade existing weapons and unlock new ones which in turn will expand your repertoire of killing possibilities. Each weapon also has a secondary fire mode for which special charges have to be purchased. As if the assortment of unique guns wasn't enough you'll get your hands on a energy leash as well. This cool gadget brings the fight to you by pulling enemies closer and is essential for setting up kill combos. As soon as enemies are whipped into the air by your leash they will spin around in slow motion which allows you to have your wicket way with them. Sparta kicking them off a ledge is fun but why not boot them into some exposed electrical wires or one of the very sharp plants dotting the landscape. It's not very realistic as you can kick an enemy into the air, leash them in for another kick and even run circles around them while they are flailing about in slow motion. Those looking for realism are definitely looking at the wrong game. Bulletstorm is pure science fiction at its goofiest. Bulletstorm drags you by the nose from one frantic over the top encounter to the next and barely gives you a chance to catch your breath. The set pieces are incredible and there's something spectacular happening almost all the time. Some of these sections are on rails but that doesn't make them any less impressive. a few quick time events also rear their heads from time to time and despite feeling out of place on computer isn't too bad. Lots of checkpoints keep the action flowing but this isn't really a difficult game except if played on the highest settings. Instead the challenge comes from the creative ways in which you can off your enemies. Visually Bulletstorm is a sight for sore eyes and I saw colours that I never thought would appear in a First Person Shooter again. Bulletstorm bucks the current trend of games that look like they were smeared in dirt and viewed through a red tinted lens and instead presents everything in glorious colour. There are still a few indoor sections that look like they were leftovers from Gears of War but these only make the stunning outdoor scenes look even better. Stygia was meant to be a luxury vacation world and despite the crazy locals, mutants, man eating flora and building sized beasts it is still a stunning place. Sweeping vistas make way for ramshackle enemy camps and dilapidated tourist attractions while the environments are jam packed with deadly objects that can help with your creative killing. Bulletstorm on PC has been greeted with the traditional howls about the field of view and other console to computer port shortcomings but to be honest I was too busy having fun to even notice or care. There was the occasionally clipping and dip in frame rate but overall I had no issues. Grayson is accompanied by his cyborg partner, Ishi Sato and grudging enemy turned ally, Trishka. There's a constant exchange of words between these characters and at times there's almost more swear words than bullets flying around. It's all very gratuitous and I must admit even I learned a few new phrases. The characters are all very creative with their swearing so unless you want to a few awkward questions from the kids you'll want to play with earphones on. Grayson is voiced by Steven Blum who is a veteran in the industry and who many will recognize as Spike Spiegel from the "Cowboy Bebop" series. He has also lent his vocals to Wolverine for a few games and I don't know if it is intentional but that's who his character in this game most resembles. The rest of the cast also do a great job (considering what they have to work with) but a special mention must go to the antagonist, General Sorrano, who might just be the most foul mouthed person to ever grace a video game. Sound effects are fine but doesn't overwhelm the action which is a good thing. The music is typical action movie fare but most of the time you'll barely even notice it. Bulletstorm has quite a short single player campaign which depending on the skill level you play on can be completed in under ten hours. There's a extra mode called "Echoes" where its all about the points and you run through sections of the main game trying to put up a highscore. These then go to online leaderboards giving you something extra to aim for. the multiplayer is a strictly co-op affair and places you with up to three friends in a battle against waves of enemies. Points not kills win the day so its all about getting creative with y our shots and making each one count. Bulletstorm is tremendous fun to play but its not perfect. The "Skillshot" system is a cool idea but games like "Total Overdose" and "The Club" have dabbled with this kind of thing in the past. The game also borrows its slide move from "Vanquish" which is fine but feels a bit out of place. Then there's the whole controversy about encrypted config files and locked content already present in the game. Lastly the lack of a jump button has also caused somewhat of a furore amongst the dedicated console haters. None of this should matter however as Bulletstorm is a fun and engrossing experience. It has a strong opening that peters out a bit towards the end but overall the impression is one of serious fun. This is how games used to be; bright, goofy, over the top and unapologetically entertaining. While "hardcore" players might prefer titles where you lie behind a grey rock and take pot-shots at brown dots on the horizon this game is for those that want their action colourful and in their face. With this and Duke Nukem: Forever on the horizon the genre might just finally be wrested back from the straight faced military shooters that has infested it.
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System Requirements
TAGS: Dead Echo, Grayson Hunt, Ishi Sato, Sarrano, Stygia, Trishka, Skillshots, Leash,
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