Bulletstorm Demo Impressions

The game's kill with skill gameplay system is unique, creative, and fun.

 

Developer: People Can Fly & Epic Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Platform(s): PS3, 360, Windows PC
Genre: First-Person Shooter, Action

 

For a company that has had a great track record (Gears of War, Shadow Complex) over the years, the way Epic Games has advertised their latest game, Bulletstorm, is quite bold. Perhaps a little too bold, to be honest, that the intense level of crudity is just starting to sound extremely crass and overkill, and potentially becomes a turn-off for some. It also, unfortunately, attracts unwanted attention. Though that is the case, I have to say, their parody of the Call of Duty franchise (named Duty Calls) is a nice touch.

 

But enough about that. While some of you might not like the over-the-top, excessive profanity and hyper-violent approach, developer People Can Fly (same people who made Painkiller)--in conjunction with Epic Games--have done well with Bulletstorm. Not only is Bulletstorm enjoyable, its “kill with skill” gameplay system is a unique and creative take on the first-person shooter genre.

 

The demo shows off the ‘Collapsed Building’ level and you’re immediately greeted by the trash-talking, tough-as-nails protagonist, Grayson Hunt (voiced by the great Steve Blum). Grayson gives you a quick, dry, and sarcastic introduction to the game’s controls and demonstrates pre-recorded footage of SkillShots—which basically revolves around the player being rewarded for killing enemies as creatively as possible. The more creative the kill, the more points are rewarded to the player. Aside from the single player campaign, there is also multiplayer co-op, which I imagine is even more enjoyable with friends with a wide variety of creative kills in mind.

 

Wait...what's Sweet Tooth doing in this game?

 

Movement-wise, Bulletstorm controls well. You move with the left analog stick, fire your weapon as well as aim down the sights for better precision, switch between weapons, etc. You can even adjust to a more Call of Duty-style of controls, if you so desire. The game pretty much plays similarly like other shooters, save for abilities that tie in the “kill with skill” gameplay system. Grayson can leash, kick, and slide against enemies to disable them, and then combine these abilities along with your surroundings to unlock as many SkillShots as you can. Every SkillShot varies in points depending on the kill’s effectiveness and creative quality. Each weapon also has unique SkillShots you can do, though it is up to you to figure out the rest for yourself.

 

I’ve already performed a fair amount of skill combos such as Voodoo Doll, which has you leashing an enemy towards you, then kicking him and nailing him to a wall; Mercy, in which you shoot an enemy in the jewels as you watch him agonize in pain, then kicking him to death; and Bossed, in which you kick an enemy in the behind and mercilessly kill him. Discovering more SkillShots is, I must say, incredibly satisfying, especially the ones you discover by accident. You get more bonus points for discovering new SkillShots compared to the ones you’ve already learned, so the game constantly encourages you to discover new ones instead of spamming the same SkillShots over and over again.

 

Right in the jewels.

 

Visually, Bulletstorm looks neat and fairly sharp. It’s easy to get sort of a Gears of War or Unreal Tournament vibe to the graphics, and they’ve done well rendering the environments to fit the game’s gritty tone. Overall, I’ve come away from the demo with a fairly positive outlook on the game. Though I’m not a big fan of how Epic Games has promoted their latest title, I’m actually looking forward to playing Bulletstorm when it launches next week. Just ease up on the whole d***-t**s comment Mr. Blum, please.

 

 

David Gabriel, NoobFeed