Ben-Dutka“Kill with skill” is the name of the game, and over-the-top brutality and complete and total insanity will accompany your skillful ass-kicking, which is why you should absolutely consider a Bulletstorm purchase. Featuring hordes of rampaging enemies just begging to be annihilated in all sorts of outrageous ways, multiple deadly weapons, massive and intimidating bosses, and even a few allies, People Can Fly and Epic Games will soon deliver one of the most satisfying shooters of the generation. I choose that adjective because you really can’t play for five minutes without smiling like a demonic imbecile; when you find yourself looking around the environment for fun ways to eliminate your ghastly opponents, you can sense the sickness setting in… Am I sick? Why the hell do I like this so much? Why do I think so many others will like it so much? Oh, I get it…it’s merely a tension reliever, and we all need that.
The demo is up and if you’re had a rough day, you’ll want to download it. It’s quite short but you can play it through several times, testing out three available weapons and getting used to the whole “kill with skill” philosophy. The controls are quick and intuitive; you aim with the L1 and fire with the R1, as you might expect, and you can crouch with the L3 button. But the fun stuff is done with the R2, L2, Circle and X buttons: the R2 charges up a special and uber-powerful shot from whatever weapon you’re carrying, L2 throws out the ever-valuable leash, the Circle kicks, and the X button dashes and kicks. This is where you can get creative, because when you factor in the environment – which often offers numerous opportunities to maim – the game changes from a standard FPS into a continual onslaught of craziness. Believe it or not, you really do spend some time thinking.
Of course, it’s not exactly the kind of thinking that will get you into MENSA. But the point is, the creative deaths are the entire point of Bulletstorm ; the more outlandish you get, the higher your score. The leash can be used to pull enemies towards you and if you hold down L2, you execute the Thumper, which tosses multiple foes in the air; while they hang helplessly, you can shred them to pieces. A common favorite will be yanking an enemy towards you, followed by a kick and a blast to the face. Looking around, you might find nasty spikes or dangerous electrical wires. Okay, whip out the leash and while the foe is flying towards you in slo-mo, angle your position so you kick him into those spikes or wires. The slo-mo part is what makes this so much fun; it isn’t so demanding because after kicking or leashing or whatever, the game slows down and lets you pump them full of bullets.
Now, there is a collision detection issue in the demo, because I once got stuck against a wall (I could only turn in place) and another time, I was fairly certain I had hit a bad guy directly in front of my face, but my ammo seemed to go through him. Other than that, I’m not really seeing much in the way of major problems. The graphics are cool, the sound is nuts and totally fulfilling and above all else, the gameplay is oodles and oodles of fun. I played the demo three times, each with different weapons, and I kept upping my score…I don’t even want to admit how much I laughed. It’s just absurd . Things can get a little chaotic if you’re in the midst of hell and you can easily lose your bearings in that situation but there’s a solution to that- don’t lose your bearings. Bulletstorm may launch on the same day as KZ3 but the former is a completely different game. You gotta trust me on this. Both are shooters, yes, but that’s about where the similarities end.
One final note- I think the story is semi-serious and I really think it would’ve been better had they not taken anything seriously. This production just begs to be over-the-top silly from top to bottom; I have a bad feeling any attempt at a somber tone will be painful. Thankfully, the gameplay and other crazy material will always take center stage.
Played the demo and nothing but impressed with it.
I love using the Screamer's charge shot after using the Thumper on my enemies.
I also love how smooth the frame rate is.
Ya, I was surprised with the framrate staying steady with so much going on on-screen.
Especially when it's Unreal on PS3.
Maybe Ninja Theory should take lessons from Epic, that way I'll feel better.
Last edited by Snaaaake on 1/27/2011 9:59:05 PM
he kept shooting their manhood… ouch
Last edited by mike rlz on 1/27/2011 9:51:15 PM
brutal, but effective
When I was playing I would leash 'em and kick numerous times before blowing them away. Such fun.
KICK THEM IN THE FACE!!
I got a lot of Voodoo Doll scores by kicking them to any sharp objects.
Did you try leashing them while standing behind some spikes at one point?
They come one at a time and I leash them towards me only to have they impaled instantly.
I got quite a few voodoo doll kills too.
On a another note though, I felt like it was first person Gears w/o the heavy controls. Even the main character sounds like Fenix.
Well it IS developed by Epic so no surprise, and I'd take Grayson over Marcus anytime.
Love how he talks.
I'm so getting this on April with SOCOM 4.
I found it rubbish to be honest. Whip, kick, shoot, rinse and repeat. Just doesn't work for me.
Maybe you're the type that enjoys standard shooter more like CoD or Killzone.
…as opposed to the aim, shoot, rinse, repeat formula of every other FPS? 'scratches head'
@Snaaaake, with the exception of CoD, yeah Killzone, MoH, BF:BC2 would be more my thing.
@Ben, sure they're the same ol' standard aim, shoot, rinse and repeat formula but you can't really say the above mentioned titles get boring.
Now I leave myself open to comments like 'Bulletstorm boring? How can having tonnes of enemies, these massive guns that strap bombs to bad guys and blow them up, be boring?'
Because it just feels gimmicky and after the novelty wears off, which for me was the duration of the demo, it's not really a very good shooter, in my opinion of course.
Last edited by frostface on 1/28/2011 7:43:47 AM
no, I have to agree with frosty poos. technically its very good, im am surprised at how smooth it is, the map seem quite dynamic in a Split Second kind of way.. you can kick people in the face.. yeh, what's there not to like??
well, maybe im just getting old? because five or ten years ago I would of loved this game, but these days I just want more out of my FPS, especially if its a full price game.
the new Duke Nukem trailer, it left me disappointed big time, because its the same sort of thing.. yeh looks good, probably plays well, but its about 8 years too late. the humour is juvenile and its just not my thing any more.
so like this Bullet storm, I personally am not saying its rubbish, but I can understand where old frosty pants is coming from.. if this is where he is coming from.
if not then hey ho.. this is where im coming from. its a personal opinion XD
Dillon baby, thats exactly were I'm coming from!
I understand, frost. And it is very possible that the appeal could wear off quickly. The demo is short so maybe after hours of play, I too might find myself yawning at the most recent abomination.
And if the demo is indicative of the whole game, it's true that this might be an issue. But I'm banking on those insane bosses, multiple locales and venues, and numerous weapons to continue keep the concept fresh. We'll have to wait and see if it works.
I'm not motivated enough to download the demo, but i'm looking forward to this. Idk how well it will compare to KZ3 though. I'm guessing not very well.
It is so much different than Killzone. If KZ3 is gonna be what it hyped to than there can be no comparison.
Last edited by PasteNuggs on 1/27/2011 10:10:25 PM
i would get bulletstorm before kz3. i enjoy a good/interesting campaign, but i just want to have fun and rip sh*t up!!
It's a cool game and I enjoy that it doesn't take itself too seriously. It also looks pretty nice. I plan on giving it a go when it goes discount. And outside of extremely minor things, the 360-PS3 process looks to have been handled very well. I did comparisons myself.
Though, it seems, and maybe it's in my UE3-biased-360 head, that the 360 version felt a little smoother during heavier action. I said "little smoother" as the PS3 version is already smooth. And no screen tearing for either. woo hoo!
BadSalesStorm predicted.
You have a point. This is a unknown IP and the only people who know about this game are people who check gaming websites, but outside of that…FPS are ran by COD of course. Not sure if it will be a hit, but it my pull in Borderland numbers. Good sales, but not groundbreaking or studio ending.
It could pull in Borderlands numbers, since it's Epic games it could get a lot of attention from the fanboy sites. That would help get the word out.
they are bundling a gears of war 3 beta invite on the 360 version if i recall correctly, sales will most likely improve because of that
Was impressed with all that I've seen of it so far and really looking forward to it. Looks to give the FPS genre something new which it really needs. Have the PC version preordered right now and since it's the only one that's 3D supported, I wonder how crazy it's going to look.
I just played the demo and I realize it's not the final product but I wasn't into it. Seemed like it would be repetitive.
I have no clue why they would release this head 2 head with KZIII.
In actuality they aren't its a multiplatform and it'll probally get big sales on the 360 considering its made by epic
cant wait to play this!
so pissed i cant access PSN to download the demo.
oh well, just 3 more weeks till it comes out!
developers go to all this effort to make a great game, when really all we want is a game where we can kick people in the face!!!
HA!
KZ3 or Bulletstorm?…Did I have to ask. Bulletstorm looks mighty fun, but I can have fun doing pretty much about anything in gaming. I want a good story, that was one of the reasons why I started playing games…due to MGS. Ironically most games weren't like that until recently. KZ3 looks to step in Uncharted territory, so bring it on. Bulletstrom will be a rental…and then maybe a $30 purchase later in the year if I like it.
Imma download this demo. Maybe it is worth full price admission.
I was pumped for Bulletstorm right from the very first video and after playing the demo the other night, I can honestly say that I’m still pumped for it. Not pumped enough to warrant a Day 1 purchase but I will definitely own it eventually. It was just straight-up fun. There wasn’t a whole hell of a lot of realism in it and zero frustration. Personally, between this, Killzone 3 and Crysis 2, I’m voting Bulletstorm all the way. Did you see the video at the end? The epic scale of this game is through the roof! Those bosses are insane looking! I really can’t wait for my eventual buy on this title. 🙂
I enjoyed it, but lets be serious guys: It will get repetitive. Yeah you can say all FPS's are repetitive, but they have other stuff to fall back on. Y'know, a story n stuff. I mean really all their was to it was the grapple hook thingy & enviromental hazzards, or atleast as far as I could tell it was. Maybe co-op could change my mind IDK. It was fun for what it was though, I could see myself buying it used.
See my reply to frostface above.
This game looks like Bioshock. Its a cross between Bioshock and any other military first person shooter you want to pick.
It might be a lot of fun to play and all but it doesn't have an original feel based on the video. I didn't read the whole review so I could be missing something.
There's…uh…no similarity to Bioshock whatsoever. Well, I guess you might be comparing the Plasmid abilities to the leash and kick or something; I would get that.
Kind of huh? not sure if I would say Bioshock. Looks like Borderlands/Bioshock/Gears of War/etc…damn, most games look the same…but they don't play the same.
I'm pretty excited for this one. It breathes new life into the genre, which has started to become pretty stale and cliche. I don't have the funds to buy KZ3 and this day one, but I was more excited for this one, so it gets the nod. Killzone will be great, and I will be buying it eventually, but Bulletstorm looks way too fun to wait on.
If anybody was following this game you'd know there will be slightly more to it. Will it get repetitive? Probably so. I think it's one of those games that you play to beat…but once done..you won't pick it up again.
I plan on getting it but I'll wait until it goes on sale. Simply isn't a Day 1 purchase. Especially with Killzone coming out the same day. It'll be worth my money more later on down the line…I'll have too many games on my plate this year..and they're exclusives…
Last edited by slugga_status on 1/28/2011 10:56:16 AM
I loved the demo. the game is like borderlands on crack in my opinion. it probably doesn't have as many weapons as borderlands, but it brings more detail bad ass ways to killing people. i played for awhile, it does get boring to a point when its leash kick or leash shoot or leash slam. if you mix it up with say revolver special after you leash kick and shoot guy looks like a human rocket and you get mass points for making him explode around guys. i do wish they added melee attack, it felt weird not being able to melee someone.
Yeah I was comparing that leash and kick stuff. It just immediately reminded me of Bioshock using the telekinesis and blasting at the same time. I guess I'll read the full review.
I actually was in the middle of the demo, thought it would be repetitive and then something clicked. Maybe it was when that elevator thing smashed all those enemies all over the glass right in front of me. LOL. No but really about half way through I realized how much of a bad ass you could be and how creative you could get. I bet the campaign is a blast and i can only imagine the type of guns this game lets you play with. Definitely going to play this but it'll have to wait. KZ3 is a top priority for me.
Bulletstorm's demo was pretty fun! It definitely made me think about how I was gonna brutalize my enemy. It offers something different. Btw…you can equip two guns at one time. I didn't figure out until my second playthrough. I kept trying to equip the grapple beam and nothing happened so I gave up on the guns below it. No need to thank me. 🙂
By two guns, do you mean dual-wielding or carry 2 guns with you?
Cause, we can equip 3 guns and switch with the D-pad.
I don't care for this. Gore for the sake of gore and numbers flying around hoping to impress the player. Video looks like a clip from Serious Sam with bullet time kills.
…and what's wrong with that?
It's boring.
So is Call of Duty, but it sells.
Since when is "boring" an objective, universal word?
I played the demo earlier today, before I saw this review. I said "I really liked it and I have no idea why!" Something about it was just fun. And I learned a new phrase: poop passage. Although I don't know when I would have an occasion to use it. It still made me laugh.