Xbox360 Review: Bulletstorm

Bulletstorm Review

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Developer: People Can Fly / Epic Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Shooter
Introduction
Bulletstorm is a first-person shooter from the highly successful Epic Games and People Can Fly. The game itself has been very hyped up due to the fact that the Xbox 360 Epic version of the game includes the Gears of War 3 Beta entry, but will the game itself stand out and perhaps make another franchise for Epic?



Gameplay

By now, anyone who has seen a Bulletstorm trailer or has read anything about it, you would have heard of things like "Kill with Skill" or "not just another FPS" well straight off the bat I'm going to tell you that it more than lives up to such remarks, with over 130+ 'Skill Kills' in which you will have a blast discovering and completing.

The way Bulletstorm allows you to complete each requirement for a Skill Kill is mainly the use of slow time motion, this happens when you kick, slide or leash and enemy towards you. The enemy is given a blue outline and moves incredibly slow through the air, allowing you to line up and complete the task required. The slow time last around 2-4 seconds which gives you the ease and freedom to eliminate other enemies with one less shooting at you. This can be handy in tight situations, though the main thing about the slow time feature is how incredibly fun it makes the game, flinging enemies towards you or in the air with the leash never gets old!

The range of weaponry is extensive. Tt has a Epic Games and futuristic tweak to your modern sniper, assault rifles and your shotgun, with the introduction to some insane weaponry such as; the Flail gun, which looks like two Cog grenades tied together being shot out and wrapped around your enemy; the Penetrator - a drill like launcher that can send enemies spiralling out of this world; but out of all the unique weapons it's the energy leash that takes the cake, not only is it your best tool to line up enemies and stun them, it also has the Thumper ability which if you use in say an enclosed place can take out every enemy in front of you.

Now back to Skill Kills, from my earlier paragraph you may be wondering why bother with Skill Kills, well it's because with every Skill Kill you earn skill points, which is used to purchase ammo, upgrades, weapons, and Charge ammo. Charge shots are secondary fire found on all weapons: these are the real shredders. Most charge shots can incinerate 5 enemies with one blast and with the right combos can really rack up the skill points. Skill points are needed due to the lack of ammo you will gain from dead bodies, but with the right Skill Kills you can earn yourself some serious ownage points and buy some great upgrades



The enemies featured in Bulletstorm can be just as over the top as the weaponry and the game in general. You will be fighting mostly enemies that look like they came straight out of Borderlands and some others which hint a mix of Gears of War and RE5. But they really are no match for the player with moves like butplug, mercy and voodoo doll. But one enemy you will always have to have one eye out for are the fly traps, because if you walk to close, you're lunch!

Plot time, and though it is very far-fetched and random, once you finish a few chapters you really grab a grasp of what's going on and pretty much just roll with it. It's nothing spectacular - but this game, i would have to say is one of few which was built around the gameplay not the story, so in truth, the story is just a bonus to an enjoyable game. But anyway heres a little info.



I'll now move onto the Echo game mode, which after hearing so much about really for me was a bit of a let down. I was hoping for it to be something completely different but it is just a complete copy of the single player campaign, just eliminating the story and dialogue aspect, it can still be satisfying seeing you above your friends on those leaderboards though, but that's pretty much all it has to offer in terms of difference.

Graphics

With todays standard of HD quality you cant really expect there to be anything wrong with a game produced by Epic and EA, and with Epics Unreal engines latest version backing it, it is as crisp as it can be.

Visually the world that has been created is exoctic and constantly changes from seaside, cities, jungles, desert settings and so forth - the list goes on. There is no wayIi can say anything bad graphicly so im just going to finish this section up.They graphics are awesome.






Sound

One aspect I loved about Bulletstorm was its Duke Nukem style one-liners and general banter between the characters, it really can make you laugh while your enjoying the game and it isn't over done.

Epic being Epic means there is an epic amount of epic inspirational hero music throughout the game, as well as a disco inferno snippet in one of the acts. So yes, the music suits each situation well and does do justice to what we expect from... EPIC

Replayability

Well with the one game mode I have seemed to left out called Anarchy invites you to really go back again and again, Anarchy is Bulletstorm's version of Multiplayer, where it's pretty much just a variant of Co-op Echos. So with up to four players you can play up to twenty waves of skill shooting and of course the introduction of team skill shots, which can be a blast, especially earning one by lashing away an enemy from a teammate and stealing his kill So people who enjoy Gears horde or CoD zombies will find this very replayable either by themselves in Echos or in the Co-op Anarchy.

Achievements

Very Similar to how Epic did Gears of Wars achievements - you're rewarded for the difficulties, Collectables (Skill kills), Plot completion and several Miscellaneous challenges in the single player. In Echo if you manage to 3-Star every Echo, you also receive achievements - but these will be challenge for some.The Big one, reaching 65 in Anarchy which is Bulletstorms version of Seriously, but not as difficult, and of course one to break their motto and not killing with skill.

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