Bulletstorm Preview & Interview & NOW A REVIEW!

Sabre0001

As per my previous thread, I was sent to London thanks to EA and boards.ie. Had an absolute blast over and really enjoyed the entire experience - especially getting to play through Bulletstorm & the multiplayer. Also got to interview CliffyB (Cliff Bleszinski) and AdrianC (Adrian Chmielarz). Here's the interview and preview. One question that I forgot to ask in the interview and I'm kicking myself after


Thank you very much for coming over and giving us the opportunity to try out the game. I played the demo to death and was using the speed runs for inspiration.

I really like how you take feedback on board, and I read that was how Echoes came about. Are there plans to implement a more traditional multiplayer mode?

Adrian Chmielarz (AC): The thing is that, right now when it comes to choice, you have a lot of deathmatch type games. You have 1000s of games and a lot of shooters obviously have Player vs Player. My feeling is they start to basically chase their own tail. You have to invest weeks, if not months to stand up to these guys that you are fighting against.

We thought, “What’s bothering us as adults with multiplayer gaming?” a) It’s very hard to set up a match for example. In Echoes mode, you play against your friend, but on your own terms. You know, whatever you want for as long as you want. It all comes down to the fact that, even though I appreciate that people are used to the fact that actually, t=hey pay for one game but expect three games: single player, multi player, co-op. That’s cool, that’s how it is.

But we would have to make one more game if we wanted to make Player vs Player. [Using the flail gun as an example from SP] You wrap that chain around a guy and you have six seconds to do whatever you want to do. Now, 6 seconds in multiplayer, if you are the guy with the chain wrapped around you, that’s an eternity basically. So we would have to redesign the weapon, make it completely different. And the same goes for all the thumping, setting on fire, kicking in slow motion, and we thought to ourselves, “wait a minute; we have really fun combat game that really works very well. Let’s try to build our multiplayer experience around this rather than look at the checkbox – is there Player vs Player and has the idea for Echoes and this kind of Anarchy mode.


You come from the background of Painkiller – multiplayer wise that didn’t take off massively. A lot of people thought it was too fast or too complex. How have you mixed a game like Bulletstorm that is fast but acceptable?

AC: With Painkiller we have proven that if we wanted to go for the pro kind of Player vs Player, we can do it. I mean Painkiller multiplayer was chosen for CPL. Only the best players in the world played Painkiller, so we know how to do it. For us it was a question of choice. We thought to ourselves, the skillshot system is good – the guy who, is no longer #1, but he was for a long time, spent 56 hours – one play through is 3.5 minutes. He spent 56 hours still discovering and mastering the play through and he’s not done by a long while.

We thought, this is pretty deep but at the same time sort of easy to discover - you can discover things yourself – this is not complicated but deep, then maybe our key mode should be about having fun – just a couple of friends crack open a beer, maybe once a week whenever you have the time – call your friends and just have a blast. But of course, I assume there will be a bunch of professionals that will go for the high score. We do have leaderboards for Anarchy so some people will play as a relaxing experience and some people will go pro.

Cliff Bleszinski (CB): Kicking around a soccer ball vs going pro right?

EPIC have been pretty good for tracking statistics in the likes of Gears of War 1 & 2 – has the same system been implemented for Bulletstorm and has there been many surprises from, we’ll say the demo, besides the guy playing for 56 hours?

CB: I can’t really speak on the stats yet as far as what’s hooked in, I’ll let Adrian talk about that in a second but I can tell you that we’ve become increasingly surgical about that sort of thing in regards to our products. And in looking at Infinity Blade and the number of hours played on Apple devices, the amount of hooks that are going in for Gears of War 3. We know what you shoot, what gun, where you shooting it and what you do with it, which is actually, when Gears of War 3 comes out is going to be very crucial data for placing weapons around the place after the game ships to make sure we optimise the players experience.

AC: So on one hand, we do track a lot of data – a lot of things. We know how many kills you executed with this particular weapon, you know, what’s happening there. But, on the other hand, on purpose absolutely 100% consciously, we have decided not to publish that data and just focus on a couple of truly meaningful things – what was your score, what was your time, what was your best one hit combo. So, you know, we could have made ten pages of that in the game, but we sorta decided to go Apple way. Remember when iPhone first came out, people were like, “this is missing, this is missing, and this is missing”. 99% of people did not care about this.

CB: And then Apple delivers the features later, and everyone’s like, “thank you so much”

AC: “copy & paste, copy & paste”. No, we don’t want to do that. But what we wanted to do, because we feel this is a pretty fresh thing that we are offering here – this is the skillshot system, and everything is pretty new. We wanted to start with something simple – these are your points, this is how you’re scoring, let’s focus on that first. Inspiration for the points on the E3 play through, it was really fun.

We had the demo ready for E3 – actually, we haven’t told anyone about this so here’s your exclusive…So we had the E3 demo ready, and it was part of the SP campaign, you know – the park – and we were really happy with it. And somebody said, “You know, let’s show the score at the end”. “But it’s the SP campaign” – “never mind, just for the fun of it, let’s just show the score, number of kills and number of skillshots – three numbers, nothing else”. OK, fine. And we did that – and two things happened – first, our guys who were running the booth – actually started to delay everybody coming in groups because in between groups they were actually competing for that score. And the second thing that happened was people were playing and they actually, once they were done, they didn’t leave. It’s done, the run is over but they were standing there, looking at their monitor, waiting to see what would happen – what’s going to be the score.

CB: Just like the old arcades right? Let’s see you beat my score.

AC: In the end, that number is the only thing that really matters, the points that they have. That’s why we focus, even though we track that much data, we only show those things.

When it comes to the idea of skillshots, in what order was it designed? Did you come up with the idea of we want to set people on fire, and this is the weapon to do it, or was it a case of, we want this weapon in the game and this is the skillshot?

CB: Is it a top down order or bottom up….From what I could ascertain from working with you guys, it was a situation of making stuff that was really cool. We talked about the skillshot system, that wasn’t ever the original plan for the game. It was a situation where PCF had come up with these great verbs – these actions of kick, leash, and slide – they started coming up with these unique and cool weapons and that was cool. And then, Adrian…

AC: Started adding objects to the environment

BC: Yeah, adding objects to the environment – people were playing with their enemies instead of just killing them. And Adrian realised like hey – why don’t we reward people for this, why don’t we give them points for this, and then continue that machine and that loop of the game and allow it to be a currency. Once all those bits got hooked in and then the machine started going chugga-chugga-chugga, and then they could design to it and started coming with all these custom kills and coming with all these unique ways – how many skillshots?

AC: 135…but I don’t know the real number because learning skillshots is easy but linking them – getting 4 or 5 skillshots on one guy, that’s where the secret is. The beauty of the system is that our idea of sorta lose control over this. We just give you the tools, and what you do with them we don’t know. And it’s happening…It really made me happy that the top players released their videos on YouTube showing them scoring 20,000 points. And they were doing stuff, I never thought about. And I was like, “ooh yeah, that’s a great idea”.

The first tweet I got from one of these good players was one of the best posts I ever got. One guy got 16k, and the other guy got 16k and posted a video. The first guy tweeted me back saying, “we got the same score, but he’s playing completely differently, and now I’ve learned a few tricks to up my game”. That was the idea – it’s very scary to lose control over the game because of the amount of combinations and permutations but it allows you to have your own moments in the SP campaign, something that will happen only for you. And the ability to own that, and think of ways to get new points, makes it a puzzle shooter – new genre.

CB: It’s a beautiful moment when a developer has everything released into the wild and has a, “I didn’t even think of that” moment. That’s the grail of what everyone goes for with emergent gameplay.

Have ye any personal favourite skillshots, either in SP or MP?

AC: The one I love is “Burn”. It may not have the funniest name – it is a charge shot from shotgun, but it is very expensive – I think the most expensive ammo in the game. It’s this heat wave that annihilates everything in its way – cover or no cover. I love the way that you pay for it but if you’re clever enough, you can get a return. The thing that I like about it is that you enter this combat zone – there are four guys, one with a sword, others with guns and you just *pow*, one button – skeletons. So this is like an Indiana Jones moment where the guy has a sword and he just shot him. So this is the feeling I get when I do the Burn skillshot.

CB: I like thumping people and then using the flare gun charge shot. *whistles* *pow* - sometimes they’ll just go off in another direction and other times…what will happen when I’m playing Anarchy mode is that someone will thump and I’ll get one of the guys as others are trying to trap shoot them and then they’ll go flying off. It’s a great cooperative, yet competitive at the same time – just fireworks man, I love it.

Are there plans for DLC at the moment?

CB: It’s one of those things that would absolutely make sense. We’re in a digital world where you need to continue to support your product and remind people that it exists through DLC, but we’re not ready to announce any plans right now.

Last question, is unrelated to Bulletstorm, but is there a chance of Jazz Jackrabbit making a return?

CB: It’s one of those things; the little bunny is near and dear to my heart. I like to joke that we’ll do it in our spare time, of which we have none, because we’re busy with Gears and working with partners in other projects. We did have a little demonstration for the Unreal engine being available on iOS – the old top down, mini gore version – that’s the game we kinda looked at with Jazz shooting at turtles and stuff like that.

And when I tweeted that, “there was something Jazzy coming out”, and it turned out it was that, the fan base was enraged that there wasn’t a proper Jazz remake. I would love to do it at some point if we could find an appropriate partner and the bandwidth to do it. But you never know. You’d have to almost reinvent the character action platform game in a certain way for this post-modern era that we have now. I’m not quite sure how to do that yet.

Thanks very much for your time. Was a pleasure to meet ye

Sabre0001

2011 was supposed to be the year of the glorious return of the King: the year where Duke Nukem got to revive his good name, kick some ass, and chew some bubblegum. However, in his absence, a new smart assed, wise-cracking, loud-mouthed, protagonist has come to the fore.

Meet renowned space pirate, Grayson Hunt, on a quest for revenge with his rag tag bunch of misfits after a mission goes sour. If you were to imagine Captain Jack Sparrow for an adult audience, Grayson Hunt is what you may come up with. The obvious connection is that they are both pirates and have a fondness for alcohol. But they also have a wit, and something resembling charm, about them.

Bulletstorm begins, like most other titles, with a tutorial. Unlike others, this tutorial is fluid and welcomes the player into the game and the story immediately. Fittingly, the first thing that the player learns is how to aim and fire. This sets the tone throughout the game, where questions are secondary.

The action kicks off immediately and is unrelenting throughout. Initially, Bulletstorm plays like other first person shooters, but once you gain access to the leash, a whole new world of opportunity opens up to the player.

It is the leash combination and the implementation of skill shots that set this game apart. Suddenly, the player is prompted to try out new things, to be aware of their surroundings, and to dispatch enemies in a variety of cruel and sadistic ways. There are a total of 135 skillshots to discover, in addition to the challenge that the game itself offers.

There are times when the Unreal engine looks slightly dated. For example, there were close up shots of characters that should not have been used, when we have become so accustomed to life like detail in all models. However, there are moments where the player can just admire the landscape. For much of the game, there is a scenic beauty on display. Some of the areas are jaw dropping. The team has certainly pushed the boundaries of what is possible, and succeeds.

A trend has emerged within games where they often compete with Hollywood in terms of cinematics and action sequences. Bulletstorm is one of those games that will spring to mind when this trend is mentioned. The set pieces are truly amazing, gripping and unlike what has gone before.

Bulletstorm is crude and not for those with sensitive ears. In an interview with TechTV101, Cliff Bleszinski stated that “f-bombs” are infrequent but may redefine how people think about profanity. Essentially, the characters make hybrids of any conceivable insult and swearword.

The multiplayer is different from what has been rehashed time and time again. Anarchy mode takes the basic concept from the hugely successful Horde mode from Gears of War, but puts the Bulletstorm stamp on it. Up to four players combine to hit points targets in a number of waves. Unlike in the Gears series, survival is fairly straightforward. However, players will have to work together and communicate in order to meet point targets and accomplish team challenges. From the first wave, this mode is a blast to play and rewards players, rather than having them go through the motions for ten waves before the game gets interesting.

The other “multiplayer” mode is Echoes, which was showcased in the demo. This is “snack gaming”. It is very possible to sit down and play one level for five minutes, or play through multiple levels trying to set the highest score on each. There is a competitive beast in all of us, and this mode allows us to feed that with global and friend leaderboards. In addition, it removes the need to pay for upgrades, guns or ammo. The player is given the freedom to play as they wish. Nothing takes care of stress better than tearing up enemies in pre-determined and calculated ways.

This is a title to look forward to. It is easy to pick up but difficult to master, and features enough to satisfy most gamers. The first person genre may have found a new loud mouthed King to sit on the throne. Bulletstorm will be released in shops on February 25th.

Gummy Panda

Where is the PC demo EA?

Vegeta

Played the Demo at Burning Eclipse's house and had a great time passing the controller over and back trying to get higher scores. Plays well and is genuinely fun.

Nice work on the interview and preview

Jazzy

Sabre0001 wrote: »

“there was something Jazzy coming out”

damn straight.

good interview. looks like an alright game, not too fussed though

Grumpypants

If you ever played Gears of War and thought i would love this if it was a FPS with Space pirates, then Bulletstorm is the game for you

tman

Jazzy wrote: »

damn straight.

You should really read back over that line a few more times:p

Great read, Sabre

Dav

Following up from this, I got my review copy of Bulletstorm yesterday and spent most of last night playing it.

*** Standard disclaimer ***
We (Boards.ie) have an advertising deal in place with EA and I am sent games to review as a part of this. There are absolutely zero conditions put upon me for when I review these games - so if I think it's rubbish, I'll say so. EA are big enough and ugly enough to take the good with the bad

Anyone that knows me knows I've been dying for this game to come out as I first saw it last Spring in London at an EA event and got to play it at a later event last November. However it was yesterday that my full review copy got here...

IT IS FRACKING AMAZING!

If you like FPS games (and I really do), this takes the best bits of games like Doom, Half-Life, Serious Sam, Duke Nukem, Quake and blends them into a hilarious mix of fast action and ridiculous, over the top cartoon violence. This is not even remotely suitable for anyone under 18, please don't let children play it. The content is extremely visceral and violent and the language extremely over the top and coarse. However, all that works, it's not just done for the sake of doing it, it really does fit the game.

The story doesn't take itself seriously at all, but it provides a platform to deliver some really fun sequences and scenarios to butcher your way through. A few nice and different rails missions too where you're a vehicle gunner, but my favourite is the time you

take control of a mechanised shooty Godzilla type monster and shoot and smash your way through several hoardes of bad guys.

You get more points for wilder skillshots and more become unlocked as you collect new weapons and progress through the game. You spend these points on unlocking the "Charge" ability of your various guns which is a massively overpowered variant of the gun's default firing mode. My favourite is the upgrade to the quad-barrelled shotgun (mentioned in Sabre's interview above) which simply turns any enemy in it's path into a glowing red skeleton You can also buy essentials like ammo for your guns and increase the maximum ammo capacity at the Supply Points that are dotted around the game.

Whilst I'm talking about them, the weapon selection overall is pretty much as you'd expect except everything's turned up to 11 (that's kinda the theme for the game really). I normally hate sniper rifles and sniper based game play but this game's sniper gun is awesome. When you shoot, the camera travels with the bullet and then senters a slo-mo mode whilst your target attempts to dodge the bullet and you attempt to steer it into his head (if you want the most killshot points). Watching my friend who has a major love of the sniping game was hilarious and every narrow miss as the enemies just ducked behind a piece of cover in time felt like a personal blow, but when you get it right, you can magic-bullet a shot and take almost a u-turn with the bullet to nail the target, it's instantly satisfying. Lee Harvey Oswald had nothing on this!

There's also the leash which you can use to drag enemies and enviromental objects towards you where you can either shoot them or kick them away from you (all in slow-mo) and perform more convoluted skillshots for more bonus points - one of my favourites is to pull an ememy towards you, wrap a flail around him (2 grenades tied to a steel chain), kick him away from you back into a group of his buddies and then detonate for mass destruction You also get the Thumper attack which will bounce all enemies within radius into the air in slo-mo for you to either shoot or leash or whatever horrific acts of carnage you can think of.

We didn't even look at the multiplayer last night as the single player action was so much fun. If you've played the Demo, you'll have seen the Echoes mode which is going to have you replaying this game again and again trying to get a better score to brag to your friends about.

I did get stuck into the multiplayer in London last November though, it's 4-player co-op where you must work as a team to achieve certain kinds of kills against the hoardes of mooks that come your way. If you do the wrong kills, you lose the game, but you will be told what the goal is (although not necessarily how to achieve it). The game's out today, so I'm awaiting several of my friends to get it so we can get stuck into this game mode.

Long story short. I love this game. This is pretty much the sort of game I would create for myself if given the opportunity, so my review is admittedly somewhat biased The scenery is fantastic, the planet Stygia that's been created is epic in scale and appearance and the Unreal 3 Engine has never looked better, but I was playing on XBox, so it'll most likely look even better on PC.

If you're still not sure, get the demo on your console of choice (not available on PC yet, Adrian Chmielarz just confirmed for me via Twitter that it is on the way).

This is FPS gaming as it should be. None of the grinding for hours and hours just to unlock a decent gun on the same 4 or 5 decent maps. You need this game if you're bored of modern day FPS games (and I know I am). I can see a new resurgence in fun single player FPS games with this new leader of the pack.

Congrats to People Can Fly and Epic Games, this is a masterpiece.

A big thank you to EA and O'Leary for the review copy of the game.

Gummy Panda

Apparently D2D messed up and think the US release date is correct in their UK site.

super_furry

The demo was awesome and I'm just waiting on Gamestop to deliver it. They had it on special for €45 delivered if you pre-ordered but having never ordered anything at launch from them before, I'm hoping that it's here by Friday.

DeVore

Have to agree with Dav, I played it with him last night and its literally a blast! A great shooter which doesn't take itself too seriously but is actually brilliantly executed. Silly fun just got serious. Looking forward to coop multiplayer

DeV.

tman

Good to see a publisher who hasn't slapped a review embargo on an upcoming release for once! (can't believe I'm saying that sort of thing about EA!)
Cheers Dav:)

Ciaran500

tman wrote: »

Good to see a publisher who hasn't slapped a review embargo on an upcoming release for once! (can't believe I'm saying that sort of thing about EA!)
Cheers Dav:)

I think they did have an embargo, its out today in the us and there was no reviews up this morning and loads appearing through out the day.

Potential-Monke

Excellent, sounds like this is going to be as Epic as i had hoped. Only thing is, will it have longevity? Easy to say yes now, but it's still not "out" long enough to say for certain.

I will be getting it anyway! Roll on Friday!

pablomakaveli

I was going to wait and see what the reviews for this were like before buying but i think i might just pick this up with killzone 3 on friday.

tman

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Excellent, sounds like this is going to be as Epic as i had hoped. Only thing is, will it have longevity? Easy to say yes now, but it's still not "out" long enough to say for certain.

I will be getting it anyway! Roll on Friday!

If Dav received it yesterday and has a review up now, I'm guessing it's not the longest game ever!:p
I wouldn't let that put you off though, it seems to be more of a game that you'll keep coming back to for just one more quick go to better a score on a particular level ala Bayonetta/Vanquish etc...

Retr0gamer

What I played at the EA events it's a game that you will get the most out of from the score attack and co-op modes which are absolutely superb.

Jazzy

any form of Deathmatch, team deathmatch or ctf in it ?

gizmo

Jazzy wrote: »

any form of Deathmatch, team deathmatch or ctf in it ?

Nope, just Anarchy mode (GoW Horde-style co-op) and the leaderboard-based Echos.

super_furry

Retr0gamer wrote: »

What I played at the EA events it's a game that you will get the most out of from the score attack and co-op modes which are absolutely superb.

That's what appeals to me the most. Bizarre's (RIP) criminally overlooked The Club did something similar, encouraging you to chain kills, chase score multipliers and points building, and this looks to take it serveral dozen steps further.

Healium

DLC announced already :pac:

SeantheMan

Review on Gametrailers

Multiplayer didn't get reviewed well, which is the main reason I'd buy a modern day FPS. Got bored lookin at the review tbh...
Definitely a "rental"

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-hd-bulletstorm/710810

DeVore

Dav and I played it for about 8 hours (most of which was me watching him it must be said ) and it felt like it was getting towards the end but its certainly chocked full of action. The cinematics put me in mind of Uncharted and Half Life 2.

DeV.

Benzino

Remember the Half Life days when it took you about 20 hours to finish the game, I wish they would come back

super_furry

I don't. I don't have time to play through something that time consuming. The new Castlevania game was great but I gave up on it after the first disc and about 20 hours, I just don't have that much time to commit to games anymore. Eight to ten hours for a single-player campaign is the sweet spot for an action game for me.

Vegeta

super_furry wrote: »

I don't. I don't have time to play through something that time consuming. The new Castlevania game was great but I gave up on it after the first disc and about 20 hours, I just don't have that much time to commit to games anymore. Eight to ten hours for a single-player campaign is the sweet spot for an action game for me.

I don't get you.

Am I missing something because if you play through two ten hour games it is the exact same amount of time as playing a single game for 20 hours. Your time investment hasn't changed a single second.

VenomIreland

Benzino wrote: »

Remember the Half Life days when it took you about 20 hours to finish the game, I wish they would come back

Or in the CRPG days, where 20 hours was fast!

DeVore

Hah! What about Elite that took months to complete! Or the likes of Ultima Underworld which was an epic!



Ah, I remember when all this was just zeros.

DeV.

richymcdermott

i didnt like the demo of thegame , such a shame

super_furry

Vegeta wrote: »

I don't get you.

Am I missing something because if you play through two ten hour games it is the exact same amount of time as playing a single game for 20 hours. Your time investment hasn't changed a single second.

I can play two 10 hours games over the space of a month easily enough but it's more a case of grabbing a few hours here and there these days. If I sit down to play something like Castlevania for two hours, I come away feeling like I've made no progress, I might have been levelling up or grinding out quests but there's little sense of accomplishment. If in those same two hours I can make real progress in another game, I'll go for that.

Having said that, I'm finding myself spending a lot more time on my PSP playing PSOne RPGs on the move or just while watching television, so I suppose it comes down to a matter of focus as much as anything else.

Grumpypants

Its good, it is very much a love letter to the 90's FPS and although that genre was done to death back in the day, i think just enough time has passed to make it "fun" again. Not sure if i would like to see a flood of these games think this and Duke will be enough for now.

I think releasing the same day as the awesome Killzone 3 will hurt it though and it will prob be on the mark down shelf within 2-3 weeks same as DS2.

pH

Anyone know about the "epic" edition with GoW3 MP beta included .. GAME only? does it cost more? Will it be available in store on Fri?

DarkJager

Downloaded the demo of this last night and I have to say, its been a while since I've played an imaginative FPS like it. I love the fact the game rewards you for finding new and inventive ways to kill I've played it about 6 or 7 times now trying to top my score but can only get about 6800 points. Any tips on racking up the score?

As much as I enjoy it, I'm torn between picking this up on Friday or waiting for FNC to come out next week.

raze

This might be the worst scripted shooter I have ever played. I know the campaign isn't its main focus but it's nauseating to listen to the dialogue. With lines like "whoah, you nearly scared my dick off" being par for the course, it makes GoW2's line "more like two sh*ttons" sound like Shakespeare.

Single player level design isn't better than Halo 1, the shooting is mundane - but I don't like the implementation of the skill shot system as much as I thought I would, it excuses a myriad of problems concerning AI - if enemies are just stupid I don't care how I score by killing them. Also it seems like a waste to put the leash mechanic in the game, and then completely ignore physics puzzles.

I can't see myself ever playing this game again. Least appealing shooter since Turok for me anyway.

Hank Scorpio

Whenever I see epic games these days I know exactly what to expect

Some people will prolly enjoy this, not my cup of tea at all though, cliffy b i am dissapoint

tman

nuxxx wrote: »

Whenever I see epic games these days I know exactly what to expect

It's a People Can Fly game really, don't dismiss it so easily...

Lab_Mouse

think i might download the demo.Liked serious sam and duke nukem so might be up my alley.Hell even painkiller was good fun if you didnt read to much into it

Jazzy

for me this looks like a 'play before buy' game

DeVore

These days, every game is one of those....

The only thing I will buy before trying is something recommended by Penny-Arcade. I have never disagreed with the opinion of Tycho on there.

DeV.

Jazzy

yeah, see i liked painkiller and this seems made in a similar vain but with multiplayer shooters for me nowadays its either DM,tdm or ctf. i really just dont have time for much else, personal preferance i suppose. i have a friend who's getting it so ill play it there because i am curious about it. ill probably just save my money for the duke tho ^^

eddhorse

Lots of bad language too :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH0KH9F4He8

SeanyMc22

Anyone got the prices? Xtra Vision/HMV mainly.
Also is the Epic Edition available or only for preorders?

Healium

Hope my Epic Edition arrives in the post today!

SeanyMc22 wrote: »

Anyone got the prices? Xtra Vision/HMV mainly.
Also is the Epic Edition available or only for preorders?

Cliff Bleszinski tweeted a while back that Xtra-Vision, Gamestop and Smyths would all have Epic Editions on launch day. Give them a ring!

Sabre0001

Finally going to chime in with my own review...Should have been organised, but wasn't and then college got in the way!

---

Bulletstorm Review
The life of a space pirate is not quite exotic, but it sure is exciting. At least, that is the image painted by People Can Fly’s Bulletstorm. In the role Grayson Hunt, essentially an R-Rated Captain Jack Sparrow, the player sets off on a quest for revenge. An order from General Sarrano went differently than planned, and now Grayson and his team of misfits are looking to set things right.

Ten years pass from that incident but after going toe to toe with the General’s ship, in a strategically poor move, Hunt’s ship crash lands on Stygia. Once he finds out that the General has crashed, and is still alive, Hunt makes it his mission to find him and kill him.

Early on, the player picks up a leash, which is used to great effect throughout the game. Without it, Bulletstorm could be just another shooter. However, the use of the leash allows players to set up mad trick shots, or skillshots as they are called in game, and toy with enemies at their will. There are over 130 skillshots in game, which encourage players to be as creative and sadistic as possible.

Bulletstorm is not for the sensitive or faint at heart. It’s crude, crass and gory, but that’s all part of the appeal. The dialogue is not going to win any awards for script writing, but is creative in the way it jams swears and insults together. The skillshots themselves cause enemies to double over, scream in anguish and explode in a shower of gibs. Even the names are full of sexual innuendo. In the end, it’s all part and parcel of the Bulletstorm appeal.

Some of the set pieces are truly spectacular. Players can appreciate the beauty even though scripts are relied upon. But when it’s well implemented, and it works, there is no need to dismiss it. People Can Fly has sculpted a wonderful environment, with a fine blend of beauty and destruction.

In the single player, you can get away with not utilising the skillshot system. It will take much of the novelty and innovativeness away from Bulletstorm, but it is possible. However, if you try the same tactic in multiplayer, you will either languish at the bottom of leaderboards or be very unpopular, depending on the game mode of choice.

There are two multiplayer modes on offer. The Echoes mode pitches the player against themselves, their friends and the world. Described by Epic Games lead developer, Cliff Bleszinski, as “snack gaming”, it is possible to pick up and play for minutes at a time. The mode is split into smaller versions of the single player levels. Weapons from the single player are unlocked at the relevant point, but players are equipped with the charge shots from the get go.

All the player has to do is finish as quickly, with as many skillshots and combinations racked up, as possible. It’s back to the good old days of competition with bragging rights being the order of the day. It is one thing saying that players can play for a couple of minutes; it’s a completely different proposition stopping after these few minutes are up.

Then there is Anarchy mode. There was a lot said about the Gears of War Horde mode, and how it was the more popular form of online play within Gears. It influenced other games, which took the concept for their own use. However, the idea has been given another kick start with the Bulletstorm system. Surviving is no longer the goal. That is too easy.

Instead, players must work together and team up against the swarm of enemies. Earn enough points from individual and team skillshots, and you move on to the next wave. Unlike the horde modes featured in other games, players can be as creative as they like in early levels. While the score target is quite low, players can compete to be the top performer of the round, and points equate to ammo and upgrades. Upgrades become very important in later waves, so it is in teams’ best interests to go all out from the off.

It’s nice to see a game that is a little bit different. Bulletstorm doesn’t take itself seriously, and is well aware of what it is doing. Lines of dialogue even refer back to the game’s mechanics with one character even exclaiming that Grayson didn’t have a witty one-liner to throw out at one point. The single player campaign may be short, but it’s sweet. It’s the extra touches in the creative skillshot system, and the long-term appeal of the multiplayer side, that set Bulletstorm apart.

dreamers75

Any PC users want a game later?


Beer and mumble

Gonzovision

dreamers75 wrote: »

Any PC users want a game later?


Beer and mumble

Yep

Healium

Can't believe the people badmouthing this game, especially since most of them haven't played it!

About half way through the campaign, and loving it. The dialogue is hilarious, the skillshots are really fun to try and achieve, and the campaign story is good so far!

Not even tried Anarchy yet!

dreamers75

An hour installing this game stupid ****ing GFWL and its ****ing gayness.

Jumpy

dreamers, pm me the mumble address.

Jumpy

I might be a while, just started the steam download now.

dreamers75

2 hours in and yet to actually play online.

losing faith in humanity here.