So, it’s been roughly two days since Electronic Arts, Epic Games and People Can Fly unleashed their short but sweet demo of Bulletstorm on us. If you haven’t played it yet, well, either something’s wrong with you or you’re a complete wuss. But don’t worry, we’ve got full impressions for you right here – and they’re full of awesome. The demo doesn’t really offer anything in terms of story (outside of a brief trailer at the end of it), and the only mode that’s playable in it is the Echoes mode, which you can play through again and again to get the highest score possible. This is a huge factor to Bulletstorm, as you can compete through leaderboards and try and shoot for a better score. The stage itself is short but sweet, lasting about five to ten minutes depending on how long you dwell within it. You’ll make your way both inside and out, running through a torn-apart city and underground tunnels as you blast enemies to your heart’s content.
Notice how much we talked about scoring. This is a huge part to Bulletstorm’s gameplay, as you’ll spend most of your time trying to find the most creative ways to kill enemies. This includes grabbing one with your leash (a neon-lit cyber whip of sorts) and dragging them into some nearby spikes; kicking someone up-close into a bottomless pit and watching them fall to their death; aiming through the scope and taking out six enemies with a barrage of gunfire from a gun turret; and launching a piston to crunch a dozen or so bad guys at once, while getting out of the way to avoid taking damage. Each one counts up the points depending on originality, and if you do it more than once, you’ll get less and less points each time around. Creativity is a huge thing here. As for the gameplay itself, it’s totally addictive. We had a fun time using a variety of weapons, including a cool automatic gun, a swift handgun and a cool tethering weapon that fires attachable grenades. You can combine these together for more creative attacks, along with your kicking ability and use of a leash. Your imagination is the only thing limiting you, so we advise you to take your time (unless you’re surrounded) and letting loose with all kinds of brutal inventiveness. You’ll see the results of this in the scoreboards.
Bulletstorm looks outstanding. Even though we’ve only seen a brief glimpse of what the game is about, People Can Fly has no trouble keeping up with the Gears of War standard. The environments are outstanding, both indoor and out, as you crawl through ducts, kick objects out of your way and feel the buzz from beheading a toxic baddie. The animation runs smoothly throughout, with nary a hint of slowdown. As for the audio, it’s okay, with a lot of hilarious voiceovers (the final game will have even more) and some upbeat music playing in the background. It’s interesting to hear what your targets have to say as well – right before you kill them. But, again, don’t just take our word for it. The demo is available for download now, and we highly advise you check it out. This is one first-person shooter that’s bound to be on your favorites list for some time. We can’t wait for late February to roll around.
