Bullet Witch Goes Gold

Atari announced today that the demon fighting shooter Bullet Witch has gone gold, and we all know what that means, right?  If you're not a naive podcaster, you'll realize that Bullet Wicth is now ready to make it's way to market, with the major bugs worked out and the master copy ready to be duplicated.

The game is due in North American stores on February 27th at a nice price of $50.  Whenever a third party game comes in at 10 bucks under the norm, I have mixed emotions.  I love the idea of a good value, but I fear that it is an admission that the game is somehow a "budget" title.  Think Civil War.  Bullet Witch isn't a "hotly anticipated" title, but it seems like it could be a fun romp with a sexy spellcaster.  Think last Friday night.

Potentially exciting is the fact that additional content will be downloadable in the weeks following launch, including new costumes - of course - and revised levels.  if the DLC is free, they'll be a fun way for the publisher to make gamers feel rewarded for buying the game.  If, just weeks after launch, they are fee-based, they'll be a fun way to make gamers feel hosed.

Bullet Witch is said to be inspired by American horror and Japanese fantasy monsters. The game will feature destructible environments and combine the use of magic and gunplay.  The publisher sees this game as a sort of cultural bridge between gamers in japan and gamers in the west.

"How well the critically acclaimed Japanese title will be accepted in the leading countries of Third Person Shooting games is going to be a litmus test, and we consider it a challenge as well" said Naohiko Hoshino, Executive Vice President of developer AQ Interactive.

Developed by Japan-based Cavia, Bullet Witch is set on a bleak planet earth in the year 2013 with human kind on the brink of extinction and hideous demons creating a tidal wave of destruction and havoc. All hope of mankind's survival rests with Alicia, a beautiful witch blessed with magical skills and a swift trigger finger. Players take control of Alicia in her heroic quest to prevent the decimation of mankind through her fearsome weaponry and spectacular powers with which she can manipulate natural phenomena in her environment.