Bullet Witch’s single biggest problem is the daunting final level. The first five levels are easy as can be, but the story ends at the end of level five. Level six is both anti-climatic to the story of the game, and so much more difficult that it feels like a completely different game. It is almost as though developers got back testing surveys advising just how pathetically easy the game was, and tacked on the final chapter of the game as some sick form of revenge.
Enemies in level six pose a couple of new twists that could have made the game better if implemented in earlier levels. They are swarming around the level in mass, with packs of them around each corner. They have also suddenly grown much smarter, dodging shots with acrobatic moves of their own. After gamers make it through the most difficult level in the game, they meet with the same familiar foe Alicia runs into from at the end of level one. As boss battles go, the end of Bullet Witch is among the most difficult and frustrating in years. It is possible, and likely, that gamers will spend hours attempting to take down the demon giant only to want to put their foot through the TV. Turning your 360 off and trying again after the rage wears down is simply not an option, thanks to the weak save system.
Despite being a 360 exclusive title, the achievement points are rather uninspired. With only fourteen achievements totaling the standard 1,000 points, the developers clearly do not have a good handle on how to pull replay value out of them. The achievements tie directly to clearing levels, beating the game on different difficulties, and playing a set amount of time. In a sick twist, playing for fifteen hours will earn gamers ninety-nine points, with a lone point earned for beating the game on the ultimate difficulty level, Hell, as if gamers did not have enough reasons not to play the game more than once. Where are achievements for casting Sacrifice on a set number of humans, or blasting a bunch of demons in one Lighting blast?
The game's 'depth' comes in the form of five difficulty levels, two of which are unlocked after beating the game on the highest available level. There is no online play, and while there are plans for downloadable content (including new costumes for Alicia and additional levels) it is not currently available. Even if the additional levels were available, gamers are unlikely to want more than one quick run through on this one. You have played this game before with different names and graphics, and it was a heck of a lot more fun the first hundred times. The lack of innovation and a poor control scheme make Bullet Witch a questionable rental, let alone purchase.
