One of the most enjoyable and action-packed games I have ever played was a game called “Bulletstorm” which combines action, humor, and enjoyable gameplay to create a winning product. The game was created by Electronic Arts, People Can Fly, and Epic Games and tells the story of privateer Grayson Hunt who has spent the last ten years of his life on a mission of revenge against a corrupt general who has wronged him and his crew. When the opportunity for revenge arises, Grayson crashes his own ship in order to bring the general’s ship down which strands them on the hostile world of Stygia. Stygia used to be a resort world and now scores of mutants, monsters, dangerous plants, and more roam the landscape making short work of all they encounter.
The game was well-received but did not sell well enough for a sequel but developed a loyal following over the years which led to a remastered edition and hope for a sequel. While that has not arrived as of yet; players can take the mayhem into the V.R. Realm with a new V.R. Edition.
With his friend Sato in need of medical care following the crash, Grayson and Sato set out to find the general in order to get off the planet and to get Sato proper medical care lest his cyborg implants take over his body. Along the way, Grayson and Sato must face many challenges and battle against never-ending hordes of bad guys. Thankfully they have some awesome firepower at their disposal ranging from shotguns to assault rifles as well as sniper rifles and rocket launchers. The game requires players to purchase new weapons and ammo as well as the ability to upgrade their weapons from dropships which are scattered throughout the landscape.
The more bad guys you dispatch and the more creative you are with your kills you more points to spend on your arsenal. One of my favorite weapons is the sniper rifle which allows you to steer your fired shot into your enemies, which comes in handy considering how much cover they like to take. Should you run out of ammo, you can always send a bad guy flying, thanks to a kick from Grayson who has no issue with kicking hordes of bad guys into various obstacles. The game awards you for being creative with your kills like kicking someone to impale them on an object which gets you a Voodoo Doll reward as does sending an enemy into an electrical field or sending them into the jaws of a deadly plant.
There are so many ways to take out enemies half the fun is finding out new ways to do so. I also liked being able to supercharge my weapon and vaporize any underlings that got in my way. The game also allows players a leash that fires an electrical tether to manipulate objects. I love latching onto enemies and pulling them into harm’s way, or towards me so I can kick them into harm’s way, or unleash a fury of bullets upon them.
Movement is V.R. can take some adjustment as does various combat movies such as reloading, kicking, and using the leash. In time it does get easier but still requires patience at times. The other issue is that the game has bugs and as I write this multiple patches have been released to address issues ranging from stability. Some players have complained about segments being dropped or changed from the game but I do give the development team the benefit of the doubt knowing that concessions do have to be made in a V.R. setting
From the winning mix of action and humor to the numerous variations the gameplay offers Bulletstorm is a nostalgic trip back but it continues to make me wish that a sequel would happen as this is what the fans want.
3 stars out of 5.
