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Bulletstorm first came out at the start of 2011 on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. I recall playing it back when it was released and thinking it was a really enjoyable game that ended a little early. Being aware that they probably wouldn’t add any extra single-player to the game, I was unsure how I was going to feel about this remastered edition. Nowadays, you are never too sure about which games are going to receive a remaster and which games won’t, but it is a surprise that Bulletstorm has.
People love Call of Duty and Battlefield, but this is not at all like either of these. Originally, Bulletstorm flopped in the market, mainly because people didn’t really want what it had to offer. Saying that, for me, the game was a great experience and something most people would actually like.
As usual, the remastered game gives you all the extras that were ever added to the game. This version also includes the Echoes and Anarchy modes. What is noticeable is that, other than that, the game doesn’t have any extra new add-ons, apart from the Overkill mode which I will talk about later. For some people, the full retail price – with no real extras – may be a little too off-putting. For an extra fiver, you can purchase the Duke Nukem mode. Basically, your character becomes Duke Nukem and all the dialogue changes to typical Duke style.
The story follows the main character (Grayson Hunt, or Duke Nukem) and his mission for revenge. Grayson enjoys a lot of things, mostly being drunk and making shocking decisions (DVDfever Dom adds: A bit like me on a night out in Manchester!).
As stories go, Bulletstorm hasn’t got one of the best stories about, nor has it got one of the worst. Something it does boost, however, is a really comedic nature (as well as very strong language). I was impressed that the game gives you an option to turn that off, as well as the gore. Of course I didn’t change those settings, because I am a man, although, I did wonder what that would do to the age rating.
As I have mentioned, the game is full of humour and throughout the story you will find yourself laughing a number of times. You’ll also be cringing since some of the jokes are a little too much. Bearing in mind, Epic Games decided to make this title because a lot of people were complaining about the Gears of War series getting a little too serious. I am sure a few people will complain that Bulletstorm is a little too crass and distasteful. Telling indeed, that I find it quite funny and only sometimes slightly irritating when I feel they over-told the same old joke. The story adds to the enjoyment of the game and this is definitely one you should enjoy. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that is a breath of fresh air in itself nowadays.
Sadly, the graphics don’t quite live up to a lot of the more modern games (it would have been nice to see them in 4K on the PS4 Pro). Coming out in 2011 is one of the main reasons why the graphics don’t quite fit the grade. Saying that, when Bulletstorm was original released, it was an incredibly impressive-looking game, so at no point of playing this game was I thinking the graphics were poor. Switching on my original Xbox version, it was clear they have improved the character models as well as textures. The clear difference in colours was evident and it has to be said that this is the easily the best way to play Bulletstorm.
The soundtrack also adds to the enjoyment. The characters are well-lip-synced which didn’t haunt me with any of those Mass Effect Andromeda memories. All the their voices seem like an American high school stud with little brain cells, which I suppose is what marines actually are. Only kidding! …but you get my drift, I’m sure. Also, when you play the game as Duke, the voice acting is perfect. The dialogue is fantastic and Duke Nukem will have you cracking up with lines like “Duke Nukem, baby, remember that name for later!” What a lad!
Bulletstorm is fun-filled and full of fast action, and so is the soundtrack. It has explosive rhythms entangled with doom and gloom, throughout. What the soundtrack cleverly does is support the fun you’re having in the game. At no point do you feel overwhelmed by the sounds, nor do you feel that the soundtrack is counterproductive to what’s going on onscreen. It must be said that although the soundtrack was enjoyable, it isn’t unreal, nor is it full of songs that you will find yourself wanting to listen to outside of the game. It was put together by two experienced composers who have done more than a good enough job.
Go to page 2 for more thoughts on the game.
Gameplay is where the player will decide whether they like or dislike the game. One infuriating thing is the lack of the character being able to jump. He can vault over a number of different things, but you’ll find yourself wanting to make him vault over all the other annoying things in your way.
A feature you will use a lot of is the ‘slide and leash’ button. Basically, slide will make Grayson slide on the floor and trip up any oncoming enemies, who then fly up in the air in a slow-motion style, giving you opportunity to shoot them to smithereens! This is then supported by the leash button, which you’ll be given around 20 minutes into your adventure. Similar to Scorpion’s (Mortal Kombat) “come ‘ere” move, the leash fires into your enemy and brings them towards you, once again, using slow-motion. All of these moves go together to form ‘skillshots’. There are 131 different skillshots and some of them are incredibly bizarre. One of my favourites is when you have to shoot the enemy in the nuts and then kick his head off. Although you won’t find yourself desperate to unlock all of them, you will go through stages of trying to complete all the ones close to your option menu.
There are a range of different weapons that you can use in the game from the Chaingun all the way to the Boneduster. All of the guns are quite fun to use and offer you something different. Mix them up with your boot as well as the leash and you have quite a decent arsenal. You can upgrade your weapons but this doesn’t really change their use.
The game isn’t the longest experience you will ever play, and will take you a maximum off around 8 hours. It took me 6. Personally, this isn’t a bad thing – it is about the right time you want to play the game for and finishes at a good time. One of the new modes is the ‘Overkill’ mode, which is unlocked by completing the game. Here, you basically get everything unlocked and can just pick and choose. This is good fun but doesn’t offer much in the way of replay value.
What this game *does* offer you is Echoes mode. Here you have tiny sections of the game put together for you to play to set scores and times to beat your friends as well as other only gamers. This reminded me a bit of time trial modes in games which always annoys me. However, it must be said that this mode was relatively fun, albeit nothing to write home about.
You also have Anarchy mode which reminds me of a tamer version of Zombies, where you can work together in a team of four and attack onslaughts of enemies. I’ve never been a fan of a Zombie mode and I wasn’t a massive fan of this one, but I appreciate that a lot of people will love it. Unfortunately, with this game, you don’t have any competitive modes where you have to compete against your friend. When you understand the mechanics of the game (slow-mo etc), you will understand how it would have been incredibly hard to accommodate such modes. However, as a gamer, you may find yourself not caring about how hard it would have been for the developer, but how cool it would have been with them included regardless of the logistics.
For me, the best new addition this game offers you is the Duke Nukem mode. This had me in stitches with Duke’s new dialogue and the hidden touches around the game (like Duke Nukem graffiti) pulling you in to thinking that you are actually playing a Duke Nukem game! And the best one to come out in a blooming long time! This game is made for Duke as the protagonist and, for me, I will only play the game using Duke. Well worth the extra money!
If you haven’t ever played Bulletstorm and you like shooters then you need to play this. If you have already played this game then you should consider whether this is a worthwhile purchase.
As a final word, Duke says he wants to rip off your head and sh… er.. I mean, *I* will have the final word, saying it’s worth mentioning that this game isn’t really much different from the original one. Yes it is sharper and probably quicker but otherwise you are pretty much playing the same game. For me this wasn’t a problem but for some I am sure they will be frustrated.
Bulletstorm Full Clip Edition is out now on PS4, Xbox One and PC, and click on the packshot for the full-size version.
Important info:
- Publisher: Maximum Games
- Players: single-player, multiplayer
- HDTV options: up to 1080p
- Sound: DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1
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GRAPHICS SOUND GAMEPLAY ENJOYMENT |
7 8 8 9 |
| OVERALL | 8 |
Lead Writer: Rick Remender
Producers: Adrian Chmielarz and Tanya Jessen
Voice-over director: James D Mortellaro
Music: Krzysztof Wierzynkiewicz
Cast:
Grayson Hunt: Steve Blum
Duke Nukem: Jon St John
Ishi Sato: Andrew Kishino
Trishka Novak: Jennifer Hale
Rell: Chris Cox
General Sarrano: Anthony De Longis
Doc Oliver / Novak / Skulls: Robin Atkin Downes
Skulls / Flytrap: Fred Tatasciore
Burnouts / Burnout Boss / Skulls: Jon Olsen
Ratface / Creeps: Dave Wittenberg
Heavy Echo Trooper: Brian Bloom
Newsbot / Computer: Julie Nathanson
Kei: Joe Thomas
I have been a video game player since 1993 and a music fan since I can remember. I studied Film and Journalism at university and ended up becoming a Primary School teacher. Video games changed my life and sent me on the right track and have stayed with me ever since.
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