Bulletstorm Review

Today I finished a game worthy of a review, I beleive.
Bulletstorm is a very recent game (released a week ago, I think) with beautiful graphics, a well attempted storyline and a lovely list of mechanics. I will refer only a little bit about some areas that really caught my attention.

The graphics are amazing, with some models that redefine any games opinion of "terrifyingly gargantuan". The scenery is brilliantly crisp and the lighting dynamics accompany the characters and interactive extras perfectly. Although some re-use of particular animations (namely the sniper rifle bullet-guiding function) gets a little repetitive. As always, I have yet to see a model or particle animation of fire that 'WOWs' me, but that's a little harsh I suppose. Alot of the environmental ornaments conveniantly placed for gameplay (I'll explain later) are seemlessly and organically placed and feel very appropriate for the specific areas you explore. Cutscenes are lovely to watch, the character animation or mo-cap use really gives each character a realistic sense of behaviour, although I feel some aspects of the modelling for Trishka Novack seem somewhat cartoony in places.

The storyline is original, tight and enjoyably but feels immensely rushed in the worst places of the game, noteably the start where the characters and situation are established and the end which I will describe later in the mechanics section. The protaganist, Grayson Hunt is written rather well, with understandable motives and behaviour from the word 'go'. Even his cybernetic friend Ishi Sato has an important and well thought out role to play. Unfortunately it's Trishka who failed to satisfy me again, with behaviour that seems really out of character in places. When you first meet her, she's a hard sort who doesn't play by the rules and seems bloodthirsty even for her companions (You, the player ; I might add) but digresses into a soppy wuss by the end of the game, a time when she should be aptly killing anything at full throttle, for reasons I will avoid to prevent spoilers.

The brilliance of the game comes into its mechanics, with an endless list of variable ways to 'do-in' your enemies. Near the beginning of the game you are provided with 'your new best friend' (as the gamer achievement states), the leash. The leash is a sort of lightsaber Indiana Jones whip which you can sling around from a device of the back of your hand and provides multiple uses. For the most part, you will use the leash to pull enemies towards you, only to kick them away from you; something that seems a little odd as I type it here. Aside from the ability to tug enemies, guns and annihilate small vehicles posing a threat to you, the 'cocky' leash grades your performance as a trigger happy assassin, giving you points for the more creative ways of killing folk. These are called 'Skillshots' and encourage the player to use the environment and surroundings to kill your enemies. For example, you can kick explosive crates at enemies, kick them into stray electrical wires, fires, spiky debris, off the side of cliffs, into walls (repeatedly), pools of water and even cacti. These are all individual methods of killing which will grant you special points (less points the more the use the same method) to purchase upgrades for your guns and leash. These are most of the main game mechanics although from the start the game many different forms of gameplay are used. At one point, you man the turrets of a spaceship to bring down a much larger spaceship. You also man a minigun from a helicopter to provide cover for your friends. You even get to play with a 50 ft remote control dinosaur that fires lazers and brings down building (surprisingly fun, actually). But you can only experience such a disappointment when the final 'boss battle' which you are driven to look forward to is a simple 5 or 6 button quicktime event. No epic shootouts with said leash or exploding barrels. No use of the upgraded weapons you've spent the entire game building up from classy killing maneuvers.
Just a ridiculous "Press left bumper".
"Press Right Trigger".
"Press Left bumper again".
"Press it again".
It's slightly infuriating.

I was given a book at christmas entitled "A theory of fun" and what a great read. A mention of this reading that seems appropriate to me here is the author details how the human brain revels in finding solutions to puzzles and finding patterns in places there should be none. We get bored of a game when we have mastered all its tricks and it has nothing left to give. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Bulletstorm immensely, its use of several gameplay styles were good fun, if anything even a little short! I just feel the game was a beastly concept and for the most part produced well. But it really let me down in some areas.

The game also lets on that there will be a sequel from some incriminating speech after the credits. I just hope that it can improve on its flaws, but build on what makes it so brilliant. Then we'll have a really awesome gaming experience to look forward to.