Genre: First-person shooter
Developer: People Can Fly, Epic Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Year: 2011
Platform: Xbox 360
Bulletstorm is a first-person shooter that emphasizes creative combat through its “Skillshot” system, which rewards players for dispatching enemies in inventive and stylish ways. Set in a futuristic universe, the game follows Grayson Hunt, a former black ops soldier turned space pirate, who crashes on a hostile planet and must fight his way through mutant inhabitants and enemy forces to survive.
The gameplay centers on using an arsenal of over-the-top weapons in combination with a powerful energy leash and melee kicks to manipulate enemies into hazardous environments. Players earn points for executing Skillshots—ranging from headshots to more elaborate kill combinations—which can then be spent on weapon upgrades and ammo.
The Xbox 360 version of Bulletstorm features the full single-player campaign, co-operative multiplayer modes, and Echoes mode, where players compete for high scores in short replayable segments. The game runs on the Unreal Engine 3 and was noted for its detailed visuals and environmental variety at the time of release. A pre-order of the Xbox 360 version also included early access to the multiplayer beta of Gears of War 3.
Though controversial for its crude humor and exaggerated violence, Bulletstorm was praised for its inventive mechanics and fast-paced action. It remains a distinctive entry in the shooter genre due to its emphasis on style and score-based progression.
