The more insane the skillshot, the more points you collect
Despite trying to mix things up with some lame QTE moments, some enjoyable on-rails sections and intense boss battles, I did reach a point in Bulletstorm where the gameplay lost a bit of momentum, and the novelty of discovering new skill shots and finding new ways of using the environment to kill enemies wore a little thin. However, the rewarding upgrade and scoring system motivated me more than enough to want to continue, and I’m glad I did because overall Bulletstorm’s eight hour or so campaign is well-paced, exciting and so refreshingly different to any of the other shooters on the market.Away from the single player campaign, the points system becomes even more relevant in Echo mode where you have a limited time across certain maps to create as much carnage and rack up as many points as possible. Your points tally then gets uploaded to the scoreboards, where you can see how you compare with friends and the global Bulletstorm community. The co-op mode, Anarchy, where you team up with another player as hordes of enemies attack, is also well-worth a look but the main multiplayer component is a little disappointing with no sign of deathmatch, or team deathmatch modes as I would have expected.
Nonetheless, Bulletstorm is a great game packed with clever level design and appealing environments that allow you to be creative with your kills. Mixing and matching your skills, working out combos and utilising everything you see around you to kill your enemy in a variety of gruesome ways is ultimately a lot of fun. You’re not likely to play a game as crude, loud or in your face as Bulletstorm for a long while, and though some may be put off by its attempts to shock and offend, others will revel in its childishness.
