Skillshot System

Lore & Background

The game is set in the 26th century. The story follows Grayson Hunt, a space pirate and former black ops soldier, who gets shot down on a war-torn planet while trying to exact revenge on General Sarrano, his former commander who tricked him and his men into committing war crimes and assassinating innocents.

Reader's Guide

Players receive points for performing creative kills called skillshots. Points are used as currency at dropkits to purchase firearms, ammunition, and upgrades. The game features eight weapons, each with distinct behaviors and alternate fire modes. The protagonist uses an instinct leash to pull enemies, and a Thumper upgrade launches enemies into the air. Kicking or sliding into enemies can also launch them, triggering slow motion for skillshots. Points are awarded for actions such as killing enemies in midair, using environmental hazards, or using a weapon's distinct feature. The more complicated or unusual the skillshot, the more points are acquired.

Did You Know?

• Bulletstorm does not have any competitive multiplayer modes, instead including cooperative online play and score attack modes.
• The game was originally envisioned as a cover-based third-person shooter, but the core combat loop and perspective went through multiple revisions.
• The team experimented with competitive multiplayer and campaign cooperative multiplayer during production but removed them due to technological constraints.
• A remastered version titled Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition was released in April 2017, and a Nintendo Switch version titled Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch Edition was released in August 2019.
• A virtual reality version, Bulletstorm VR, was released on December 14, 2023.