Shotgun Blast

Lore & Background

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

In Their Own Story

Grayson Hunter crouched behind the rusted plating of the Ophion corridor. A mercenary patrol rounded the corner, weapons raised. He waited, then fired the Grapple Gun, the hook snagging the lead enemy's chest. The target jerked upward, suspended in the air, legs kicking uselessly. Grayson raised his shotgun, the barrel glowing with heat. With a single, thunderous report, the enemy was obliterated mid-air. The Skillshot text flashed in his vision: Shotgun Blast. Points cascaded across the HUD, the combat rhythm perfectly maintained.

Reader's Guide

As a first-person shooter, Bulletstorm focuses on combat. The game features eight weapons, each with their own distinct behaviors. The protagonist Grayson Hunt is equipped with an 'instinct leash' that allows him to pull enemies towards him; an upgrade unlocks the 'Thumper', which slams down a ball of energy that launches all nearby enemies and explosive barrels into the air. The player can also kick enemies or run and slide into them. If an enemy is launched into the air, they go into slow motion, allowing players to perform 'skillshots'. Points are used as currency at 'dropkits' scattered across the planet to purchase firearms, ammunition and upgrades.

Did You Know?

• The game was originally envisioned to be a cover-based third-person shooter, though the core combat loop and gameplay perspective went through multiple revisions.
• Pulp magazines, Burnout, Duke Nukem, and Firefly all inspired the team during Bulletstorm's development.
• The team experimented with competitive multiplayer modes and campaign cooperative multiplayer mode during production but decided to remove them because of technological constraints.
• Bulletstorm was a commercial failure for both Epic Games and Electronic Arts, selling one million copies by 2013.