Bulletstorm

A first-person shooter rewarding creative kills with skillpoints.

Bulletstorm is a 2011 first-person shooter video game developed by People Can Fly and Epic Games and published by Electronic Arts. It is distinguished by its skillshot system, which rewards players for performing increasingly creative kills. The game lacks competitive multiplayer modes, instead featuring cooperative online play and score attack modes.

Quick Facts

Developer: People Can Fly, Epic Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Director: Adrian Chmielarz
Producer: Tanya Jessen
Designer: Cliff Bleszinski
Programmer: Lukasz Migas
Artist: Andrzej Poznanski, Chris Perna
Writer: Rick Remender

Facts from the source article.

Did You Know?

The game features eight weapons, each with distinct behaviors and alternate fire modes using charges.
The protagonist Grayson Hunt is equipped with an 'instinct leash' that can pull enemies toward him.
A sequel was put on hold as People Can Fly was assigned to work on Gears of War: Judgment.

Plot

Set in the 26th century, the story follows Grayson Hunt, leader of the black ops team Dead Echo, under General Victor Sarrano. After assassinating Bryce Novak, the team discovers Novak was a civilian reporter documenting Sarrano's corruption. When Sarrano tries to kill them, Grayson and his team desert and become space pirates. Ten years later, Grayson's ship is intercepted by Sarrano's flagship near the ruined planet Stygia.

In a drunken rage, Grayson attempts a suicide attack, causing both ships to crash on Stygia. His comrade Ishi Sato is fatally wounded; Dr. Whit Oliver replaces most of Ishi's body with cybernetics, but marauders kill Oliver and Rell Julian during the operation. Ishi survives, disfigured and blaming Grayson. They work together to escape, encountering Trishka, a member of Final Echo.

Trishka agrees to help them rescue Sarrano. Grayson learns Trishka is Novak's daughter; he tells her Sarrano ordered her father's death but lies about his own involvement.

Development

Development began in June 2007, with People Can Fly as the main developer. The studio had about 70 people working on the game during its roughly three-and-a-half-year cycle. Adrian Chmielarz directed the game, Cliff Bleszinski designed it, and Rick Remender wrote the story. Originally envisioned as a cover-based third-person shooter, the combat loop and perspective underwent multiple revisions.

Inspirations included pulp magazines, Burnout, Duke Nukem, and Firefly. The game used Epic's Unreal Engine 3 rather than People Can Fly's proprietary engine. Epic Games provided feedback and engine support, while some development was outsourced to companies in Germany, China, USA, Sweden, and Poland. Communication among People Can Fly, Epic, and publisher Electronic Arts initially caused trouble but was streamlined when EA provided feedback to Epic, which integrated it with their own before delivering it to People Can Fly. Chmielarz described Epic's approach as 'tough love' and a lesson on quality.

Release

Electronic Arts announced in 2008 it would publish a new IP from Epic Games. The name 'Bulletstorm' was revealed when People Can Fly filed a trademark in December 2009. The game was first publicly mentioned in the May 2010 issue of Game Informer. A viral video parodying Halo 3's 'Believe' diorama was released in January 2011, followed by the free PC game Duty Calls: The Calm Before the Storm in February.

A demo featuring one Echoes mission was released on January 25, 2011, for Xbox 360 and January 26 for PlayStation 3. Cliff Bleszinski tweeted that the demo was only for consoles, which reviewers saw as mocking PC players; Epic later released a PC demo on April 4. The demo attracted over two million players, though Chmielarz later believed it confused players. The game was released for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on February 22, 2011.

The German version initially censored ragdoll effects, blood, splatter, and dismemberment despite an 'Adult' rating, but the rating board reversed this for the Full Clip Edition.

Reception

According to Metacritic, Bulletstorm received generally positive reviews. Critics praised the combat, particularly the skillshot system, which tied into upgrades and encouraged creative kills. GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd described the game as 'sometimes ludicrous and often ludicrously fun'. Game Informer's Tim Turi compared the freedom of movement favorably to Mirror's Edge.

PC Gamer's Rich McCormick noted the combat loop fell flat against more agile mutant enemies later in the game. IGN's Arthur Gies called the game 'violently charming' but found combat monotonous by the end due to a lack of diverse encounters. GamesRadar's David Houghton compared the game to a '3D puzzle game' and a 'high-speed strategy game'. The setting and pacing were also well received; critics praised the variety in mission design, setpieces, and color palette.

However, some criticized the linear design and the story, writing, and short length. The game also attracted controversy from Fox News for its sexual jokes.