Bulletstorm
Encyclopedia
Bulletstorm is a first-person shooter
video game developed by People Can Fly
and Epic Games
, and is published by Electronic Arts
for the PlayStation 3
, Xbox 360
and Microsoft Windows
. The game was released on February 22, 2011 in North America and on February 25, 2011 in Europe.
The game is distinguished by its sense of style and crass humor, rewarding players with points for performing increasingly ludicrous kills. Bulletstorm does not have any competitive multiplayer modes, preferring instead to include cooperative online play as well as score attack modes.
), having been following Sarrano's orders in assassinating what they believe are drug traffickers and mass murderers, kill a man known as Bryce Novak, but soon discover he was a civilian reporter, having documented other civilian deaths caused by Dead Echo. Grayson and his team realize they have been duped by Sarrano and desert
, becoming space pirates on the run from Sarrano's forces.
Ten years later, Grayson drunkenly attacks Sarrano's battlecruiser, the Ulysses, while near the planet of Stygia. With their ship's systems failing, Grayson, in a last effort attack, rams the Ulysses, hoping to gain revenge on Sarrano. The ships collide, forcing both down and causing them to crash land on the surface of Stygia. One of Grayson's men, Ishi Sato (Andrew Kishino
), is critically wounded in the crash and Grayson is forced to find an energy cell to drive the ship's medical equipment. On the planet, a former popular tropical-like resort destination, the population has mutated into feral tribes and carnivorous plants. Grayson fights through to one of the Ulysses escape pods, where a Final Echo soldier succumbs to a horde of mutants. After dispatching the attackers, Grayson retrieves the escape pod's energy cell, as well as an "instinct leash" that, when worn, begins to provide him strange tactile information, such as points for each enemy he kills.
Grayson returns with the cell, and while Ishi is under operation, the mutants attack their ship. The operation is cut short by an explosion during battle, leaving Ishi a disfigured cyborg. Grayson and Ishi, the only survivors, decide to work together to get off the planet, despite Ishi's disapproval of Grayson's thirst for revenge. The instinct leash leads Grayson to another escape pod, where they find Trishka (Jennifer Hale
), another Final Echo soldier who agrees to work with Grayson and Ishi, but only after they rescue Sarrano. As they battle through the ravaged city, Trishka explains that Stygia has been used by Final Echo as a sort of training grounds, with the instinct leashes the soldiers wear as a means of ranking those within the test; those that scored kills would be the only ones that could get ammunition and other supplies to survive. When Grayson learns that Trishka was Novak's daughter, he tells her that Sarrano was responsible for her father's death, but claims he does not know who actually killed him.
The three make their way to the top of a skyscraper where Sarrano's pod landed. Trishka accuses Sarrano of her father's death, but he simply pushes her off the side of the building. Sarrano then warns Grayson and Ishi that there is an armed DNA bomb on the Ulysses that will wipe out all life on the planet, and that they must go and disarm it, as his rescue ship will not arrive in time. Sarrano leads them through the underground areas of the city, encountering radioactive waste and a giant prison. Sarrano snidely explains that that shields used to protect the planet's surface from its deadly electrical storms created the waste, and in turn, began to mutate the population of the surface; the changes occurred too quickly for most of the surface population to be rescued, and thus many of the feral mutants that Grayson has been fighting were more innocent civilians. Grayson is furious at this revelation, but continues to help Sarrano to reach the remains the Ulysses. Aboard, Sarrano tricks Grayson and Ishi once again, having them actually arm the DNA bomb, while his rescue ship will arrive in time to save him. As fire breaks out aboard the fallen ship, the two are saved by Trishka, who survived the fall by catching a power line on her way down.
The three race to where Sarrano's rescue ship is landing and manage to get on board. They make their way through Sarrano's elite troops and eventually face Sarrano alone. Trishka demands to know who actually killed her father, to which Sarrano indicts Grayson. In the confusion, Sarrano hijacks Ishi's computer systems, forcing him to turn on his friends. Grayson manages to break Sarrano's control of Ishi, and Ishi sacrifices himself to prevent Sarrano from killing Grayson. Grayson then impales Sarrano on the wall of a ship. As Grayson and Trishka regroup, Sarrano performs one final act: ejecting Grayson, Trishka and several of his men from the ship back onto the planet. With the DNA bomb soon to detonate, Grayson and Trishka race back to the Ulysses where one escape pod remains unlaunched; they are able to board it and escape into low orbit, out of range of the DNA bomb when it goes off. Grayson and Trishka have a short chat in the escape pod concerning Grayson's revenge, the loss of his team, and Sarrano's escape. The scene fades after Trishka asks Grayson what he is going to do about Sarrano escaping.
After the credits, it is revealed that Sarrano was revived, now a cyborg like Ishi, and Ishi has also been revived now under Sarrano's control.
s. The more unusual the skillshot, the more points players acquire to purchase weapons and upgrades. The weapons are unlocked at set points throughout the game, and after a weapon has been "re-armed" by purchasing it, a "charge shot" for the gun is unlocked at another set point.
Points are used as currency at "dropkits" scattered across the planet, which the player can use to replenish munitions. The dropkits include a gun shop, a skillshot checklist, and gameplay statistics. The player cannot upgrade their weapons, but can equip different guns, purchase ammunition, upgrade the amount of ammunition they can carry, and even purchase special-ammunition "charges". The player can equip up to three weapons, the assault rifle being the default weapon; it is always equipped, and is considered the main prop weapon in cutscenes.
The weapons range from a pistol to a cannon that shoots a bolas
weighted by grenades. Each weapon has an "alternate fire" mode which uses charges; for example, the assault rifle's alternate fire is a single blast of bullets that destroy almost everything in its path. A device the player carries for most of the game is the "energy leash", a rope of energy projected from a device on his left hand. The leash allows him to pull enemies towards him, activate certain devices and traps, and slam down a ball of energy that launches all nearby enemies into the air. The player can also kick enemies and run and slide into them. Usually, when an enemy is launched into the air by the player, their descent is slowed down by the leash's energy when grappled or by the gravity boot when kicked. This allows the player to pull an enemy into kicking range with the leash, aim at something dangerous, and kick.
announced that it would be publishing a new IP
from independent game developer Epic Games
. A trademark for the name "Bulletstorm" was revealed when game developer People Can Fly
filed a trademark for the name in December 2009. Epic Games designer Cliff Bleszinski
was originally scheduled to announce the game alongside Gears of War 3
during an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
on April 8, 2010. However, his appearance was delayed to April 12, 2010 after his slot was taken by pop singer Justin Bieber
. Soon after Bleszinski announced on social networking website Twitter
that he would be announcing two games on the show on April 12, 2010. However, the game was revealed before the scheduled appearance when gaming magazine, Game Informer
, released its May 2010 issue cover which revealed the game.
On December 17, 2010, two months prior to its release, Epic Games announced that there would be a limited edition for Bulletstorm exclusively for Xbox 360 known as the Epic Edition. The Epic Edition includes bonus in-game content for Bulletstorm when playing online, including 25,000 experience points, visual upgrades for the leash, Peace Maker Carbine, boots and armor as well as access to multiplayer beta of Gears of War 3
.
On January 14, 2011, Electronic Arts announced that a demo of the game would be available on January 25, 2011 for the Xbox 360
and on January 26, 2011 for the PlayStation 3
. No demo was announced to be planned for the PC, which was described as odd by some reviewers, especially for an unproven video game franchise. It was remarked that Mark Rein
, president of Epic Games
, previously described Bulletstorm as "a full-blown, oh-my-god amazing PC game". Following this announcement, Cliff Bleszinski
, producer for the game, wrote a tweet
on January 14, 2011 about how the demo was only for PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
, which was considered by game reviewers as a way of making fun of PC players. Both Mark Rein
and the official developer blog have later stated that a PC demo will still happen. The PC demo was finally released on April 4, and featured the same level as the console versions.
On January 30, 2011, Destructoid
discovered that the Electronic Arts
disclosure page for the game announced that a permanent internet connection was required to play. Adrian Chmielarz, a designer at People Can Fly
, denied it on his twitter page.
for Bulletstorm was released, parodying the Halo 3 "Believe" diorama. Television advertisements were aired on major networks and blocks such as Spike TV
and Adult Swim
.
This was followed up in February with the release of Duty Calls, a free downloadable PC game that parodies the Call of Duty
series, as well as general first-person shooter clichés.
Film director John Stalberg, Jr. was hired to shoot two short films and four 30 second commercial spots that aired on the game's launch program on G4 network. The short films star R. Lee Ermey
and comedian Brian Posehn
.
Some of the game footage is featured in the comedy Bridesmaids
.
(DLC) for Bulletstorm. The DLC was released on April 14, 2011 on PlayStation Store
and Xbox Live Marketplace
, and on May 19, 2011 on Games for Windows Marketplace. The content includes three "Anarchy" maps, two "Echo" missions and two "Leash" colors and adds five achievements/trophies (on Games for Windows – Live/Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, respectively).
Blood Symphony was released on June 10, 2011 on Games for Windows Marketplace and Xbox Live Marketplace
, and in July 2011 on the PlayStation Store
. The content includes 2 "Echoes" maps, 3 "Anarchy" maps, a new mode called "The Ultimate Echoes" and five additional achievements/trophies.
, 9/10 from Eurogamer, 9.25/10 from Game Informer
, 10/10 from GamesRadar
. and 8/10 from Jeuxvideo.fr.
Game Informers Tim Turi gave Bulletstorm a 9.25/10, praising the game's degree of character control, which he compared to Mirror's Edge
. He also praised the game's darkly humorous storyline, calling it a "goofy sci-fi romp that doesn't deserve to have its cut-scenes skipped", and also liked Bulletstorms complex Skillshot-based combat and weapons system, praising them as very creative. However, he criticized the game's lack of multiplayer maps and the final hours of the campaign, calling it "stale". Eurogamer
synthesis of the game was that it was "an astonishingly clever game folded up inside an exquisitely stupid one".
However, several reviewers criticized the game design. For example, 1UP.com
and The Escapist
judged that the plot was overly serious considering the focus put by the designers on the gameplay, "dragging the game down." Others considered that the multiplayer part of the game was limited and "gets tiresome". NoFrag
found the plot fairly conventional and the dialogues not really funny, and the end of the solo campaign "sugary" contrary to the developers which said that the game was not taking itself too seriously. The game was also using too many quick time
and scripted events for their liking, often breaking the flow of the gameplay.
In March 2011, Bulletstorm sold over 1 million copies.
As of July 25, 2011, Epic Games declared that they had failed to turn a profit on the game.
through an article on their website by John Brandon and later on February 20, 2011 through their televised broadcast and another article. The game was targeted because of its profanity, crude behavior (examples of which including the game's skill-shot system, which has a move that rewards players for shooting at an enemy's genitals), and sexual innuendo. Alongside the panel of Fox News was psychologist Carole Lieberman
, who remarked: "Video games have increasingly, and more brazenly, connected sex and violence in images, actions and words. This has the psychological impact of doubling the excitement, stimulation and incitement to copycat acts. The increase in rapes can be attributed, in large part, to the playing out of such scenes in video games." Other claims include that the game could reach audiences as young as nine years old, and that the gore and profanity could seriously traumatize a child of that age group. Another argument was offered by a University of Maryland
professor, Melanie Killen, who claimed that the gameplay videos were targeted towards "young adolescents and children."
EA responded to this argument: "As you know, Bulletstorm is a work of entertainment fiction... The game and its marketing adhere to all guidelines set forth by the ESRB; both designed for people 17+... Much like Tarantino's Kill Bill
or Rodriguez's Sin City
, this game is an expression of creative entertainment for adults."
In an interview the main developer Adrian Chmielarz stated that English isn't their mother language and that they didn't realise how crude the swearing was. "Swearwords in another language have less impact than in your own language. Those F-words just sounded funny to us. We didn't feel the impact." However he also admitted: "I swear often, and by that I mean really a lot, and yet I feel a little ashamed for the language in the game."
Hal Levy of the National Youth Rights Association
said that the game promotes innovative thinking through dispatching enemies in unique ways, and that "Plenty of emotionally unstable adults will play the game and they'll be fine."
No legal action was taken by the respective developers, producers, distributors, or the ESRB.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun
analysed Lieberman's claims, and found only one of eight sources she provided had anything to do with the subject at hand.
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game developed by People Can Fly
People Can Fly
People Can Fly, Sp. z o.o. is a video game developer established in February 2002 by Adrian Chmielarz and based in Warsaw, Poland. Their first video game was Painkiller, but many of their members had already worked on various titles before this. Some members helped create 10 different titles since...
and Epic Games
Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is an American video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine technology. It is the parent company of...
, and is published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. The game was released on February 22, 2011 in North America and on February 25, 2011 in Europe.
The game is distinguished by its sense of style and crass humor, rewarding players with points for performing increasingly ludicrous kills. Bulletstorm does not have any competitive multiplayer modes, preferring instead to include cooperative online play as well as score attack modes.
Plot
Bulletstorm takes place in the 26th century, where the universe is run by the Confederation of Planets. Star General Saranno sends his secret black ops team to do his dirty work, the Dead Echo team, led by Grayson Hunt (Steven BlumSteven Blum
Steven Jay Blum is an American voice actor known primarily for his work in anime dubs and video games, using his distinctive deep voice. Among his credits include the voice of Spike Spiegel of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and Mugen of the anime series Samurai Champloo...
), having been following Sarrano's orders in assassinating what they believe are drug traffickers and mass murderers, kill a man known as Bryce Novak, but soon discover he was a civilian reporter, having documented other civilian deaths caused by Dead Echo. Grayson and his team realize they have been duped by Sarrano and desert
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
, becoming space pirates on the run from Sarrano's forces.
Ten years later, Grayson drunkenly attacks Sarrano's battlecruiser, the Ulysses, while near the planet of Stygia. With their ship's systems failing, Grayson, in a last effort attack, rams the Ulysses, hoping to gain revenge on Sarrano. The ships collide, forcing both down and causing them to crash land on the surface of Stygia. One of Grayson's men, Ishi Sato (Andrew Kishino
Andrew Kishino
Andrew Kishino is a Japanese-Canadian voice actor in video games, animation and voice-over narration.-Animation:*The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy - Additional Voices...
), is critically wounded in the crash and Grayson is forced to find an energy cell to drive the ship's medical equipment. On the planet, a former popular tropical-like resort destination, the population has mutated into feral tribes and carnivorous plants. Grayson fights through to one of the Ulysses escape pods, where a Final Echo soldier succumbs to a horde of mutants. After dispatching the attackers, Grayson retrieves the escape pod's energy cell, as well as an "instinct leash" that, when worn, begins to provide him strange tactile information, such as points for each enemy he kills.
Grayson returns with the cell, and while Ishi is under operation, the mutants attack their ship. The operation is cut short by an explosion during battle, leaving Ishi a disfigured cyborg. Grayson and Ishi, the only survivors, decide to work together to get off the planet, despite Ishi's disapproval of Grayson's thirst for revenge. The instinct leash leads Grayson to another escape pod, where they find Trishka (Jennifer Hale
Jennifer Hale
Jennifer Hale is a Canadian-born American actress and singer best known for her voice over work in video games like Grandia II, the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of Symphonia, the Metroid Prime trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid games, Brütal Legend, and Disney's...
), another Final Echo soldier who agrees to work with Grayson and Ishi, but only after they rescue Sarrano. As they battle through the ravaged city, Trishka explains that Stygia has been used by Final Echo as a sort of training grounds, with the instinct leashes the soldiers wear as a means of ranking those within the test; those that scored kills would be the only ones that could get ammunition and other supplies to survive. When Grayson learns that Trishka was Novak's daughter, he tells her that Sarrano was responsible for her father's death, but claims he does not know who actually killed him.
The three make their way to the top of a skyscraper where Sarrano's pod landed. Trishka accuses Sarrano of her father's death, but he simply pushes her off the side of the building. Sarrano then warns Grayson and Ishi that there is an armed DNA bomb on the Ulysses that will wipe out all life on the planet, and that they must go and disarm it, as his rescue ship will not arrive in time. Sarrano leads them through the underground areas of the city, encountering radioactive waste and a giant prison. Sarrano snidely explains that that shields used to protect the planet's surface from its deadly electrical storms created the waste, and in turn, began to mutate the population of the surface; the changes occurred too quickly for most of the surface population to be rescued, and thus many of the feral mutants that Grayson has been fighting were more innocent civilians. Grayson is furious at this revelation, but continues to help Sarrano to reach the remains the Ulysses. Aboard, Sarrano tricks Grayson and Ishi once again, having them actually arm the DNA bomb, while his rescue ship will arrive in time to save him. As fire breaks out aboard the fallen ship, the two are saved by Trishka, who survived the fall by catching a power line on her way down.
The three race to where Sarrano's rescue ship is landing and manage to get on board. They make their way through Sarrano's elite troops and eventually face Sarrano alone. Trishka demands to know who actually killed her father, to which Sarrano indicts Grayson. In the confusion, Sarrano hijacks Ishi's computer systems, forcing him to turn on his friends. Grayson manages to break Sarrano's control of Ishi, and Ishi sacrifices himself to prevent Sarrano from killing Grayson. Grayson then impales Sarrano on the wall of a ship. As Grayson and Trishka regroup, Sarrano performs one final act: ejecting Grayson, Trishka and several of his men from the ship back onto the planet. With the DNA bomb soon to detonate, Grayson and Trishka race back to the Ulysses where one escape pod remains unlaunched; they are able to board it and escape into low orbit, out of range of the DNA bomb when it goes off. Grayson and Trishka have a short chat in the escape pod concerning Grayson's revenge, the loss of his team, and Sarrano's escape. The scene fades after Trishka asks Grayson what he is going to do about Sarrano escaping.
After the credits, it is revealed that Sarrano was revived, now a cyborg like Ishi, and Ishi has also been revived now under Sarrano's control.
Gameplay
Players use a sizable arsenal consisting of over-the-top combat moves and large weapons. Bulletstorm also has a variety of "skillshots". The skillshot gameplay system rewards the player for creating and inciting mayhem in the most creative and destructive ways possible, from killing an enemy in midair to pushing an enemy into a carnivorous plant to executing an enemy after shooting him in the testicleTesticle
The testicle is the male gonad in animals. Like the ovaries to which they are homologous, testes are components of both the reproductive system and the endocrine system...
s. The more unusual the skillshot, the more points players acquire to purchase weapons and upgrades. The weapons are unlocked at set points throughout the game, and after a weapon has been "re-armed" by purchasing it, a "charge shot" for the gun is unlocked at another set point.
Points are used as currency at "dropkits" scattered across the planet, which the player can use to replenish munitions. The dropkits include a gun shop, a skillshot checklist, and gameplay statistics. The player cannot upgrade their weapons, but can equip different guns, purchase ammunition, upgrade the amount of ammunition they can carry, and even purchase special-ammunition "charges". The player can equip up to three weapons, the assault rifle being the default weapon; it is always equipped, and is considered the main prop weapon in cutscenes.
The weapons range from a pistol to a cannon that shoots a bolas
Bolas
Bolas are a throwing weapon superficially similar to the surujin, made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, designed to capture animals by entangling their legs...
weighted by grenades. Each weapon has an "alternate fire" mode which uses charges; for example, the assault rifle's alternate fire is a single blast of bullets that destroy almost everything in its path. A device the player carries for most of the game is the "energy leash", a rope of energy projected from a device on his left hand. The leash allows him to pull enemies towards him, activate certain devices and traps, and slam down a ball of energy that launches all nearby enemies into the air. The player can also kick enemies and run and slide into them. Usually, when an enemy is launched into the air by the player, their descent is slowed down by the leash's energy when grappled or by the gravity boot when kicked. This allows the player to pull an enemy into kicking range with the leash, aim at something dangerous, and kick.
Development
Development began in June 2007. In 2008, Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
announced that it would be publishing a new IP
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
from independent game developer Epic Games
Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is an American video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine technology. It is the parent company of...
. A trademark for the name "Bulletstorm" was revealed when game developer People Can Fly
People Can Fly
People Can Fly, Sp. z o.o. is a video game developer established in February 2002 by Adrian Chmielarz and based in Warsaw, Poland. Their first video game was Painkiller, but many of their members had already worked on various titles before this. Some members helped create 10 different titles since...
filed a trademark for the name in December 2009. Epic Games designer Cliff Bleszinski
Cliff Bleszinski
Clifford Michael "Cliff" Bleszinski is the design director for the game development company Epic Games in Cary, North Carolina. He is most famous for his continuing hand in the development of the Unreal franchise, especially 1999's Unreal Tournament, and the Gears of War franchise...
was originally scheduled to announce the game alongside Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3 is a third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. Originally due for release in April 2011, the game was delayed and eventually released on September 20, 2011....
during an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
on April 8, 2010. However, his appearance was delayed to April 12, 2010 after his slot was taken by pop singer Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
. Soon after Bleszinski announced on social networking website Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that he would be announcing two games on the show on April 12, 2010. However, the game was revealed before the scheduled appearance when gaming magazine, Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
, released its May 2010 issue cover which revealed the game.
On December 17, 2010, two months prior to its release, Epic Games announced that there would be a limited edition for Bulletstorm exclusively for Xbox 360 known as the Epic Edition. The Epic Edition includes bonus in-game content for Bulletstorm when playing online, including 25,000 experience points, visual upgrades for the leash, Peace Maker Carbine, boots and armor as well as access to multiplayer beta of Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3 is a third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. Originally due for release in April 2011, the game was delayed and eventually released on September 20, 2011....
.
On January 14, 2011, Electronic Arts announced that a demo of the game would be available on January 25, 2011 for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and on January 26, 2011 for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. No demo was announced to be planned for the PC, which was described as odd by some reviewers, especially for an unproven video game franchise. It was remarked that Mark Rein
Mark Rein
Mark Rein may refer to:*Mark Rein , Menshevik journalist*Mark Rein Software executive-See also:*Mark Rein·Hagen Game designer...
, president of Epic Games
Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is an American video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine technology. It is the parent company of...
, previously described Bulletstorm as "a full-blown, oh-my-god amazing PC game". Following this announcement, Cliff Bleszinski
Cliff Bleszinski
Clifford Michael "Cliff" Bleszinski is the design director for the game development company Epic Games in Cary, North Carolina. He is most famous for his continuing hand in the development of the Unreal franchise, especially 1999's Unreal Tournament, and the Gears of War franchise...
, producer for the game, wrote a tweet
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
on January 14, 2011 about how the demo was only for PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, which was considered by game reviewers as a way of making fun of PC players. Both Mark Rein
Mark Rein
Mark Rein may refer to:*Mark Rein , Menshevik journalist*Mark Rein Software executive-See also:*Mark Rein·Hagen Game designer...
and the official developer blog have later stated that a PC demo will still happen. The PC demo was finally released on April 4, and featured the same level as the console versions.
On January 30, 2011, Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
discovered that the Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
disclosure page for the game announced that a permanent internet connection was required to play. Adrian Chmielarz, a designer at People Can Fly
People Can Fly
People Can Fly, Sp. z o.o. is a video game developer established in February 2002 by Adrian Chmielarz and based in Warsaw, Poland. Their first video game was Painkiller, but many of their members had already worked on various titles before this. Some members helped create 10 different titles since...
, denied it on his twitter page.
Marketing and release
In January 2011, a viral videoViral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
for Bulletstorm was released, parodying the Halo 3 "Believe" diorama. Television advertisements were aired on major networks and blocks such as Spike TV
Spike TV
Spike is an American cable television channel. It launched on March 7, 1983 as The Nashville Network , a joint venture of WSM, Inc...
and Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
.
This was followed up in February with the release of Duty Calls, a free downloadable PC game that parodies the Call of Duty
Call of Duty
Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in 2003. It is the first game in a series with the same name. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game is based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine...
series, as well as general first-person shooter clichés.
Film director John Stalberg, Jr. was hired to shoot two short films and four 30 second commercial spots that aired on the game's launch program on G4 network. The short films star R. Lee Ermey
R. Lee Ermey
Ronald Lee Ermey is a retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor and actor.Ermey has often played the roles of authority figures, such as his breakout performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, Bill Bowerman in...
and comedian Brian Posehn
Brian Posehn
Brian Edmund Posehn is an American actor, voice actor, musician and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on NBC's Just Shoot Me!, a cast member and writer on HBO's Mr. Show, and most recently as Brian Spukowski on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program.-Early life:Posehn...
.
Some of the game footage is featured in the comedy Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids (2011 film)
Bridesmaids is a 2011 American romantic comedy film written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, directed by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, and Clayton Townsend. The plot centers on Annie ....
.
Downloadable content
On February 22, 2011, Electronic Arts announced Gun Sonata, the first downloadable contentDownloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
(DLC) for Bulletstorm. The DLC was released on April 14, 2011 on PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
and Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
, and on May 19, 2011 on Games for Windows Marketplace. The content includes three "Anarchy" maps, two "Echo" missions and two "Leash" colors and adds five achievements/trophies (on Games for Windows – Live/Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, respectively).
Blood Symphony was released on June 10, 2011 on Games for Windows Marketplace and Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
, and in July 2011 on the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
. The content includes 2 "Echoes" maps, 3 "Anarchy" maps, a new mode called "The Ultimate Echoes" and five additional achievements/trophies.
Reception
Bulletstorm has received a rather positive reception from critics. The game scored 9.1/10 from CVG, 8/10 from IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, 9/10 from Eurogamer, 9.25/10 from Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
, 10/10 from GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
. and 8/10 from Jeuxvideo.fr.
Game Informers Tim Turi gave Bulletstorm a 9.25/10, praising the game's degree of character control, which he compared to Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge is a single-player first person action-adventure video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was announced on July 10, 2007, and was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November 2008. A Microsoft Windows version was released...
. He also praised the game's darkly humorous storyline, calling it a "goofy sci-fi romp that doesn't deserve to have its cut-scenes skipped", and also liked Bulletstorms complex Skillshot-based combat and weapons system, praising them as very creative. However, he criticized the game's lack of multiplayer maps and the final hours of the campaign, calling it "stale". Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
synthesis of the game was that it was "an astonishingly clever game folded up inside an exquisitely stupid one".
However, several reviewers criticized the game design. For example, 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
and The Escapist
The Escapist (magazine)
The Escapist is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it was edited by Julianne Greer up to June 30, 2009, then by Russ Pitts through September 2011, and is currently edited by Steve Butts. The Escapist was first...
judged that the plot was overly serious considering the focus put by the designers on the gameplay, "dragging the game down." Others considered that the multiplayer part of the game was limited and "gets tiresome". NoFrag
NoFrag
NoFrag is a French reviews website that focuses exclusively on First-person shooters. It's the only French web site specialized on this type of games....
found the plot fairly conventional and the dialogues not really funny, and the end of the solo campaign "sugary" contrary to the developers which said that the game was not taking itself too seriously. The game was also using too many quick time
Quick Time Event
In video games, a Quick Time Event is a method of context-sensitive gameplay in which the player performs actions on the control device shortly after the appearance of an on-screen prompt. It allows for limited control of the game character during cut scenes or cinematic sequences in the game...
and scripted events for their liking, often breaking the flow of the gameplay.
In March 2011, Bulletstorm sold over 1 million copies.
As of July 25, 2011, Epic Games declared that they had failed to turn a profit on the game.
Controversy
On February 8, 2011, the game came under scrutiny by Fox NewsFox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
through an article on their website by John Brandon and later on February 20, 2011 through their televised broadcast and another article. The game was targeted because of its profanity, crude behavior (examples of which including the game's skill-shot system, which has a move that rewards players for shooting at an enemy's genitals), and sexual innuendo. Alongside the panel of Fox News was psychologist Carole Lieberman
Carole Lieberman
Carole Lieberman M.D. of Beverly Hills, California was born and raised in New York City. Dr. Lieberman received her Medical Degree from Belgium's Université catholique de Louvain and received her psychiatric residency training at N.Y.U.-Bellevue, where she was Chief Resident...
, who remarked: "Video games have increasingly, and more brazenly, connected sex and violence in images, actions and words. This has the psychological impact of doubling the excitement, stimulation and incitement to copycat acts. The increase in rapes can be attributed, in large part, to the playing out of such scenes in video games." Other claims include that the game could reach audiences as young as nine years old, and that the gore and profanity could seriously traumatize a child of that age group. Another argument was offered by a University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
professor, Melanie Killen, who claimed that the gameplay videos were targeted towards "young adolescents and children."
EA responded to this argument: "As you know, Bulletstorm is a work of entertainment fiction... The game and its marketing adhere to all guidelines set forth by the ESRB; both designed for people 17+... Much like Tarantino's Kill Bill
Kill Bill
Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
or Rodriguez's Sin City
Sin City (film)
Sin City, also known as Frank Miller's Sin City, is a 2005 crime thriller film written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez...
, this game is an expression of creative entertainment for adults."
In an interview the main developer Adrian Chmielarz stated that English isn't their mother language and that they didn't realise how crude the swearing was. "Swearwords in another language have less impact than in your own language. Those F-words just sounded funny to us. We didn't feel the impact." However he also admitted: "I swear often, and by that I mean really a lot, and yet I feel a little ashamed for the language in the game."
Hal Levy of the National Youth Rights Association
National Youth Rights Association
The National Youth Rights Association is the largest youth-led civil rights organization in the United States promoting youth rights, with approximately ten thousand members...
said that the game promotes innovative thinking through dispatching enemies in unique ways, and that "Plenty of emotionally unstable adults will play the game and they'll be fine."
No legal action was taken by the respective developers, producers, distributors, or the ESRB.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Rock, Paper, Shotgun is a UK-based PC gaming blog written by Alec Meer, Jim Rossignol, John Walker, and previously Kieron Gillen and Quintin Smith. Rock, Paper, Shotgun launched in July 2007. In 2010 the website partnered with Eurogamer...
analysed Lieberman's claims, and found only one of eight sources she provided had anything to do with the subject at hand.