Epic Games Officially Unleashes Bulletstorm

[Tom Goldman]

Epic Games Officially Unleashes Bulletstorm

The "secret" project underway at Epic Games that is not Gears of War 3 has been confirmed as Bulletstorm [http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=77658].

It's a shame that secrets can't seem to be kept in the videogame industry anymore. Epic's Cliffy B really wanted the reveal of Bulletstorm to be a surprise [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99856-Cliffy-B-Not-One-But-Two-Game-Reveals-On-Monday], but it was unveiled early as the game on the next cover of Game Informer. Today, Epic officially announced Bulletstorm and told the world what the deal is with the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC title scheduled for 2011.

Though it was basically already known, Bulletstorm was confirmed to be coming out of Epic Games studio People Can Fly, creators of the Painkiller FPS series. Bulletstorm is also a FPS that will use Unreal Engine 3, and by the sound of it introduces a system that rewards players based on style. Players will "kill with skill" using the "skillshot" system that rewards creativity and introduces what Epic describes as "yell-inducing satisfaction." Executing a good skillshot will award points that can be used to upgrade characters and unlock weapons. Also mentioned were "outrageously large guns," which are never a bad thing.

Bulletstorm follows Grayson Hunt and Ishi Sato, members of a mercenary band called Dead Echo that exists to protect a futuristic confederation. Hunt and Sato are betrayed by their commander and exiled to an abandoned planet inhabited by mutants and cannibals that they must escape with all their fingers and toes attached. They probably wouldn't mind putting a bullet between the eyes of that commander either.

EA is calling Bulletstorm "an entirely new experience for shooter fans," and these early details make it seem at least partially that way. It would be welcomed if People Can Fly and Epic can introduce some fun, new mechanics into the FPS genre.

Image via Game Informer [http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/04/09/may-cover-revealed.aspx]

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[Aptspire]

I find it hard to get attached to brand new games lately (except maybe for Bayonetta ^-^)

 

[Booze Zombie]

That cover looks very Doom, I ain't seen the cover for a game pull that off in a looooong time.
Looking forward to this.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Hopefully awesome.
Please?
BTW, creators of Painkiller? Sounds promising.

 

[Jared]

Intresting...I like the system and that has certaimnly lured me in. Cant wait to see for more information on it

 

[Simalacrum]

"Oh crap, Gears of War 3 has been revealed! Quick! we still need a surprise!"

"How about Bulletstorm?"

"That'll have to do, go!"

*few days later*

"Bulletstorm has been found out too!"

"...shit!"

 

[dommyuk]

I was hoping for a new single player Unreal game, I loved those. hopefully this will be good.

 

[Kollega]

Just give me tons of guns and dudes to murder. I'll buy a fast-paced unrealistic shooter anytime.

 

[dfphetteplace]

Sounds like it might be good. I will be looking forward to this title. Seems interesting and fun. Hope it lives up to the article. I don't put too much stock into hype, though. I'll have to wait for the game before getting too excited.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

Poor Cliffy B. It probably went something like this:

Cliffy B: Alright, I'm all set to reveal Gears of War 3 on Monday!
Microsoft: What was that? We're too busy announcing Gears of War 3 to have heard you.
Cliffy B: Shi...okay, no big deal. I'll just unveil Bulletstorm alongside it.
Game Informer: Check out our new magazine cover, Cliffy!
Cliffy B: ...fuck.

 

[the_tramp]

So basically they've taken the XP mechanic introduced in recent FPS multiplayer segments and put it into a single player concept. I realise that FPSRPGs such as Morrowind have been around with a similar mechanic but it certainly seems more Call OF Duty-ish than Oblivion.

 

[Grey_Focks]

considering this is coming from epic, I will be looking forward to this. If this WEREN'T epic, on the other-hand, I would take all that skillshot crap to mean you get more XP based on where you shoot the enemy and what gun you used to shoot them with.

Poor Cliffy B, he really enjoys his reveals, too.

 

[saejox]

i hope that guy is acrobatic. Grab, jump, wall-walk, kick etc...
otherwise it's just another generic grunt.

 

[Tiamat666]

That cover looks very Doom...

That is just what I was thinking.

for comparison:

 

[hansari]

Epic Games Officially Unleashes Bulletstorm

Hold on...even though this game is employing an interesting mechanic of "skillshot"...its calling itself "bulletstorm"?

Isn't that a title more appropriate for a fps where the deciding factor is who has the most ammo and chaingun?

 

[Sgt Doom]

I quite enjoyed the first Painkiller, but hopefully they learned something of the mistakes that were the expansion packs.

 

[Jonny49]

A shooter that isn't realistic?! Have the heavens finally opened?!

 

[LTK_70]

Looks interesting, definitely something I would play. And if it's from the people who made Painkiller, that's all the better!