Bulletstorm Demo 360/PS3

[Synthesthesia]

I remember a time, long ago, when the FPS was all about intelligence and being technical. Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Half Life, System Shock, System Shock 2, Deus Ex, Pathologic, STALKER and so on. This exemplifies in my opinion the dumbing down of the FPS genre and is an awful game. Demo deleted with extreme prejudice.

While I do agree with some of the things that you say, one thing that sticks out as being totally wrong to me is that it seems you're trying to say that every shooter should be like the games you mentioned. Why?

I can call up an example of Gran Turismo versus the unrealistic Need For Speed series, one is about realistic driving and challenge, the other is more about going fast and having fun. I don't see why there isn't room for a shooter that is focused on not being serious and just having fun.

Infinitely recharging health? Let me say that again: this is supposed to be a high-octane action game and it features RECHARGING HEALTH. Jesus, if I see another game which starts off in GOD MODE by default, I am going to vomit into my keyboard. ****ing grow some balls and give me a challenge.

Most FPS these days feature recharging health, it's not something exclusive to Bulletstorm so I don't really understand why you're getting so worked up about that one specifically for this (unless you always do for other games too). If you're finding it too easy, up the difficulty. (I can't remember if there is one in the demo but there will be in the final release). Halo 3 on Legendary or Gears of War on Insane both had bucket loads of challenge and both have recharging health.

I loved the demo, most FPS these days bore me silly. But to each their own I suppose, just don't fully understand how you could think this is terrible when pretty much everyone I know who's played it had a blast.

[Sketcz]

Most FPS these days feature recharging health, it's not something exclusive to Bulletstorm so I don't really understand why you're getting so worked up about that one specifically for this (unless you always do for other games too).

Halo 3 on Legendary or Gears of War on Insane both had bucket loads of challenge and both have recharging health.

Not played Halo 3 nor Gears of War extensively enough to comment. Generally I've come to hate recharging health since it feels like a regression/concession in design - something to appeal to newcomers to gaming who can't handle the concept of limited health. Recharging health is god mode basically. This is the first FPS I've played with recharging health in a long time. The last was Call of Juarez, and I thought that was absolute crap too.

I don't think all FPSes need be like the ones I mentioned, but the ones I did mention are fairly diverse. Duke Nukem was a really fun, silly FPS which I enjoyed. The most recent I've enjoyed is the STALKERs (so, so good). And I like the FPS on both console and PC, so I'm not one of those PC elitists. But Bulletstorm is just chock full of crap design. The two big examples I mentioned being:

* Environmental hazards negated by virtue of recharging health

* Holes which pose no danger. Someone said they kicked an enemy down the hole? Well, why can't I fall down it?


Everything here feels like it was made to appeal to children or those with low-attention spans / limited gaming skill.

The reason for the intensity of my hate is that people seem to love it, and the more people love it the more likely developers will be to continue producing this junk. So here I am shouting really loudly in the vain hope that a few of us stand and say: hey, we think it sucks. If you're an FPS developer give me something technically complex.

[rmoxon]

I felt stalker was overrated, Im not really that into open world games which Im sure didnt help, I love shooters though, both the first and third person variety. Generally I just didnt find the game that interesting, though If id have played it more it may have gotten better as it went on. For me though there have been alot better FPS recently.


Theres not really anything wrong with recharging health, if anything it makes the game flow better becuase back in the day of health packs Id often find myself having to reload a game over and over, but it wasnt becuase I died, it was becuase Id gotten through a situation with very little health left. Also lets face it, using health packs to magicaly restore health has always been a bit daft anyway.

The last Brothers In Arms game had recharging health, but they actualy masked it, apparently when the screen was red you were about to get shot and when you did get shot you actualy died in one hit. When you think about it that actualy makes more sense than picking up and using magical health packs.

Recharging helath is also alot better when playing online death matches, for obvious reasons.

[Sketcz]

My favourite type of health bar was MGS3, where I need to pull bullets, burn off leaches, stitch cuts, disinfect wounds, set bones, and bandage them all up otherwise my health bar's theoretical maximum was permanently reduced. To actually recharge it you had to eat animals you hunted for. I would kill for such a system in an FPS.

I'm not into this genuine realism (ie: health packs are silly), I like obfuscated and esoteric complexity.

[rmoxon]

My favourite type of health bar was MGS3, where I need to pull bullets, burn off leaches, stitch cuts, disinfect wounds, set bones, and bandage them all up otherwise my health bar's theoretical maximum was permanently reduced. To actually recharge it you had to eat animals you hunted for. I would kill for such a system in an FPS.

I'm not into this genuine realism (ie: health packs are silly), I like obfuscated and esoteric complexity.

That element of the gameplay actualy ruined MGS3 for me, it was really long winded and monotonous and just all felt a bit pointless. if that kind of thing was in a FPS then I wouldnt even want to play the game (and I try to play them all really).

To be honest Ive never really played a FPS that I would call complex, the closest are games like System Shock 2 and Deus Ex but then they arent relaly shooters at all.

I diagree that there arent relaly games like that anymore though, theres a new Deus Ex on the way and stuff like metro 2033 and fallout new vegas prove that there are first person games coming out that are still about more than just shooting.

Plus you actualy stated that you love Duke Nukem, a game where the most complex mechanic was being able to pay a stripper to dance, FPS's have generaly always had pretty simple gameplay, going back on topic with thius game, I would say its far more complex than somthing like doom ever was.

I also wouldnt judge Bulletstorm just yet, as all weve really seen so far is the score attack mode and havent really experienced the games campaign.

[Neon Ignition]

Just retried the demo but on PS3 this time. Whilst fine enough the 360 version is definitely the one to get due to the controls and visuals. Game wise, it really bored me 2nd time around

['Press Start']

Not played Halo 3 nor Gears of War extensively enough to comment. Generally I've come to hate recharging health since it feels like a regression/concession in design - something to appeal to newcomers to gaming who can't handle the concept of limited health. Recharging health is god mode basically

Maybe in normal mode, change these games to hard and you get your challenge.

My favourite type of health bar was MGS3, where I need to pull bullets, burn off leaches, stitch cuts, disinfect wounds, set bones, and bandage them all up otherwise my health bar's theoretical maximum was permanently reduced. To actually recharge it you had to eat animals you hunted for. I would kill for such a system in an FPS.

Put that in every FPS and you will get bored of it. Another slug on my ass I need to burn.

There is room for both brainless action and 'the thinking mans' action.

[Sane]

There is room for both brainless action and 'the thinking mans' action.

That's the thing really, this game is clearly aimed at a very specific audience. Hating on it because of that is like hating on puzzle games because you hate puzzling.

[eastyy]

well finally got over 12k score now was great fun day one purchase for me