Alright, so yes I'm actually hyping up a remaster. This is a bit odd, and unusual, but I think the game is getting a bit more flak than it deserves, and I'm just sitting here wondering why. It feels kind of like Doom again, where people want to ignore all the positive things that matter like its gameplay, and instead... bitch about how Duke isn't dead yet, or whine about how nobody bought the game so it doesn't deserve a remaster, or just "ew, gearbox." I don't understand these people, and how they're so full of venom that they're intolerant of options, or can't support extra work being done for a cult followed FPS. While at first I was pumped at the idea, I decided to stand back and wait a moment just to be sure this game was really happened the way it was being pitched. Now with more trailers out, I'm pretty sure of it. This might just be the first time in the best of my memory that I go and pay about full price for a game I already went out and got, and you know what... I'm weirdly excited about that. So why not have some kind of voice to actually bring in something positive about the game?
Alright, so first off, I'm talking from the perspective of someone who will probably pre-order this. If you run out and pick this up late, and don't get the Duke Nukem bit I'm discussing some of, that's a shame. Really, it is, I think it sucks that's a part of the pre-order bonus, but it's not like this is some sketchy game you can't look up, this is an old product that some people have loved being put out yet again with added content. It's probably worth pre-ordering if your into this FPS, and if not, well you can tell. The only problem is if they somehow screw up this port for some reason, and with physical effort being designed into it to make it even better, I doubt they'd just turn around and drop it to die as some sickly cash-in. Including the fact that they paid the voice actor of Duke Nukem, and programmers, to retroactively inject him into the entire 10-15 hour campaign!
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| He's all outta gum again |
So, let's cover what this game was to begin with and why it's worth it to me to see it on the PS4. Bulletstorm was a First Person Shooter that reveled in skill kills, creative gunplay, fighting off monsters and mutants on a colorful sci-fi tropical apocalypse, and was full of all sorts of crazy, foul-mouthed nonsense. You played as a space pirate who had wrecked his life, endangered his friend, and was crudely trying to get along with a women who comes from your enemy's side. Meanwhile you run around with up to 3 weapons that ranged from a pistol with a flaring charge shot, a four barreled shotgun, a remote detonating sniper rifle, and a weapon that can best be described as the bouncer from Ratchet & Clank just to name a few. Oh, and you always had a heavy boot kick & tether function to play with physics and wreak maximum havok. The environments, your boot, your weapons, and all the crazy mutants were a very interesting system of constant danger and creativity with points raining in at the best of moments. Oh and don't think it was any short ride of danger either. The story went on for hours and hours, at least up to about 12 for me, and kept me engaged long into a week. The story, contrary to the idiotic critics who claimed they couldn't find one, was an interesting revenge plot with a bro-driven team dynamic of unlikely pals and a struggle for them to keep their sanity as they made their way to the dastardly villain. Still don't take it too seriously. This was the game where you could get drunk with a chaingun in a disco bar, while listening to disco inferno blare over the action as a bunch of crazed mutants charged after you. If that ain't selling you on it, I don't know what will. Bulletstorm was old-school arcadey FPS fun remixed with modern conventions, and even my military FPS centric father loved the game, and only played this back when the PS3 servers were down and hacked long ago. (So, it's a fun gory vulgar action game for the whole family.) Sadly... it didn't perform all that well when we were at a time where this kind of game was desperately needed. It's sequel (which it ended on a note where one seemed necessary) seems to be scrapped.
So by some miracle, it's being re-released in better high-res glory for a second chance by a studio that fittingly loves wacky, violent sci-fi shooters. Oh, and they happen to hold the rights to Duke Nukem, a character who had his influences showing on the game long before the game originally released. Say what you want about gearbox for their past deeds, I know I'm not happy with them on everything, but this is their perfect spot for the time being; releasing a game like Bulletstorm, with Duke Nukem adjusted in as an optional campaign character. However if somehow having a completely new character and dialogue to play as in a revived missed classic of the last generation isn't nice enough to you, they went further. They're bringing back DLC, co-op online, and adding new echo maps, then there's new game + overkill mode where you can potentially unlock unlimited ammo as a perk, and then there's the next major overhaul in weapons: a weapon wheel. Yes, weapon wheel, as in you get all the weapons to carry instead of three. You know, I was actually defensive about that the first time around, suggesting 3 weapons was okay because this game actually has a strategy and system to it all that makes sense and challenge in doing it. But I'm glad there's now this, and you can tell that "challenge" or strategy to go fuck itself and just enjoy an FPS the way it was originally meant to be played: all guns, any time, enjoy the carnage. Thank you gearbox.
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| Kicking things into high gear |
I'm usually bitter at the idea of remasters costing about the same price as a new release. Not the kind of "this release offends me!" bitter most gamers talk about with remasters, but the kind where I'm disappointed in a team, and look away from a perfectly good remaster so that it can fall to a decent price. This time though, I'll make an exception. This game wasn't played by enough people, is incredible, I've been wanting to replay it again, and now I'm left stunned and looking in with all the positive changes it has. Sure some of those are needed through a pre-order, but heck I'm 85% sure this game will be worth a day 1 buy anyway, so fine. I think with all the added features, and how much I want to play it again, it's worth a fresh price point. That goes double if you're one of those who sadly missed out on this awesome gem. Meanwhile if you don't want it, or whine about Duke for having the nerve to... appear as an option(?), just calm yourself down a bit and go play whatever you do want. The rest of us will be enjoying this game, and thanking Gearbox for actually doing something right. This'll be the first time I've bough something that didn't tank to $5 since... the original Borderlands really. It's deserved though, because again, I think they've done something right and awesome here. My only wish is that it would get here sooner, which is odd for a game that's technically released.
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