Bulletstorm

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » January 26, 2011, 10:56 am

The demo was released last night. I didn't really have too many expectations. I mainly wanted to see how the latest version of the Unreal engine was going to look. Boy was I in for a treat...

Bulletstorm is over the top, and dare I say stupid, in almost every way possible. The character models, the language, the guns, the environments, and enemies are all borderline parody. You play as a space pirate who crash lands on a planet and has to kill everything in sight to get to safety (or somethinglilke that, who cares). The point of this FPS is kind of genius in it's simplicity. The goal is to rack up points by chaining together combos, weapons, and environmental deaths. It's like an orchestra of death and destruction and you're the conductor. There is a leader board built into the demo where you compete against your friend's scores. The more inventive and skilled your kills, the more points you get. That means that the simple 5-10 minute single player demo has amazing replay-ability. The search for higher score via becoming a killing monster is unexpectedly addicting. You get rewarded for thinking outside the box. Score bonuses drop when you use the same kills in a row. Basically, you have to keep mixing it up at all times. If you play this game like CoD, you'll be missing the point by a country mile. All this praise for a single demo level! I cannot imagine an entire game built around the concept. It should be quite an experience.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » January 26, 2011, 11:04 am

I downloaded this last night, but between the Crysis 2 demo, Two Worlds 2 and Dead Space 2 I didn't get to it. I'll give it a try tonight, I'd already decided I was getting it though.. I'd get it for the Gears beta if nothing else.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » January 26, 2011, 5:12 pm

Play through the demo at least 2-3 times. Once you get the hang of it, it sort of clicks and changes everything IMO.

I actually liked this more than Crysis 2. Maybe because I have so many competitive FPS games that this game's craziness felt like a breath of fresh air. We haven't had a crazy shooter in ages. The last one I can think of is Serious Sam, but there's probably been others since that I am not remembering.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » January 26, 2011, 7:17 pm

I was considering this depending on the length of the single player campaign. But tired of shooters in general and online MP does nothing for me after a week or so of the same thing over and over. I honestly don't know how people can play something like a Call of Duty shooter for months on end. But I guess others could say the same for an MMORPG like EverQuest. Echo Mode does sound intriguing though. Also isn't the MP team-based against AI? I'd prefer that over PvP.

miir · Post by **miir** » February 9, 2011, 11:56 am

LOL @ Fox
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/ ... game-kids/

http://botchweed.com/wp-content/uploads ... tstorm.jpg

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » February 9, 2011, 12:39 pm

uhh....

Carol Lieberman, a psychologist and book author, told FoxNews.com that sexual situations and acts in video games -- highlighted so well in Bulletstorm -- have led to real-world sexual violence.

“The increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games,” she said.

guessing she isn't actually licensed anywhere...hoping rather

miir · Post by **miir** » February 9, 2011, 12:49 pm

Recently, Dr. Lieberman has gathered attention for her claim linking rising trends between rape and videogames during an interview with FOX News: "The increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games".[1] This is in relation to a game containing no sexual scenes and directly contradicts evidence that rape crimes have been decreasing over the last 18 years

Specifically, a 60% decrease since 1993.

And yet many people still think Fox is a credible news source.

Hesten · Post by **Hesten** » February 9, 2011, 1:34 pm

Boogahz wrote:uhh....

Carol Lieberman, a psychologist and book author, told FoxNews.com that sexual situations and acts in video games -- highlighted so well in Bulletstorm -- have led to real-world sexual violence.

“The increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games,” she said.
guessing she isn't actually licensed anywhere...hoping rather

Nah, she is right, i once played Custers Revenge, and i have wanted to rape indians every day since

miir · Post by **miir** » February 9, 2011, 1:36 pm

I think Carol Lieberman should be raped by cannibal zombies.

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » February 9, 2011, 2:07 pm

miir wrote:I think Carol Lieberman should be raped by cannibal zombies.

Would this require playing Left4Dead first?

miir · Post by **miir** » February 9, 2011, 3:34 pm

Boogahz wrote:
miir wrote:I think Carol Lieberman should be raped by cannibal zombies.
Would this require playing Left4Dead first?

That doesn't sound like an appropriate game for a 9 year old.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » February 22, 2011, 1:31 pm

It's out today. I'm waiting for a price drop since I don;t consider this a day 1 purchase. I will get it eventually though!

I just have too many other things going on right now anyway.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » February 22, 2011, 3:12 pm

I'm getting it today for sure, not taking any chances that it won't come with a beta invite for gears down the road!

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » February 23, 2011, 7:26 pm

From what I hear FOX News is going after this game bigtime so I can only assume it kicks ass. Why does FOX hate freedom? From what the internets report (always a trusted source!) they think it should be banned like it is in Germany. So who are the fascists again? Oh yeah real guns at political rallys = A-OK! Fake guns in a video game, which is rated M (for Mature) by the way, = OMG BAN MUST NOT BE ALLOWED!

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » February 24, 2011, 8:25 am

I played the demo and the game was a big meh for me.

I'm gonna pass on this one until a crazy Steam or GfW sale shows up

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » February 24, 2011, 11:34 am

Aslanna wrote:From what I hear FOX News is going after this game bigtime so I can only assume it kicks ass. Why does FOX hate freedom? From what the internets report (always a trusted source!) they think it should be banned like it is in Germany. So who are the fascists again? Oh yeah real guns at political rallys = A-OK! Fake guns in a video game, which is rated M (for Mature) by the way, = OMG BAN MUST NOT BE ALLOWED!

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/ ... game-kids/

I laughed really hard when I read this, then cried. I have to tell myself that these people are joking, it's the only way I can hang onto the last little shred of hope for humanity that I have.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » February 24, 2011, 11:28 pm

Well ok maybe not banned.. But censored. FOX hates freedom (and wants us to become Germany). Pass it on!

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/ ... game-esrb/

It's too violent for Germany. But it's okay for America?

Yet another uberviolent video game will be unleashed on an unsuspecting public next week. Featuring over-the-top violence, strong profanity and crude sexual innuendos, Bulletstorm shocked Germany's watchdogs, who slapped the game with an 18+ rating -- and demanded that publisher Electronic Arts (EA) significantly censor it to cut scenes of dismemberment and gore.

EA won't censor the violent game for its U.S. launch February 22 however.

Such games are easily purchased or watched online by anyone, despite warning labels, experts say. And games like Bulletstorm can have a particularly heinous effect on minors, said Clair Mellenthin, a Director of Child and Adolescent Services at Wasatch Family Therapy in Salt Lake City.

“Being rewarded for sexually assaultive and violent behaviors and thoughts … I believe that the unintended consequences far outweigh any possible positives,” Mellenthin told FoxNews.com. “There should be significant blocks in downloading this game to ensure that it is truly an adult making an adult decision to use this technology.”

“If a younger kid experiences Bulletstorm's explicit language and violence, the damage could be significant,” Dr. Jerry Weichman, a clinical psychologist at the Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Southern California, warned FoxNews.com last week.

EA acknowledged the censorship by German advisory board USK, explaining that the country censors many videogames, a policy the publisher disagrees with.

"Game censorship is based on antiquated thinking about our audience," said Jeff Brown, a spokesman for EA. “Games and game players should have the same rights afforded to books, movies and television," he added. (An unmodified version rated instead by European advisory board PEGI will be available online to anyone in Europe, Brown said.)

Gaming advocates say that violent games like Bulletstorm are intended for adults who understand the humor -- and have the right to play such games according to the First Amendment.

“The primary difference why other countries can outright ban certain types of games, music, movies and even books is simply because they don’t have a First Amendment in place,” said Hal Halpin, the president of consumer advocacy group ECA. “Controlled substances such as alcohol and tobacco are merchandized differently primarily because they’re ingested or absorbed and the chemicals cross the blood-brain barrier. Movies, music and video game are First Amendment-protected free speech.”

Game industry reaction
FoxNews.com first exposed Bulletstorm on Feb. 8, warning that the game ties ugly, graphic violence into explicit sex acts: "topless" means cutting a player in half, while a "gang bang" means killing multiple enemies. And the experts FoxNews.com spoke with were nearly universally worried that video game violence may be reaching a fever pitch.

The gaming press reacted violently.

The site RockPaperShotgun.com contacted FoxNews.com sources and posted transcripts of interviews, exposing "the full story," they claimed. Some sources, including Scott Steinberg, the CEO of consultancy TechSavvy Global, shared private e-mail interviews with other websites.

After psychiatrist Carole Lieberman told FoxNews.com of a connection between violent games and rape, the site Destructoid ran the headline, 'Games cause rape' psychologist's book gets raped. The article described how Lieberman was "Amazonbombed" -- meaning gamers posted dozens of scathing and profane reviews of her books to the online retail site. Comments at Destructoid revealed mixed reactions:

“Idiots, don't write more! How do you think this makes gamers look?” wrote commenter Popyman.

“Since this woman's outright untruths will never be recognized or discussed on a platform as large as Fox News, people vent their frustration at the situation by publicly questioning her credibility,” wrote commenter timetheterrible.

Yet as the gaming industry defends the right to free speech, the right to access remains an open question. Despite warning labels and ratings here in the U.S., and the concerns of parents and psychiatrists, many children and teenagers will have access to the uncensored game across the country without any penalties.

Investigating violent video game sales
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), rates all video games as a guide for parents; each game carries a letter-label at retail (T for Teen, M for Mature) and an online-only summary. And many experts say it's useless, because it isn't enforced at retail.

Viewing and purchasing M-rated games, ostensibly for those 17 and older, like the gruesome shooter Bulletstorm, is relatively easy.

First, to see videos of the violent activity in a game, teens need only lie about their age to gain access to just about any gaming Web site. There are no additional verifications, such as an e-mail or phone number, to gain access. To purchase at an online shop such as EBgames.com, a minor can again lie about their age to gain access to the site, then use a gift card given to them by an adult to buy the game.

“Online retailers should be concerned about selling M-rated games to children under age 17,” said Claudia Bourne Farrell, an FTC spokesperson, noting that online retailers generally require only a credit card to purchase video games.

"Although valid credit card information does not guarantee that the purchaser is an adult, it is a reasonable proxy for the purchaser’s age,” she told FoxNews.com.

However, according to a report by the NPD Group, 90% of game purchases are made at “brick-and-mortar” stores like Wal-Mart. And the gaming industry feels the safeguards in place on those purchases are working just fine.

“Retailers have been doing an excellent job checking customers’ ID to make sure they are seventeen or older before selling them an M-rated game,” said Eliot Mizrachi, communications director at the ESRB. “Considering that both video games and movies are rated for age-appropriateness, why should they be treated differently in terms of how they are sold?”

Dan Hewitt, a spokesperson for the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), says that a recent FTC study found that 96% of those surveyed were aware of the ESRB rating and what it means. Hewitt also said the average age of those who play video games is now 34, much higher than in past years.

So what is to become of Bulletstorm? So much has been written about the shooter prior to release that the actual game may end up being disappointing.

Indeed, FoxNews.com tested a widely available demo and found the game was gory and crude -- but hardly a creative tour-de-force.

First exposed! Great scoop, FOX.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » February 24, 2011, 11:36 pm

That almost reads like something from the Onion.

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » February 25, 2011, 11:38 am

Such games are easily purchased or watched online by anyone, despite warning labels, experts say. And games like Bulletstorm can have a particularly heinous effect on minors, said Clair Mellenthin, a Director of Child and Adolescent Services at Wasatch Family Therapy in Salt Lake City.

I guess that the concerned parents should be more responsible when letting their children go online to purchase these horrid games. They can't purchase it without the credit card info to do so.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » February 27, 2011, 12:12 pm

Player reviews on this game are really good. I was kind of surprised to see so many of my XBL friends playing it this week. I hope it sells well.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » February 27, 2011, 12:37 pm

I haven't tried it, but a friend of mine has and was unimpressed. Said the actual "trick shots" were pretty ho-hum stuff.

Post by **Sylvus** » February 28, 2011, 1:06 pm

I really enjoyed it, up until I hit a bug in Act 2 that prevents me from progressing. Restarting the checkpoint won't work, maybe I could replay the whole level but that doesn't seem like much fun.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » February 28, 2011, 3:52 pm

I tried it a bit, it was fun, but nothing that really pulled me in. Certainly nothing that could rip me away from Killzone. I'll finish it up one of these days.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » March 7, 2011, 4:17 pm

40$ on Amazon. I bought it.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » March 7, 2011, 5:46 pm

Should have bought Killzone instead. This game is really just kinda meh to be honest.

miir · Post by **miir** » March 7, 2011, 6:14 pm

Funkmasterr wrote:Should have bought Killzone instead. This game is really just kinda meh to be honest.

I loved the demo so I got it for PC and I'm kinda pissed off that I paid for it.
It's fun to play in short bursts but it gets old real fast. The 'humor' really grates on my nerves.

And I can't even trade it in for a decent game like Killzone 3.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » March 7, 2011, 7:12 pm

I couldn't even finish KZ2 and I think I'm pretty close. I want Bulletstorm because of it's different approach.

I might be getting Homefront at launch.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » March 7, 2011, 7:31 pm

Homefront looks like a winner at least for the single player part.

I'm surprised at the number of FPS games you people buy. They can't all be winners.

Funk, you should be playing Yakuza to get ready for Japan.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » March 9, 2011, 5:05 pm

I buy a lot of games, period! I do like FPS games a lot, but I don't think I have a favorite genre. It depends on my mood. I own a huge and varied collection of games so that I can always play whatever I feel like at the time. It's the same thing with my movie collection. It's also the reason I have a habit of rarely playing through a single game without switching to something else and getting distracted!

Looks like I got the epic edition of Bulletstorm. The order didn't specify, so I'm happy to have it.

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » March 9, 2011, 5:14 pm

Yeah, that was a marketing trick. The "Epic Edition" is priced the same as the normal version, I'm actually curious if there is a "normal" edition of the game.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » March 11, 2011, 5:38 pm

I played the first 2 levels last night and had a blast. I admit that I had to keep fighting the urge to try and hide behind cover though. The story is beyond stupid and they use the word "fuck" so much that it lost all meaning, then came back around as a parody of itself. It is certainly a pretty game.

VeeshanVault

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