Shooters "Too Serious," Bulletstorm Focuses On "Pulpy Fun"
It's no fun when games take themselves seriously all the time. Gamers need a break every now and then; there is still room for simple, mindless, entertainment.
And while all shooters are often accused of being mindless, there is a difference between something like Killzone 3 and People Can Fly/Epic's upcoming over-the-top FPS, Bulletstorm. Speaking in a recent Qore episode (as cited by Game Sector Network), Epic boss Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski said he believes most shooters take themselves "so seriously," and the aim of Bulletstorm is "fun" and "pulpy:"
"The biggest challenge with this game was getting to the point where we could develop an IP that was fun, something that was pulpy, but wasn’t really over the line [right], there’s a really fine line there, if you look at where the state of shooters are right now it’s very serious."
He went on to say that one could "put a montage of all these military shooters together and you wouldn't even recognize them." ...well, that might be pushing it; even those who aren't too enamored with the genre should be able to tell the difference between Call of Duty and Operation Flashpoint. Still, we certainly understand his meaning. As for People Can Fly and their promising project:
"Bulletstorm’s just like screw that, let’s just put a big boot in peoples face, let’s have crazy lines of dialogue, over the top weapons, just put the fun back in the first person shooter. I think its hands down one of the most fun games I’ve played in years."
While we always like games that force us to think and are progressive or innovative in some way, there will always be a place for the fun Bleszinski references here. It's why I have NBA Jam sitting right next to Gran Turismo 5. Gaming is now capable of offering such massively diverse experiences, so we might as well take advantage.
Related Game(s): Bulletstorm
Tags: bulletstorm, cliffyb, epic, people can fly
12/27/2010 10:25:13 AM Ben Dutka
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Comments (24 posts)
booze925
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 11:48:03 AM
Jawknee
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 12:31:08 PM
mastiffchild
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 1:51:26 PM
Sure, I'm better with a keyboard and mouse in terms of performance than anyone is, or will be, with a pad but I like the way that almost everyone has the same controller and the exact same tech when I play console shooters online. To me that escapes the need for having the edge the latest K/M set up gives you, takes away the chances that you're at an advantage or disadvantage cos of console mod options(painting out/desaturating environments etc so enemies are easier to spot)on PC or just that your tech's not as good as the rest of those playing and so on.
Personally, I also find a pad more immersive than a mouse even though it's not as effective-I think the aiming on two separate planes allied to the way you're almost TOO superhumanly fast with a mouse does this.
So, yeah, games like L4D are a total shadow of themselves on console because the lack of mods makes them nso and you get more and better service and options nearly every time with a PC shooter over a console one but which you prefer can also, as in my case, hinge on which things are most important to YOUR overall gaming. Much to my teammates annoyance I also play L4D2 with a pad on PC these days!! As I say, it does mean I'm a lot less effective(and I'm not the greatest with a mouse to be honest either!!)but I've had my fun AND been super competitive in the past with CS(mainly)on PC but the longer time goes on(and the less important winning at any cost-fiscal or otherwise gets to me)the more I find myself gaming online on PSN-and I think what happened with UT3 was a shame on PS3. Allowing mods to be imported was a masterstroke and that most PS3 players never botherered was a great slip up on their part-made the game SO much better and is something I'd love to see on other PS3/PC games in the future-why ever not?
IF the consoles were offered more of the usual set of features we love on PC I think a few more people would go the route I have-I just find gaming on console FEELS a lot more fair as a test of skill with fewer gamer effected variables.
Oh, and OT, I think Cliffy has a point but, as ever, overdoes it a bit as Bulletstorm looks, to me, a bit shallow and over reliant on the skill kill thing which clutters the screen with awards and then the commentary which could also grate after a short while. Certainly looks good and different but when I think of games like Painkiller not THAT different or fresh really. In fact it's kind of a cousin to Platinum's flawed Wii blood brawler Madworld, no?
Watch the reviews closely and possibly rent first for me-would be great though, as this is Epic and all if we got mods allowed again too for the PS3 version to make up for the 360 game giving Gears3 beta access. MS won't allow them, that's certain-has they done for L4D I would have a lot more respect for them and I suspect Valve would too-it's possibly one reason why Gabe felt able to turn turtle as he has.
Highlander
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 11:05:57 AM
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When CliffyB says this: "Bulletstorm’s just like screw that, let’s just put a big boot in peoples face, let’s have crazy lines of dialogue, over the top weapons, just put the fun back in the first person shooter. I think its hands down one of the most fun games I’ve played in years."; it almost sounds like he's talking about the kind of over the top FPS lunacy you used to find in games like Duke Nukem. That could be a very good thing for Bulletstorm.
DemonNeno
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 11:26:15 AM
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That said, I don't take shooters very seriously and can have fun with them when devs know what the meaning of fun is...
booze925
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 11:56:27 AM
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bad company 2- removed the fun sense of humor the first one had in favor of a modern warfare 2 style plot because people don't want humor in their military shooter. i miss the old haggard!
killzone 2- not funny at all. "Where the FUCK is Garza when you need him?" "FUCK this!" "SHIT!"
not kool man
maxpontiac
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 12:06:22 PM
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Plus, speaking of serious, Epic is sure serious when it comes to the 360 version of this game. I read that the "Epic Edition" is exclusive to the 360, IE - the Home of the Shooter.
Jawknee
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 12:28:24 PM
mastiffchild
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 2:02:18 PM
Tim Speed24
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 12:18:11 PM
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BikerSaint
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 1:58:40 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 2:07:38 PM
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RebelJD
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 2:09:44 PM
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Lawless SXE
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 3:17:03 PM
BikerSaint
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 2:20:06 PM
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Even blindfolded, I'll bet my super-sweet tooth can pick Pepsi over Coke, LOL
BTW, for all you Move shooters out there, I just found this over at "Daily Steals"....
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Lawless SXE
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 3:20:49 PM
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Peace.
SolidFantasy
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 7:06:49 PM
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BikerSaint
Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 11:00:54 PM
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___________
Tuesday, December 28, 2010 @ 2:13:44 AM
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they dont care about mind blowing graphics, realistic physics or any of that boring BS!
all there worried about is making the funnest, coolest, most bad a$$ game possible!
tis why i love epic so much, and tis why i enjoyed gears 2 so much.
i mean come on, how often is it that you get eaten by a giant worm and have to slice its arteries with the chainsaw on the end of your gun to kill it!?
honestly, whoever thought of that deserves the Nobel prize!

Bulletstorm









Danny007
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Monday, December 27, 2010 @ 10:46:24 AM