This morning EA confirmed a lot of what we already know courtesy of terrible people who scan magazines: Bulletstorm is indeed the Epic Games and People Can Fly collaboration heading to our PlayStation 3s, PCs, and Xbox 360s in 2011.
The first-person shooter leans on the amount of crap we might or might not be able to trigger after pummeling something with bullets. The official release makes mention of a “kill with skill” (‘skillshots’) mechanic that “is packed with blockbuster moments” that’ll gives us points based on the level of mayhem that can be used to unlock heavier guns and thus more opportunities to go nuts.
In addition to a release and general gameplay, we’re getting a feel for the story. In the game we’ll control Grayson Hunt and (probably) Ishi Sato, two mercenaries and members of a sci-fi confederation. The duo are betrayed and exiled by their commander, leaving them wishing they were on the other side and not on a planet with “hordes of mutants and flesh eating gangs.” Their two objectives after the fact, as described, are to “get off the planet” and get revenge on the commander. We can only hope the commander turns out to be a man-eating robot with cannon arms and an eyepatch. Call it a dream.
“Bulletstorm is the kind of game we love to make because it’s pure, unadulterated entertainment,” said Epic Games President Dr. Michael Capps in the press release. “People Can Fly has created a wildly fun first-person shooter that looks gorgeous running on the latest Unreal Engine 3 technology, and the skillshot system is a welcome addition to the genre. We can’t wait to see how everyone reacts to seeing Bulletstorm.”
Expect to see a bit of Bulletstorm tonight on Jimmy Fallon’s show. Epic designer and big man Cliff Bleszinski is set to appear on the show and debut two games. Certainly, Epic doesn’t have three games up its sleeves, right?
