Hello, and welcome to the fourth instalment of a series that I’m calling That’s Good, That’s Bad, based on a joke in the Simpsons in which Homer buys a cursed Krusty doll from what I now see as a pretty racist stereotype of an asian person. The gag is still good though, good enough for me to form a sort of review process in which I alternate between saying something good about a game, then something bad about it. This time my game of choice is Awe Interactive’s rhythmic rogue-like first-person shooter BPM: Bullets Per Minute.
Shocker:themusicis earcandy…that’sgood.
It would quite embarrassing if the game about shooting to the beat had a soundtrack that wasn’t fun to shoot to the beat now wouldn’t it? Luckily when it comes to the music, BPM knocks it out of the park with the ball shredding a guitar as it soars through the air. The thumping heavy metal will certainly get the pulse rising, which is good because as rogue-likes tend to be, you will be hearing these songs a lot, especially the first track. Progressing isn’t just satisfying because the game makes you earn every new level, but also because it means audibly feasting on another excellent song serving by Sam Houghton and Joe Collinson.
Ihavenoideawhatthisitemdoes…that’sbad.
I know some developers are intentionally vague in order to prod the player’s curiosity, but it would be nice if sometimes I could get a decent explaining of something. Such as when I equip a shield and the description of its effect is simply “cleaving.” What does cleaving do, hell, what does curse do, and what’s the difference between the Precision and Range stats? Some mechanics are explained easily enough so it is kind of baffling as to why instances like this crop up. It adds some unnecessary frustration to any new player’s experience, and it discourages experimentation when you are far into a run.
Damnthisgameplayisaddictive…that’sgood.
The hallmark of any good rogue-like is that one-more-run feeling you get when you fail an attempt, that push to try again because you believe you could do better. This is pretty much down to its central mechanic: matching your shots, reloads and dodges to the beat of the music. BMP is a game that absolutely sells itself on its gimmick (a very good gimmick mind you), which turns an otherwise humdrum FPS into something truly engaging. And the way your gunfire acts as another layer to the music that you have control over is the icing on the cake. I would sometimes shoot and reload down empty hallways simply because it sounded just so damn cool.
Easymodeissomekindofprank…that’sbad.
An easy mode where a single shot can do a quarter of your health is…let’s say a bold choice to make. There is a practice mode but it only gives you access to the first four levels, so you need to put it on easy if you actually want to see credits. It’s the inclusion of the word “easy” that really boils my noodles to be honest, since if it was just named "normal" you could make the argument that a high level of challenge is the standard for the game. But easy mode as it stands feels like the developer almost taunting you, lambasting your lack of ability to even beat the mode for little babies.
Theartstyleiscertainlyunique…that’sgood.
I know this is going to be a divisive opinion, because it is a divisive art style to be sure. Yet, I really dig the look of coating the entire level in a singular colour, which really helps to enforce an oppressive atmosphere. Deep blood reds, smokey yellows and stark greys being almost the extent of BPM’s colour spectrum unquestionably creates an intense look, with even the lighting itself pulsing to the rhythm of the beat. It adds up to something that perfectly blends with the unrelentingly difficult gameplay.
ButsometimesIwishIcouldseemorethanjusttheartstyle…that’sbad.
This is an issue mostly with stages that use warm colours since the various enemies you fight also use warm colours. As you can imagine this makes things difficult to take in as you are whipping your gun around to set your sights on the next target, or at least trying to. It gets even worse when you construct a build that involves constantly firing multiple giant fiery projectiles, which renders the screen so intensely bright that even the lava from Dark Souls 1 would be impressed at its retina-scorching ability.
Thegame’sgotsomespicewhenitcomestovariety…that’sgood.
The absolute poison of rogue-likes is a lack of diversity in runs, but BPM has no such issue. Things start out fairly normally on your first few tries but then you start to see variations in the levels and even the bosses. Icy floors, pitch darkness and reduced gravity are all challenges that can be thrown at you, while bosses can changes to their attacks, health and behaviour depending on which variant you get. Additionally, you’re able to unlock different characters with their own unique play-styles and load-outs making sure there is plenty of reason to dive back in.
Thesizetothreatratioisa little unusual…that’s bad.
There are many unique things about BPM, and one of those things is the fact that the most dangerous foes in the games are also the smallest, which is something I don’t think the developer intended. There were builds I was running in which I could absolutely shred bosses in seconds with ease, but when it came to anything that was tiny and flying, I would be shook to my core with fear. And so we find ourselves in the strange situation where a colossal stone man is less of a challenge than a room full of flies who ceaselessly pelt your ass and manage to skilfully dodge your every shot.
So is BPM: Bullets Per Minute good or bad?
If you can get over the difficulty wall that you’ll face plant into when starting this game, there’s a lot to dig into here. Its challenge will make mastering the gameplay be extremely rewarding and the different variations of levels and bosses adds a nice uncertainty to runs. If you do bounce off the game at least you’ll get a fantastic soundtrack out of it.
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