For players who were around during the FPS boom in the 90’s, Duke Nukem was a staple and ranks with Doom as one of the greats that kick started the genre’s success. With the most recent entry Duke Nukem Forever being a critical and commercial bomb, his future was a bit up in the air. That is until he was added as a playable option to the Bulletstorm remaster.

For those who never had the joy of playing the over the top shooter when it was originally released in 2011, the game focuses on Grayson Hunt and his team known as Dead Echo. After being screwed over by his commanding officer, he sets off on a journey seeking revenge with the sole survivor from his team. While the story is nothing we haven’t seen before, the amazingly juvenile yet hilarious writing means the story mode isn’t to be missed.

The story shines even more in a comedic way when adding Duke to the mix. Since the remaster did not involve rerecording lines, everyone still refers to him as Grey, which often confuses or infuriates Duke. Featuring the original Duke, Jon Saint John, it often felt like I was playing a new Duke game opposed to Bulletstorm.

The tools at your disposal are varied and each features an alternate fire option, as well as the option to use what is referred to as a leash that allows you to pull enemies towards you, or environmental hazards, or “thump” the enemies into the air. In addition to the arsenal, you can kick or slide into enemies, sending them airborne in slow motion, allowing you time to line up the perfect kill. You’ll use these tools to kill enemies in the most horrendous or hilarious ways possible, earning points in the story to apply to upgrading the ammo capacity or adding the secondary fire option to each of the weapons.

The game’s visuals still hold up, and the extra details featured in the remaster show that the remaster was a labor of love opposed to senseless cash in, like most that have flooded the market. With only the occasional bug being present, the story is really a highlight of the package, especially when playing as Duke. The only issue I encountered was it being difficult to vault over certain objects, requiring you to stop and find the sweet spot to proceed. The quick time events were also a challenge at times, as some of them are less responsive than others. Since these are limited and typically only result in a few additional points, not a game over screen, they don’t cause much distress.

In addition to the 5-8 hour campaign, which features a number of difficulties for those who really wish to test their skills, there are a few Echo modes. These are primarily ripped from the story and put the player right into the action, allowing them to compete for stars, which unlock more Echos, as well as competing on the global leader board. While it may be repetitious for some players, I found it enjoyable to revisit earlier levels after getting into the groove of racking up as many points as possible. A new feature added to the game is the Ultimate Echos, which provide certain stipulations on each original Echo. These will require you to complete certain skill shots, meet a time, or even not use any skill shots at all.

Rounding out the package is the multiplayer mode, which is a hoard based mode which allows you to tackle waves of enemies with friends. While the online community is not currently booming, I was fortunate enough to have a friend whom was playing and was able to complete a few waves. There aren’t any new maps, but this package does include all of the DLC content offered in the original game. There are a number of new traps as well as skill shots that can only be completed with another player, such as using your combined leashes to rip enemies in two.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this release for any FPS fan, especially those who are new to the franchise; even more so if you can find it on sale like I did.

 

9 out of 10

Pros

• The Return of Duke Nukem
• Loads of Options/Replayability
• Great Arsenal
• Hilarious Yet Juvenile Writing

Cons

• Runs the Risk of Being Repetitive

Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition was developed by People Can Fly and published by Gearbox Publishing. It was released on PS4, PC and X1 April 7th, 2017 for $39.99. The game was not provided for review on the X1. For more on Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, visit its official site

 

Here at GBG we use a rating method that you are more than likely familiar with – a scale of 1 to 10. For clarification, we intend on using the entire scale: 1-4 is something you should probably avoid paying for; 5-7 is something that is worth playing, but probably not at full price; 8-10 is a great title that you can feel confident about buying. If you have any questions or comments about how we rate a game, please let us know..

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