Bulletstorm is a first-person shooter that does not want you to play it safe. Instead of hiding behind cover and picking off enemies one by one, Bulletstorm asks you to get creative. It wants you to kick enemies into cactus spikes, pull them toward you with an electric leash, and shoot them in slow motion. The more imaginative the kill, the more points you earn.
Developed by People Can Fly and originally released in 2011, Bulletstorm has built a loyal following for its unusual take on the shooter genre. This guide explains how the game works, what makes its Skillshot system special, and what you should know before jumping in.
What Is the Bulletstorm Game About?
You play as Grayson Hunt, a former soldier who now leads a group of space pirates. After a crash landing on a planet called Stygia, Hunt and his crew are stranded on a ruined resort world filled with mutants and hostile gangs. Hunt wants revenge on the commander who betrayed him, but first he has to survive.
The story is loud, rude, and full of dark humour. It does not take itself too seriously, and that is part of its charm. Critics and players often describe the game as a wild, over-the-top action ride that never slows down.
How the Skillshot System Works
The heart of the Bulletstorm game is the Skillshot system. Every enemy you defeat can be killed in dozens of different ways, and each method has a name and a point value. A simple headshot gives you a few points. But if you leash an enemy toward you, kick them into the air, and then shoot them in the head while they float in slow motion, you earn far more.
This system turns every fight into a puzzle. You are not just trying to survive—you are trying to look good doing it. The game tracks your creativity and rewards you with points you can spend on ammo and weapon upgrades.
Some Skillshots are simple and funny. Others are strange and specific. For example, kicking an enemy into a metal pole is called “Voodoo Doll,” while impaling one on a cactus is called “Pricked”. The game has hundreds of these, and discovering them is a big part of the fun.
The Tools You Use
Bulletstorm gives you three main tools that work together: a kick, a slide, and an energy leash.
The leash is the most important. It shoots out from your character’s arm and pulls enemies toward you. While they are flying through the air, time slows down, giving you a moment to aim. You can also use the leash to grab objects in the environment and throw them at enemies.
The kick is simple but powerful. A strong boot sends enemies flying backward. If they hit a wall of spikes or fall off a cliff, that counts as a Skillshot.
The slide lets you move quickly along the ground and knock enemies into the air. Combining a slide into a kick, then a leash pull, is one of the basic moves you will use again and again.
Weapons in Bulletstorm
The guns in Bulletstorm are not realistic military hardware. They are exaggerated, loud, and designed to make kills more spectacular.
The standard Peacemaker Carbine is a reliable assault rifle. The Boneduster is a four-barrel shotgun that can blast enemies apart at close range. The Headhunter is a sniper rifle with a twist: after you fire, you can guide the bullet in slow motion to make sure it hits its target.
Later in the game, you get stranger weapons. The Flailgun wraps two grenades around an enemy on a chain, and then you can detonate them. The Penetrator fires rocket-powered drills that pin enemies to walls. Each weapon has a charged shot that uses more ammo but creates a more dramatic effect.
Single-Player, Echo Mode, and Multiplayer
The main campaign takes you across Stygia, from ruined hotels to collapsing buildings. It is short—most players finish in under ten hours—but it is packed with set pieces and action scenes. The game rarely gives you a quiet moment.
Echo mode is a score-attack mode where you replay small sections of the campaign and try to get the highest score possible. This is where the Skillshot system really shines, because you can practice combos and compete with friends.
The game also includes multiplayer maps for cooperative play, where you and a partner can combine your moves to earn team Skillshots.
The Full Clip Edition and Other Versions
If you want to play Bulletstorm today, look for Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition. Released in 2017, it includes updated graphics, all previously released downloadable content, and a new mode called Overkill that lets you start with every weapon unlocked.
The Full Clip Edition also lets you play through the entire campaign as Duke Nukem, a classic video game hero known for his tough-guy attitude and one-liners. This mode replaces Grayson Hunt’s voice lines with new dialogue recorded by Duke’s original voice actor.
The game is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The Switch version is called Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch Edition and includes the Duke Nukem content.
Is Bulletstorm Game Worth Playing Today?
Yes, if you enjoy fast, silly, and violent action games. Bulletstorm does not try to be a serious military shooter or a deep, story-driven experience. It tries to be fun, and most of the time it succeeds.
The humour is crude, and the violence is cartoonish, so it is not for everyone. But if the idea of leashing a mutant toward you, kicking them into a giant fan, and watching your score climb sounds appealing, then Bulletstorm is still one of the most creative shooters you can play. The Skillshot system gives it a lasting appeal that many other shooters from its era do not have.
FAQs
Is Bulletstorm a difficult game?
The main campaign is not very hard on normal difficulty. The challenge comes from trying to earn high scores in Echo mode and from discovering new Skillshots. There are higher difficulty settings for players who want more resistance.
How long does it take to beat Bulletstorm?
Most players finish the campaign in about six to eight hours. Completing all the Echo mode challenges and finding every Skillshot takes much longer.
Do I need to play the original version, or should I get Full Clip Edition?
Get the Full Clip Edition. It includes all the content from the original release, plus better graphics and the Duke Nukem mode. There is no reason to hunt down the original 2011 version unless you are a collector.
Is Bulletstorm multiplayer still active?
The cooperative multiplayer modes are not very active anymore. Most people play the campaign or Echo mode solo. However, you can still play with friends if you organise a session.