A Fun Zombie Shooter with a Co-op Kick
Another day, another survival game heaves into view.
This time around we focus on Bullets & Brains from Avjar Studios and No Gravity Games. Billed as an action adventure shooter, we find ourselves in the zombie apocalypse for a change (never seen that before, eh?), left to try and kill the undead in order to survive.
Can it bring anything new to a tired old genre, or have we seen it all before? Well, it’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it, as Faith No More sang!
A Simple Story, A Horde of Enemies
We should have a look at the story, I suppose, and believe me when I say it won’t take too long! It’s here where we find ourselves in a camp of survivors after the zombie apocalypse, and while the rest of the world has succumbed, this little camp seems to be doing alright. Of course, they need someone to go outside the safe zone and try to find things and wotnot, and this is where we come in. From there, we are given a location, a mission and a firearm, all before being dropped off in the thick of it. Good luck.
Isometric Action and Colourful Zombies
Presentation of the game is pretty straightforward too. The action is viewed from the traditional isometric 3D viewpoint that is utilised for many a twin stick shooter; which is what this is at heart. The character sprites are large and colourful, as are the enemies that we have to kill. But that said, they are also varied and I’ve never seen so many variations on an undead zombie in one place.
The areas we frequent are an eclectic bunch too, ranging from forests and mountains to deserted city streets, all requiring a bit of navigation as we make our way around, through a veritable maze of twisting and turning paths. The camera is well able to keep up with the action too, and even when we are being swarmed the frame rate stays rock solid, so this is a plus mark.
Groans, Guns, and Good Sounds
Sound is also pretty good to be honest, as the groans of the undead and the blasts of gunfire marry up perfectly. The story and the mission briefings are all carried out via the medium of text windows, so there are no voice overs to speak of (see what I did there?) but other than that, it all just works. Nothing to grumble about in this section.
Levelling Up with Brains and Energy
The most important part of Bullets & Brains though is the way that it actually plays. If you have ever taken in a twin stick shooter before you will feel bang at home here, as it is pretty much that, in a nutshell.
There is a wrinkle, however, and this is the inclusion of a levelling mechanic. You see, much like all the other Survivor games out there, we begin each run at level 1, and must collect things in order to rank up. This time around those things, believe it or not, are brains and energy. Collect enough and you will be given the choice of three powerups to pick from, after which choosing the right options can significantly help your chances of survival. Pick wisely.
Missions and Mayhem: The Co-op Experience
The missions are a varied lot. I’ve had to destroy zombie nests (I didn’t know zombies made nests, but live and learn!), kill waves of enemies against the clock and also search for various things. There are also bonus items to collect that reward exploration, and these can be traded for new abilities back at camp. Of course, in order to spend our hard gathered points we have to survive and extract, and this is much easier said than done.
The gameplay is quite fast and frantic, but Bullets & Brains never feels overwhelming. With sufficient spatial awareness and movement, it is fairly easy to survive on the lower difficulty levels. Once you step things up a bit, you may well need to take advantage of the other thing that sets this game apart: a proper couch co-op, two player mode.
Doubling the firepower is always a good idea when surrounded by zombies, and the mode works very well. I’ve been saved by my son no end of time – the advantages of 14 year old reflexes versus that of a 52 year old, I guess!
A Fun, Fast-Paced, and Engaging Shooter
Bullets & Brains is a game that has humble roots, but by careful application of various bits of different games, the developers have created something that is really good fun to play. And that is the most important thing, isn’t it? Perhaps it isn’t the deepest game in the world, and yes, the story is somewhat lacking, but for a quick blast with a friend, Bullets & Brains will more than scratch an itch.
Important Links
Go Big with the Co-op Zombie Chaos of Bullets & Brains – https://www.thexboxhub.com/go-big-with-the-co-op-zombie-chaos-of-bullets-brains/
Buy Bullets & Brains on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/bullets-brains/9PM991M378LN
