Once in a while, you get a game in your inbox that makes you want to turn your Switch into a frisbee. Bullets Per Minute is one of those games; tough as nails and makes you crave more. Let’s dive in!
So, quick recap! BPM: Bullets Per Minute is a first-person shooter video game developed and published by Awe Interactive. The game incorporates elements from rhythm games and roguelikes. It was initially released for Microsoft Windows in September 2020, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in October 2021, and the Nintendo Switch I’m reviewing was released in September 2022.
Bullets Per Minute
Bullets Per Minute is a weird mixture of genres; on the one hand, it’s a first-person shooter; on the other, it’s like playing Crypt of the NecroDancer. So in this weird combination between a first-person shooter and dancing around, you assume control of a Valkyrie, who must combat various monstrous creatures across different realms. The player can choose from ten characters, each with unique abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Similar to rhythm games such as Crypt of the NecroDancer, the players must use abilities, reload, and shoot their weapons to beat the game’s heavy metal background music. As with many rhythm games, each successful beat match boosts a score multiplier, while their guns will misfire if the player loses the beat.
Bullets Per Minute takes a note from the retro shooters of the 90s. It is fast, furious, and rhythmic. You can double jump, dash, rocketjump, and bunny hop to evade your opponents. While running through the randomly generated dungeons, collecting different weapons, abilities, and items each time you play. These weapons and abilities can radically alter your play, making each playthrough unique. The primary purpose is to defeat seven bosses to reach the final boss. Each boss moves and attacks in a unique way that you must learn to exploit if you want to succeed. Some attacks require you to jump over fields of lava, some to dodge fast projectiles, and some to hold fast for a beat. Gameplay-wise, I highly recommend not playing this in handheld mode; it makes the controls pretty difficult to micromanage.
Conclusion
So, to conclude, The high of accidentally beating floor after floor while the incredible OST is blasting into your ears, to find yourself having beaten the final boss and thinking, “Is that it?” is the perfect feeling to keep you wanting to play more. So, just do yourself a favor – play this on TV with a controller and headset.
