Ballistick
- October 14, 2016
- Bomb Shelter Games
The stick figure days are back! Ballistick combines tactical combat, over-the-top gore, and realistic gun mechanics to create an experience like no other. Lock, load, and get ready to relive the glory days of stick figure combat.
Reviews
- Nostalgic throwback to classic stick figure games, providing a fun and light-hearted experience.
- Unique gun mechanics with both simple and complex reload options add depth to gameplay.
- Challenging missions that encourage strategic thinking and replayability for achievement hunters.
- Clunky and unresponsive controls, making gameplay frustrating and difficult to enjoy.
- Poor graphics and design quality reminiscent of outdated flash games, lacking polish.
- No options for customizing controls or adjusting settings, leading to a subpar user experience.
- story73 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally seen as unoriginal but enjoyable, featuring a light-hearted narrative that aligns with the stickman aesthetic. While some players appreciate the humor and character development in mission setups, others find the overall storytelling shallow and overshadowed by frustrating gameplay mechanics, particularly in stealth missions that can lead to instant failure. Despite its flaws, the story provides a decent backdrop for the missions, with some players noting it adds a layer of engagement to the gameplay.
“The story is surprisingly good.”
“What is truly great is the storyline and concept.”
“However, each mission has some very well written story elements that help set up the mission and make the character seem like a badass.”
“The story is very similar to what you would see in these types of stickman media.”
“It's a stick figure game... with clunky controls and an uncreative story.”
“Looks bad, plays poorly, story is poorly written... doesn't really have much going for it.”
- gameplay44 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its clunky controls, poor graphics, and unengaging mechanics that make it feel repetitive and frustrating. While some appreciate the blend of stealth and shooting elements, others find the stealth mechanics poorly executed and the overall experience lacking in fun and polish. Despite its interesting concepts and potential for variety, the game often feels like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.
“There's a few hours of gameplay, which you could probably stretch to 12-15 if you wanted to 100% it.”
“The gameplay is interesting and all, with a mixture of stealth and rampage missions to satisfy many different types of players.”
“Smooth gameplay, a decent storyline, and enough variety to give it replay value worth at least a second playthrough.”
“Basically this game is Hitman from Temu, with deplorably lazy graphics, a bit of stealth gameplay, and did I mention just how bad the graphics are?”
“Gameplay feels like a chore and controls are clunky and frustrating.”
“The gameplay is horrible, sneaking is terrible, and cover doesn't work half the time.”
- graphics26 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for their low quality, often described as "deplorably lazy" and reminiscent of outdated flash animations or MS Paint sprites. Many reviewers noted the simplistic stick figure art style and numerous graphical glitches, which detracted from the overall experience. While some appreciated the nostalgic aesthetic, the consensus is that the visuals are a significant drawback, lacking polish and depth.
“The art style mimics the nostalgic look of flash stickman animation almost spot on; even the environments feel like something you would see in those types of games and short movies.”
“Graphics are good.”
“Nice simplified graphics with a focus on fun gameplay.”
“The visuals in this game are a complete joke; it's seriously just a bunch of MS Paint sprites/images that look like they were lazily scrawled out over the space of a couple of hours.”
“It's unclear if this is due to a lack of budget to arrange someone who can create graphical assets properly, or a lack of talent; regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is extremely low, enough on its own to deter gamers.”
“The graphics are stick figure graphics from an era where developers didn’t have the tools or art to really make anything better.”
- music8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely criticized for being forgettable and monotonous, often compared to low-quality soundtracks from stickman videos. Players found the looping tracks infuriating and noted that the sound effects, particularly gunshots, were poorly executed. Overall, the soundtrack detracted significantly from the gaming experience, with many expressing a desire for options to adjust the volume or change the music.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“Music is incredibly forgettable, almost like it was ripped out of those stickmen fighting videos.”
“The looping music is infuriating.”
“Monotonous music, not many sounds.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a blend of quirky, tongue-in-cheek elements reminiscent of "Kingdom of Loathing," combined with edgy flash game humor that may not resonate with everyone. Players appreciate the comedic aspects, from the opening cutscenes to mission dialogues, which contribute to an entertaining experience, despite the gameplay's challenges. Overall, the humor is a standout feature that enhances the game's appeal, making it worth the low price.
“Feels like the humor of Kingdom of Loathing married the gameplay style of Into the Eagle's Nest, then got bit by Metal Gear Solid while pregnant and finally gave birth to this mutant.”
“Worth $2-3 bucks for the tongue-in-cheek humor and getting to slaughter stick-people... in the name of saving other stick people, naturally.”
“This game had me laughing from the opening cutscenes to the dialog in the mission prep, which is a nice bonus and I didn't expect.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and imprecise controls that significantly hinder gameplay. Players describe it as a "buggy mess" reminiscent of old flash games, often leading to frustrating experiences due to issues like unresponsive character actions and graphical errors. While some find enjoyment in the nostalgia, the overall consensus highlights a lack of polish and stability.
“Buggy mess lacking in content.”
“So, apart from the fact that it's literally a flash game running as an .exe... this game is buggy as hell, your stickman isn't taking cover when you're standing next to the actual cover location and then you die. Enemies just shoot you continuously; it's hard because of it, with some levels requiring you to not be seen, ever!”
“Simplistic with numerous graphical glitches and imprecise controls.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the smooth gameplay and variety that encourage at least a second playthrough, others find the short storyline and quick completion time limit its long-term appeal. The ability to choose different approaches adds a tactical element, but many feel there is untapped potential for greater replay value.
“Smooth gameplay, a decent storyline, and enough variety to give it replay value worth at least a second playthrough.”
“You pick how you want to enter the facility as well, so it has replay value and a bit of tactical depth.”
“I 100% the game pretty quickly, so I can't say it has much replay value.”
“The story's almost disappointingly short, but it does have some replayability.”
“There's also a lot of missed replayability potential.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating and tedious, as it requires repeatedly executing the same simple tasks and can lead to significant setbacks from minor mistakes, forcing them to restart levels.
“This game features a clunky, tedious killbot stickman who solves problems by repeating the same simple routine over and over, particularly because a single mistake will send you back to the beginning of a level to try again.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report significant performance issues on Windows 10, with some experiencing difficulties getting their GPU to recognize the game, preventing it from running in fullscreen mode.
“Crazy performance issues on Windows 10 - I can't get my GPU to recognize this as a game, so it won't run even in fullscreen mode.”
“The optimization is so poor that even high-end systems struggle to maintain a stable frame rate.”
“Frequent crashes and long loading times make the game nearly unplayable, despite having decent hardware.”