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Bombshell

Bombshell is an energetic, absurd action shooter that’s competent at nearly everything but its boss battles..
47%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
58% User Score Based on 258 reviews
Critic Score 37%Based on 16 reviews

Platforms

PCPCPlaystation 4Playstation 4Playstation 5Playstation 5WindowsWindowsXbox OneXbox OneXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SPlayStationPlayStationXboxXbox

About

"Bombshell is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game with fantastic mechanics and compelling visuals. As mercenary Shelly "Bombshell" Harrison, you'll save the president across 4 planets, combating out-of-this-world enemies with a unique arsenal. Despite phenomenal music and comedic elements, the game is plagued by bugs."

Bombshell screenshot
Bombshell screenshot
Bombshell screenshot
Bombshell screenshot
Bombshell screenshot
Bombshell screenshot

58%
Audience ScoreBased on 274 reviews
story20 positive mentions
stability31 negative mentions

  • The game features a nostalgic feel reminiscent of 90s and 2000s shooters, providing satisfying gameplay and a fun experience.
  • Graphics are among the best for a UE3 game, with detailed environments and excellent artwork.
  • The character of Shelly 'Bombshell' Harrison is well-designed and adds a unique charm to the game.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including game-breaking issues that can hinder progress.
  • Level design can feel repetitive, with environments that start to look the same early on.
  • The story is lackluster and the dialogue often falls flat, detracting from the overall experience.
  • story
    138 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Bombshell" is generally viewed as a cheesy, B-movie style narrative that lacks depth and coherence, often described as ridiculous or forgettable. While some players appreciate its campy humor and one-liners, many criticize the dialogue and plot for being poorly written and overly simplistic, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than an engaging experience. Overall, the story is seen as a mixed bag, with some enjoying its silliness while others find it a significant drawback.

    • “The game's story is simple but entertaining, and Shelly is a cool protagonist.”
    • “Story is exactly what you would expect: 90s B-movie cheese, and I have no problems with that.”
    • “The story seems to be purposefully cheesy and is delivered through mostly competent voice acting.”
    • “As for the story… it is weird.”
    • “The story is laughable, the action over the top.”
    • “The main problem with the story though is that it's not really written well enough to draw you into it and expects a little too much from the player to be invested in it.”
  • gameplay
    96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the engaging mechanics and variety of weapons, while others criticize it for being repetitive, clunky, and plagued by bugs. Although the environments and graphics are praised, many feel that the combat lacks balance and depth, leading to a formulaic experience that can become stale over time. Overall, while there are fun elements and potential, the gameplay is often marred by technical issues and design flaws.

    • “The environments are very detailed and the artwork is excellent; the story is passable, but the gameplay is very satisfying.”
    • “The gameplay was engaging, and new weapons and perks were regularly unlocked.”
    • “Overall, the game is quite fun, has solid gameplay even though it becomes repetitive after a while and lacks variety in many aspects.”
    • “Bombshell would be a decent game if it wasn't infested with bugs. I was running into issues every 10 minutes, including not gaining XP, getting stuck on terrain, and forced to reset. Enemies spawn into walls and outside of map bounds, and buggy achievements unlock by themselves when they feel like it. It also suffers from repetitive gameplay, which becomes stale by episode 2.”
    • “The gameplay is just dry and formulaic.”
    • “Game is a buggy mess, with bland environments and barely passable gameplay that's not worth the asking price on Steam.”
  • graphics
    68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally praised as impressive for a title built on Unreal Engine 3, showcasing detailed environments, vibrant artwork, and well-animated cutscenes. However, some users report performance issues, particularly with NVIDIA graphics settings, and mention unresolved bugs that detract from the overall visual experience. Despite these drawbacks, many reviewers commend the game's artistic style and the effort put into its visual design, making it a standout aspect of the gameplay.

    • “The environments are very detailed and the artwork is excellent; the story is passable, but the gameplay is very satisfying.”
    • “Huge kudos to the art and design team; they have done a really good job on Bombshell's graphics. The game looks absolutely beautiful and badass.”
    • “The graphics look great and it performs admirably; it's clearly a homage to 80's action films with Shelly constantly singing out one-liners when she kills things.”
    • “Game didn't crash, but if you have an NVIDIA card, do not turn on any of the NVIDIA GameWorks graphics features.”
    • “There are a lot of unresolved graphical and engine bugs.”
    • “However, even dropping the graphics to their lowest setting and lowering the resolution didn't seem to help performance at all.”
  • music
    65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game, primarily composed by Andrew Hulshult, receives high praise for its heavy metal and orchestral elements, effectively complementing the game's atmosphere and action. While some players feel the soundtrack could benefit from stronger themes, many agree that it enhances the overall experience, making it enjoyable and memorable, even if not all tracks are standout. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant highlight, with many recommending it for fans of the genre.

    • “Andrew Hulshult's music is a work of genius, with a movie-like soundtrack for cutscenes, creepy ambience for the calm before the storm, and some awesome action-packed tracks that deserve a place on your music player.”
    • “It's fast, gory and brimming with tongue-in-cheek humor, and dear god the music... the soundtrack alone is worth the asking price!”
    • “The music is seriously awesome and some of the best and most varied game music I have experienced in a while.”
    • “Andrew Hulshult is a decent musician but not a really strong songwriter in my opinion.”
    • “Some stronger themes would really have helped the soundtrack come a long way as I couldn't really get into it.”
    • “The soundtrack is filled with appropriate rock and metal tunes that I actually didn’t notice as much as I thought I would because the sound effects tend to overpower the music most of the time.”
  • stability
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of Bombshell is widely criticized, with players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Issues such as enemies spawning incorrectly, unresponsive achievements, and problematic animations are common, leading many to describe the game as unpolished and frustrating. While some players find enjoyment despite these flaws, the overall consensus is that the game's stability issues detract from the experience, making it hard to recommend at full price.

    • “The game runs smoothly with minimal bugs.”
    • “I haven't encountered any major issues; the stability is impressive.”
    • “The performance is solid, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
    • “Bombshell would be a decent game if it wasn't an infestation of bugs. I was running into issues every 10 minutes while playing, including not gaining XP, getting stuck on terrain and being forced to reset, enemies spawning into walls and outside of map bounds, and buggy achievements that unlock by themselves when they feel like it. It also suffers from repetitive gameplay which becomes kind of stale when hitting episode 2, but it didn't stop me from finishing it.”
    • “Game is a buggy mess, bland environments, and barely passable gameplay that's not worth the asking price on Steam.”
    • “Buggy and abandoned mess of a game, stay away at all costs!”
  • humor
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it lacking in depth and consistency, often comparing it unfavorably to titles like "Duke Nukem Forever." While there are moments of wit and clever one-liners, much of the humor feels forced or out of place, failing to balance the game's serious tone. Overall, the comedic elements may appeal to fans of retro-style humor, but many reviewers feel it doesn't land effectively enough to define the game's character.

    • “The protagonist is a sexy female half-cyborg with a quite harsh but funny attitude.”
    • “It's fast, gory, and brimming with tongue-in-cheek humor, and dear god the music... the soundtrack alone is worth the asking price!”
    • “Cheesy but awesome humor, one-liners, puns, and I think most importantly sarcastic remarks about fetch quests and pushing buttons which, while that is a lot of the gameplay, actually helps keep it entertaining.”
    • “Not funny enough, not crazy enough... remember how there was Duke Nukem Forever?”
    • “The dialogues are not funny, the controls are clunky at best, the animations are bad, etc. The character being a direct copy of Elexis Sinclaire from Sin doesn't really help either.”
  • optimization
    25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing smooth performance even on older systems, while others report significant issues such as frame rate drops, glitches, and poor overall optimization. Many users noted that despite having various graphical options, performance problems persisted, particularly during intense gameplay moments. Overall, while some players found the game playable, others deemed it nearly unplayable due to its optimization shortcomings.

    • “I may be wrong, but for me this game was perfectly optimized and I have a pretty old PC (CPU and HDD are really outdated).”
    • “The game runs smoothly on my less than beefed out system, and after a short adjustment period to the controls and RPG elements, I began grooving with the mechanics and laying down some serious 'whoop-ass' on the baddies.”
    • “The game has the usual suspects for Unreal option tweaking, that is to say a lot of them, and as far as performance goes, it runs well.”
    • “Extremely poor optimization and performance for a game that looks like it was launched 15 years ago, not 2016.”
    • “The game is so poorly optimized it's almost shameful.”
    • “Now, I found the game is not optimized for PC play despite the many graphical options.”
  • grinding
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be particularly tedious, with repetitive gameplay and frustrating backtracking that detracts from the overall experience. While a recent patch has improved some issues, many still feel that the grindiness makes the game less engaging and enjoyable.

    • “Beat 'em ups are usually grindy by nature, but this is particularly grindy.”
    • “It's an odd design decision that prevents the game from being a lively action romp and instead makes it tedious and distant.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, it boils down to keep moving and shooting with tedious backtracking and buggy exploration.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, with music that complements the experience, though it may not be memorable enough for repeated listening. Players appreciate how the atmosphere, along with storytelling and writing, effectively sets the mood, drawing comparisons to classic titles like Unreal Tournament.

    • “The music may not be something you would listen to for days after finishing the game, but the tracks are nice and fit the atmosphere perfectly.”
    • “Some games heavily rely on atmosphere, storytelling, and good writing to create the right mood.”
    • “The atmosphere kind of reminds me of Unreal Tournament, where the environment plays a crucial role.”
    • “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players.”
    • “I expected a rich, engaging environment, but instead, it feels lifeless and dull.”
    • “The game fails to create a compelling atmosphere, making it hard to stay engaged.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers good replayability due to its diverse character abilities, weapon upgrades, and hidden secrets, making it enjoyable to revisit. However, some players feel it lacks replay value without a map editor, indicating a need for additional content to enhance replayability.

    • “The character abilities, weapon upgrades, and secrets mean that this game has great replay value.”
    • “In short, it's a fun game with replay value and a great lead character, but it has some rough edges.”
    • “There is no replay value; the game really needs a map editor!”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play again.”
    • “The lack of variety in gameplay makes it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express mixed feelings about the game's emotional impact, with some questioning whether it leans more towards irreverence or offers a genuine, heartfelt exploration of science fiction themes. This uncertainty has led to apprehension among potential players, influenced by the game's varied reviews.

    • “I was kind of worried going into this game with many of the bad reviews almost keeping me from touching it at all.”
    • “Is Bombshell irreverent or a heartfelt stab at science fiction?”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    While the game features a visually appealing sci-fi aesthetic and engaging quests, reviewers feel that the character development lacks depth and exposition, which diminishes the overall immersion in its world. More robust character arcs and backstory could enhance the player's connection to the narrative.

    • “Getting into the game, you clearly see why someone would immediately think of a sci-fi Diablo from the graphical presentation and the top-down perspective - in combination with the quests and character development aspects.”
    • “For a game that seems to be going for a particular style and attitude, I would have liked to see a little more exposition and character development to sell the world it takes place in.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks the depth needed to make players truly connect with the characters.”
    • “I found the character progression to be uninspired, making it hard to stay invested in their journeys.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization of the game is widely criticized, with players feeling that the $30 price tag is unjustified and perceiving it as a blatant cash grab.

    • “This game feels like a total cash grab. $30 for this piece of garbage?”
    • “The monetization is outrageous; it feels like they prioritize profits over player experience.”
    • “I can't believe how much they charge for basic features that should be included in the game.”

Buy Bombshell

7h Median play time
6h Average play time
4-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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