Heavy Bullets

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 957 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • music
Heavy Bullets Game Cover
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In Heavy Bullets, you navigate neon corridors with a six-shot revolver, manually reloading one bullet at a time. Pick up your bullets after each shot, and use items and environmental tricks to survive. With a variety of items to discover and banked money that carries over between attempts, plan your strategy carefully to reach the mainframe.

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  • PC
  • Windows
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Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 957 reviews
gameplay69 positive mentions
optimization35 negative mentions
  • Unique bullet mechanic where players must pick up and reload their bullets adds a layer of strategy.
  • Challenging gameplay that rewards skill and careful planning, making each run feel engaging.
  • Vibrant neon art style and sound design create an immersive atmosphere.
  • Frequent micro-stuttering issues can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating deaths.
  • Limited enemy variety and repetitive level design can make the game feel monotonous over time.
  • The game lacks a substantial story or depth, which may not appeal to all players.
  • gameplay213 mentions

    The gameplay of "Heavy Bullets" is characterized by its unique bullet-retrieval mechanic, which adds a layer of strategy to the otherwise straightforward first-person shooter experience. While many players appreciate the fast-paced and challenging nature of the gameplay, some find it repetitive and lacking in depth after initial hours of play. Overall, the game offers a blend of engaging mechanics and minimalist design, though it suffers from issues like bland environments and occasional technical glitches that can detract from the experience.

    • “The gameplay is fast-paced and exciting.”
    • “The combat feels tight and responsive, the enemies feel varied enough to present unique challenges while not being so complex that you need to think about something other than shooting them, and the items add a pleasant spice to gameplay to change up your runs a little each time.”
    • “From brilliant music and visuals to engaging moment-to-moment gameplay, it's truly a unique experience for any fan of roguelikes, first-person shooters, or just fun times in general.”
    • “I think I got my money's worth (sale + already cheap indie game) but I think my opinion on Heavy Bullets has remained the same: interesting idea, tedious in gameplay past the first two hours.”
    • “The environments are incredibly bland (even taking into account the polygon count), the enemies are fine, the gameplay is just intensely repetitive.”
    • “The actual gameplay and mechanics are really basic and not fun at all.”
  • graphics156 mentions

    The game's graphics are characterized by a simplistic yet vibrant aesthetic, often drawing comparisons to retro styles reminiscent of the 80s and 90s. While some players appreciate the unique and engaging visuals, others find them too minimalistic or chaotic, leading to mixed feelings about their overall impact on gameplay. Despite the graphical limitations, many agree that the art style contributes positively to the game's atmosphere and experience.

    • “The graphics and details are simplistic but vibrant, and there's not a lot of detail to levels and enemies overall, but that's not a bad thing.”
    • “The game proves that you don't need high-end graphics to make a game scary; you don't even need to make horror the main aspect of the game.”
    • “The graphics are simple but clear and easy to look at, and it looks smooth enough at 60fps, the aforementioned stutters notwithstanding.”
    • “It's a nightmare trying to play this game when you're sensitive to these kinds of visuals.”
    • “The graphics are primitive and chaotic and not in a particularly charming way; the setting and atmosphere are inane, and the gameplay mechanics are just utterly barebones.”
    • “The level aesthetics are so blocky and repetitive, which I guess stems from the plot, but it got old before I beat the game.”
  • music90 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique and engaging qualities, while others criticize its inconsistent presence during gameplay. Some players appreciate the atmospheric and ambient soundtrack, which enhances the tension during combat, but note that it often fades into silence, leaving moments without musical accompaniment. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered a highlight by some, its sporadic play and volume issues detract from the overall experience for others.

    • “The game doesn't need sound or music, but the sounds and music tracks are all amazing.”
    • “The music is interesting and discordant.”
    • “The vibrant colors and music add a nice layer to the intense gameplay.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game only has two audio options that you can adjust in the menu: 'global volume' and 'music volume', making it so that at any of the global volumes, from 1-10, the music is drowned out by the sound effects.”
    • “The music is minimalist, both in quantity and style.”
    • “There's usually no soundtrack in the background unless you beat a level or walk up to a vending machine, which even then is only glitchy ambience instead of actual full audio tracks.”
  • optimization45 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting persistent micro-stuttering and frame rate drops, even on high-end systems. While some users have experienced smooth performance, the inconsistency and frequency of stuttering issues have led to frustration, particularly in fast-paced gameplay where quick reactions are crucial. Overall, the optimization problems detract from the enjoyment and playability of the game, with calls for improvements from the developers.

    • “A cute, simple, fun game that runs smoothly and provides a decent challenge.”
    • “Finally, as far as performance, it runs great; maxed, including FXAA, I get about 100 FPS on a GT 640 / AMD FX-6100, which is a rather budget setup.”
    • “There's very little I don't like about the game; just one thing is there's an extra anti-aliasing option that seems to draw excessively on performance and for some reason reduced the overall look by a considerable amount.”
    • “Edit: this is yet another potentially classic indie game ruined by bugs and poor optimization.”
    • “In a game where quick reactions and responsiveness is key, such micro stuttering ruins the whole experience; this is unforgivable for a game that is pretty mediocre in graphics and should be able to run on a high-end rig.”
    • “The game is playable, but if your goal is to master the game then don't bother because even if you are the best in the world, the random stuttering issue will kill you at the most important moments of gameplay.”
  • story35 mentions

    The game's story is minimal and largely serves as a backdrop for the gameplay, with players primarily focused on action rather than narrative depth. While some reviewers appreciate the simple premise and flavor text, many criticize the lack of a compelling storyline or character development, noting that the game excels more in its rogue-like mechanics than in storytelling. Overall, the narrative is considered acceptable but not a significant draw for players seeking a rich story experience.

    • “This tiny, and only, story excerpt sets up everything you need to know about what is occurring, particularly well.”
    • “Hyeavy Bullets is a game where you play as John Night Runner, a man on a mission tasked with ridding an alien species from a maze-like labyrinth space station.”
    • “Every decision matters in Heavy Bullets, which is strange for a game with a 2-sentence story and maybe as much dialogue.”
    • “I will say, if you need a game to have a story, then this won't be for you as there's no story other than an explanation of what's happening and your role in the situation.”
    • “Don’t expect a deep plot or story in this title; it constantly contradicts itself (on purpose) and anything regarding the ‘plot’ is told via flavor text and some small things within the game.”
    • “There is little to no story in Heavy Bullets whatsoever; though given its gameplay, there's not much to go off of.”
  • replayability31 mentions

    The reviews reflect a mixed perspective on replayability, with some players praising the game's procedural generation and rogue-like elements that enhance replay value, while others criticize its lack of permanent upgrades and repetitive gameplay, leading to diminished replayability after initial runs. Overall, many find the game engaging and fun for multiple playthroughs, though some feel it may not hold long-term interest.

    • “Overall, I like the game, and having it be a rogue-like game with each floor having a different layout with enemies scattered around gives it nice replay value.”
    • “The rooms are procedurally generated, which adds to the replay value of the shooty shoot game.”
    • “This game has a ton of replayability; that being said, the experience from one playthrough will likely be very similar to another once you have learned most of the hidden items, but even then it'll be fun because it tests your application of experience.”
    • “Seems to have no replay value, no permanent upgrades, so it will be somewhat fun for 2-5 hours, until you beat the game or get tired of trying.”
    • “Although the game draws interesting ideas from other roguelites, it certainly lacks in replayability and variety of content.”
    • “Despite the pseudo-random levels, I don't think it has too much replayability after you beat the game, mostly as a result of the very repetitive combat.”
  • atmosphere19 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is described as intense and engaging, with a surreal and trippy aesthetic that enhances the gameplay experience. While some reviews note a lack of depth in story and music, others praise the sound design and the tension created by the visuals and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game successfully delivers a unique and immersive atmosphere that resonates well with fans of the genre.

    • “It's got great gameplay, amazing visuals, a surreal atmosphere and it's a great price.”
    • “Awesome atmosphere, easy to pick up, hard to put down.”
    • “The action and combat are more than solid, intense and the atmosphere is engaging; with enemies that can pop out of bushes killing you in a heartbeat, the panic of realizing you haven't loaded all those bullets you picked up, all powered by a pulsing electronic soundtrack that creeps up on you as you come closer to dangerous areas.”
    • “This game doesn't have much to offer beyond its atmosphere.”
    • “The graphics are primitive and chaotic and not in a particularly charming way, the setting and atmosphere are inane, and the gameplay mechanics are just utterly barebones.”
    • “But the atmosphere I get when it's not playing feels a lot more tense.”
  • stability10 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with users reporting frequent freezes and crashes, particularly during critical moments in gameplay. Many players experience frame drops and stuttering, which can lead to frustrating situations, especially in combat. Despite some positive performance metrics on lower-end hardware, the persistent bugs and glitches detract from the overall experience, making it difficult to recommend the game at this time.

    • “Finally, as far as performance, it runs great; maxed out, including FXAA, I get about 100 FPS on a GT 640 / AMD FX-6100, which is a rather budget setup.”
    • “Tried to play it recently and it's now a buggy mess, crashing every ten minutes or so.”
    • “Currently it has some glitchiness: there are many, many frame dropping freezes, especially when 'seeing' an enemy after a lull in the action. I have actually lost my best run due to the game freezing my character and magically making my bullets go through enemies, all at 4 fps.”
    • “Unfortunately, dying because the game freezes for a fraction of a second whenever an enemy comes onscreen is not fun.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is seen as tedious and repetitive, particularly after the initial hours of play. While some players appreciate the game's design choices, they feel that the mechanics encourage farming and backpedaling strategies rather than engaging gameplay, leading to a sense of monotony. The banking system further promotes grinding, which can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “I think I got my money's worth (sale + already cheap indie game), but I think my opinion on Heavy Bullets has remained the same: interesting idea, tedious in gameplay past the first two hours.”
    • “This is a conscious design decision that makes sense for the game, but it also invites tedious strategies like backpedaling and waiting for a cluster of dimwitted imps to charge you in a straight line one after another.”
    • “It's not challenging, it's tedious.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some users feeling it leans towards a cash grab aimed at retro enthusiasts. However, others appreciate the developer's intent to gather player feedback for improvement before the final release, contrasting it with the trend of charging high prices for unfinished products.

    • “Lots of wasted potential for this one, and it feels more like a cash grab for those sweet retro dollars.”
    • “It seems like the developer genuinely wants quick feedback from players to help polish the final copy before release, rather than doing a quick cash grab to make everyone pay $40 to $80 for a glorified wireframe alpha build like everybody else does these days.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as amusing and slightly eerie, providing a lighthearted contrast to more intense gaming experiences like CS:GO. Players appreciate its comedic elements, which help to refresh their minds during gameplay.

    • “Funny, a little scary, epic game! I like it when my mind is burned out on CS:GO!”
  • character development1 mentions

    The character design received a solid 8/10 rating, indicating that players appreciate the visual and thematic aspects of the characters, suggesting a well-thought-out approach to their development. However, further details on narrative depth and growth may be needed for a more comprehensive evaluation.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

6hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
7hMain story
18hCompletionist
4-7hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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