Heavy Bullets
- September 18, 2014
- Devolver Digital
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"Heavy Bullets" is a first-person shooter with a unique twist: you only have six bullets for your revolver, which must be manually reloaded one by one. To reach the mainframe and restore order, players must carefully move through neon corridors, strategically using their limited ammunition and discovered items, such as homing bombs and high heels. Death is permanent, but money earned can be used in future attempts, adding a roguelike element to the game.
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Reviews
- Unique bullet retrieval mechanic adds tension and strategy to gameplay.
- Colorful, retro-inspired graphics create an engaging atmosphere.
- Challenging gameplay that rewards skill and careful planning.
- Frequent stuttering and performance issues can disrupt gameplay.
- Limited enemy variety and repetitive level design may lead to boredom.
- Lack of clear item descriptions and mechanics can be frustrating for new players.
- gameplay282 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Heavy Bullets" is characterized by its fast-paced, challenging mechanics that require quick reflexes and strategic thinking, particularly due to its unique bullet-reloading system where players must retrieve fired bullets. While the core mechanics are engaging and addictive, many players find the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth over time, with some expressing frustration over the game's visual blandness and occasional technical issues. Overall, it offers a solid roguelike experience with a distinctive twist, but may not sustain long-term interest for all players.
“The gameplay is both challenging and addictive, requiring quick reflexes and strategic thinking as you navigate the procedurally generated levels.”
“I love the mechanic of reloading bullets after firing—it's a clever touch that adds an extra layer of tension and strategy to every encounter.”
“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 actual gameplay and mechanics are really basic and not fun at all.”
“The gameplay is simple, but frustrating.”
- graphics218 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a simplistic yet vibrant aesthetic, often drawing comparisons to retro and vaporwave styles. While some players appreciate the unique art direction and its ability to create an engaging atmosphere, others criticize the visuals for being too basic or chaotic, which can hinder gameplay clarity. Overall, the graphics are seen as a defining feature that may appeal to fans of minimalist design, but they may not satisfy those seeking high-fidelity visuals.
“The retro-inspired graphics and catchy soundtrack create an engaging atmosphere that draws you in right from the start.”
“The graphics don't need to be great with the way the art style works, but are still amazing.”
“The graphics are crisp and vibrant.”
“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 visuals are an assault of neon textures without any lighting or distinction between what's a wall, prop, or opening to another room.”
“The graphics and sound, while part of the game's specific art style, are abysmal.”
- music108 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its catchy and engaging qualities, with many reviewers noting its retro-inspired style and ability to enhance the atmosphere. However, there are significant criticisms regarding its sporadic presence, as it often only plays during combat, leading to long stretches of silence that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the unique sound design and the way it complements the gameplay, others feel that the music could be more consistently integrated and impactful throughout the game.
“The retro-inspired graphics and catchy soundtrack create an engaging atmosphere that draws you in right from the start.”
“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 tune 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.”
“The music doesn't play constantly throughout the game.”
- optimization61 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Heavy Bullets" is widely criticized, with many players reporting severe stuttering issues that significantly hinder gameplay, especially during intense moments. While some users experience smooth performance, the inconsistency in frame rates and micro-stuttering affects a large portion of the player base, making the game frustrating and at times unplayable. Despite its engaging mechanics, the game's performance problems overshadow its potential enjoyment, leading to calls for better optimization from the developers.
“This game runs smoothly on my less-than-spectacular computer, and has genuinely enjoyable gameplay to boot.”
“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 on a GT 640 / AMD FX-6100, which is a rather budget setup.”
“The game is a reflex-based shooter that undergoes constant stuttering the more enemies are on-screen.”
“The more you like the game, the more you will notice the stuttering; it does not go away, it does not get better, there is no way to fix it, you just notice it more and more as time goes on.”
“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.”
- story44 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, primarily serving as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a central focus, with players quickly thrust into action without much narrative depth. While some reviews note that the sparse story elements encourage player creativity in building their own context, many agree that the lack of a compelling plot detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game is more about gameplay mechanics and challenge than storytelling, with only a few lines of introductory text to set the stage.
“This tiny, and only, story excerpt sets up everything you need to know about what is occurring, particularly well.”
“The spare story elements and art style encourage, nay, demand a level of creative investment on the part of the player, ensnaring you into building a character, plot and context for your motivation to survive.”
“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.”
- replayability36 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its engaging mechanics and procedural generation that enhances replay value, while others criticize its lack of permanent upgrades and repetitive combat, leading to diminished replay potential after initial playthroughs. Some users report enjoying the game for several hours, citing its fun concept and charm, while others feel it lacks depth and variety, resulting in a cap on replayability. Overall, the game offers a decent level of replayability, particularly for fans of rogue-like elements, but may not sustain long-term interest for all players.
“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 randomly generated aspect of the game can be annoying at times, but it also gives the game insane replayability.”
“This game has a ton of replayability; 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.”
- atmosphere24 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a standout feature, characterized by retro-inspired graphics and a pulsating soundtrack that creates an engaging and tense experience. While some reviews highlight a lack of depth beyond the atmosphere, many praise its surreal and chaotic aesthetic, which effectively enhances the gameplay's intensity. Overall, the atmosphere is described as colorful, immersive, and capable of drawing players into its unique world, despite some criticisms regarding its execution.
“The retro-inspired graphics and catchy soundtrack create an engaging atmosphere that draws you in right from the start.”
“It's got great gameplay, amazing visuals, a surreal atmosphere and it's a great price.”
“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.”
- stability14 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with players reporting significant freezing and stuttering issues, particularly during intense moments like boss fights. Many users experience crashes and frame drops, which can lead to frustrating gameplay interruptions and unfair deaths. While some players report smooth performance on lower-end hardware, the overall consensus indicates that the game remains buggy and unstable, detracting from the overall experience.
“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.”
“The final boss fight becomes impossible because of them, since at that point of the game the stuttering evolves to at least a second-long freeze every 3-4 seconds.”
“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).”
- grinding11 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a significant point of contention, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive. The mechanics, such as the money-bank system and the need to collect bullets, contribute to a grindy experience that can detract from overall enjoyment, despite some acknowledging the game's interesting premise. While some players appreciate the opportunity for loot grinding, others feel it encourages a slow and careful playstyle that can become monotonous.
“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.”
“Most of the damage I've taken is from snakes, who are near impossible to see sometimes, which pretty much means you have to play the game very slowly and carefully so you don't take damage, which in my opinion makes the game very tedious to play through.”
“The money-bank mechanic just made the game grindy.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending hilarious moments with a touch of darkness, making the experience both entertaining and emotionally engaging. Players appreciate the comedic elements that enhance gameplay, particularly in the context of roguelike mechanics, where dying can evoke laughter as well as sadness. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm that keeps players coming back for more.
“The mechanics, the music, the humor, the secret items (cursed gem is the best... exploding bullets! Changes the tactics entirely)... I'm a sucker for roguelikes and this is one of my favorites.”
“Dying ranges from hilarious to heartbreaking.”
“Funny, a little scary, epic game! I like it when my mind is burned out on CS:GO!”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative 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, while others appreciate the developer's intent to gather player feedback for improvement before the final release, avoiding the typical high price for an unfinished product.
“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.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a wide spectrum of experiences, oscillating between moments of humor and profound heartbreak, effectively engaging players on multiple emotional levels.
“Dying ranges from hilarious to heartbreaking.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is well-received, with users praising the character design, which scores an impressive 8/10. This suggests that the characters are visually appealing and thoughtfully crafted, contributing positively to the overall gaming experience.
