I really have to confess, though, in comparison to Stranglehold, this game’s shootouts really do look pale. Based on the footage and gameplay demonstrations, Bullet Witch’s enemies tend to stand around waiting to be murdered. They shoot and sometimes move about, but the game has such a dated arcade feel to the overall shooting mechanism. Perhaps that was some of the tweaking being done by Cavia? Hopefully. And while the physics are a half a step up from current-gen physics mechanics, they certainly do look weak when compared to the likes of Resistance: Fall of man, Crackdown, Parabellum and Cell Factor. These games, I might add, are primarily going to be the top competition for Bullet Witch in the early part of 2007 (not withholding the likes of Epic’s beast Gears of War). Again, maybe the physics is another part of Bullet Witch’s overhaul before coming to American shores. But it has a long way to go before matching the dynamic, and over-the-top antics of John Woo’s Hard Boiled sequel.
However, that’s not to say that Bullet Witch doesn’t have good things going for it. In one sequence, Alicia comes face-to-ugly-face with a giant brain demon. The over-sized brain was using vehicles around the darkened streets to protect it from incoming gunfire. It wasn’t particularly inspiring, but it did retain an aspect of intrigue. It was also pretty neat how fast all the vehicles were lifted into the air and began spinning around the brain demon. This all takes place while Alicia and her military cohorts hailed incessant gunfire at the mutated brain. It didn’t take long for them to down the brain demon, leaving it in a heap of blood and brain mucus.
One of the things, though, that seems to compensate for Bullet Witch’s seemingly lacking gameplay, is the story and stage atmosphere. There’s apparently a grave dynamic between Alicia and the massacre of the people who died to the demon soldiers. The story will also unfold around Alicia’s mysterious witch abilities, which play a significant role in the final outcome of the game’s story. That’s not to mention that the game is generally covered in some of the darkest, atmospheric visuals seen in a “next-gen” title. The city streets of the pseudo-New York looked dearthy and very moody. Shadows are handled exceptionally well in the game, or so, from what was on display. The lighting techniques also seem to shine through as one of the game’s strong points. Although, how well it all comes to together for American gamers is still left in a big question mark. And could it be a real mainstream sleeper-hit for the Xbox 360? At its current rate, it’s a tough call given the fixes and updates required to bring the game up to par.
Still interested? Be sure to stay tuned in with VG Core, as we’ll keep you updated on all the latest happenings for all the upcoming games for the Xbox 360. Bullet Witch will be available in the early first quarter of 2007 and we will see what Cavia has in store for us. Stay tuned.
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