Heavy Bullets

“Less is more” is the motto of a fair few roguelike mechanisms, usually built on similar challenging designs. First-person shooter Heavy Bullets does the same, though it goes further by adding the idea to its neon visuals as well. Roaming through random dungeons with aggressive enemies around all corners and limited supplies makes for a tense experience, with enough trinkets to keep things varied. It’s a tight little package, this one.

Minimalism in the game’s aesthetics presents itself in the most basic shapes and oversaturated, self-colored tones possible. Neon blue and pink walls jar the senses, while blocky enemies rush forward. A bleep in the distance or similar digital pulse is enough to become a rattling awareness that danger is ahead. Heavy Bullets doesn’t need much to build a feeling of dread, which is nothing short of impressive. It also, incidentally, ties itself to a slight cyberpunk theme, which is a nice bonus.

Discomfort thematically placed, the shooter has only to bring home the bacon with some tense action. In order to do so, the roguelike makes ammo scarce. In fact, a new clip is all but non-existent in the flashy corridors of the descending dungeons. Instead, shots come to a halt at the end of their fired trajectory, hence the title of “heavy” bullets. Each encounter, adventurers are forced to instantly make a choice how much ammo to spend, while keeping a keen eye on where the ammunition is headed. Once out of juice, there’s no going back. Moreover, since bullets are lost individually, reloading the six-shooter needs to be done manually, for each round. Click, click, click; each single little slug takes another little moment of extra awareness to reset, increasing the tension once more.

Enemies all instantly bum-rush any living soul they meet, therefore panic reactions are not uncommon in Heavy Bullets. If three clawing spiders and a living bomb are all headed in a straight line towards the current position, it’s easy to start firing blindly in hopes of taking out the pack. Doing so, however, leaves the clip empty and chances of survival fleeting. It’s best to keep a steady head and move forward slowly, yet here the game mechanisms trick the mind again. Movement advances as if the gunman wore skates. Feet slide across floors with tremendous speeds, just teasing the nameless hero to push on. Then again, in more open rooms with tons of enemies, this may help dodge a turret shot or two, though there are still snakes in the grass waiting for impatient feet to nibble. It’s all about risk and reward.

There is some assistance provided in periodic loot that can be found by eager explorers and those who save up their coins from fallen foes. Some dungeon corners end with a pedestal that has a health potion, a powerful bomb or even a scope that’s otherwise unavailable to shooters. These nooks are cleverly hidden by the monotone walls, whose shapes and colors wash away the perspective of containing an extra pocket. Alternatively, shop stations with helpful gear can be found along the side of the corridors. These can contain a few different types of items, while another machine contains an overarching banking system.

Upon death, the known permadeath model that loses all progress kicks in. Banks, however, allow for money to be stored, which then becomes available when meeting another booth in subsequent playthroughs. It’s also possible to purchase insurances to carry over materials. Nice equipment can be put in storage and retrieved later as well. This save system is perfect for when the chips are down, health is low and completion is no longer a realistic option. Instead of going out in a blaze of glory, a cautious method of storing what’s left and retrying becomes a viable alternative.

Strategy is definitely mixed into Heavy Bullets, as funds aren’t exactly abundant and it’s only possible to carry one or two items at best. There’s a constant decision to be made, whether to hold on to a radar that detects enemies or to grab a rocket that can take out a giant monster that may or may not be ahead. Should money be invested now in a backpack that allows for more items or should it be saved up for more hit points? Just a few potshots and the run can end, so whatever the route is, it’s necessary to make the most of choices made. Waste not, want not.

Heavy Bullets is a perfect marriage of tough roguelike tropes in a minimalist first-person shooter. A gripping challenge with unease built into all aspects of its designs, there are plenty of incentives to dive into the random locations and die over and over. Reflex gameplay, risk and reward moments, strategic choices, loot options; it may not look like the five or six colors of its universe have a lot to offer, but Heavy Bullets actually has it all.

Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed (@Daavpuke)