Disclaimer

I was sent a free copy of Bullet: Surge to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.

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What is Bullet: Surge?

If you are familiar with the board game of the same name, now you can enjoy an automated experience with a neat animation, a fantastic soundtrack, and beautiful art. This fast paced puzzle game allows players to wield the unique powers as they build combos, explore the different heroines, and climb that leaderboard. Play solo as you try to get the high score in endless, or try to beat powerful bosses in boss mode. There is also an online PvP mode where you can battle it out against other fans of the game. What mode will you master?

Gameplay

The game offers a really good tutorial for people unfamiliar with the board game. Those familiar with the board game will appreciate the automation, and enjoy the faster pace. This is a game that you need to see and play for yourself to understand, but I will do my best. Players shoot different colored bullets randomly on a grid to generate action points. They use those action points to rearrange the bullets on a grid to perform abilities. Each heroine has a unique set of abilities that come in a form of a template, shapes that fit onto the grid. These templates will have specific requirements that need to be filled in order to activate. Once a player arranges the bullets to fit the requirements of template, it sets off the ability and sometimes removes bullets from the grid. If the gird fills, the player looses life until they hit zero and the game is over. It is a very simple looking game that will take some time to master, but it is such a rush when you figure things out.

Review

This game is an addition I did not plan on having. It took me a couple of tries to grasp the mechanics (I’ve never played the board game), but I am so glad I did. Right off the bat, the artwork is amazing. I love the vibrant colors and the character design. The soundtrack is amazing, and kept me hyped even when I was losing. As far as gameplay goes, everything runs smooth on PC. It does feel a little awkward on the Steam Deck, but nothing a couple of updates can’t fix.

Overall, Bullet: Surge is a fantastic puzzle game. The amount of strategy required kept me engaged, and the timer kept the intensity. I enjoyed both of the Solo modes, but I wasn’t good enough to try multiplayer. I enjoyed Endless mode because there was nothing to attack me and I could chill, even though I had to mind a timer. I enjoyed Boss mode because of the unique combat mechanics it implements. If you are enjoy puzzle games, this game is worth it for just the solo modes, but the PvP side is a nice bonus for the more competitive gamer.

There are some rules and mechanics that aren’t as nuanced. The tutorial does a good job at teaching players the mechanics, but game will take some time to get used to. If you try this game and don’t like because you don’t get it, take a break, watch a video tutorial, and try again. Once you start grasping even the fundamentals of this game, it becomes more than worth it.

Make sure you pick up Bullet: Surge on Steam for $15.99, and check out the demo if you need a bit more convincing.