Beautiful, vulgar, gore-filled crazy good fun. Absolutely worth a bargain-price purchase.
Because that's what almost all FPSes have been about: killing, in great and vast quantities. And if that killing is not fun, if it grows boring or stale, then that game is a bust. Which is why I would suggest that Farcry (the first one and before the AI was patched into garbage mode), Jedi Knight, Half-life 2, and a few other gems are the best FPSes ever made. The killing is wonderful. In Jedi Knight, did it ever get old doing a jedi leap off the top of a drone, landing, slicing the arm off a bounty-hunter, destroying the drone with a light-saber toss, then jedi-leaping into the air, jedi-pulling an entire group of soldiers, and laughing maniacally as they fell to their death? No, sirs and ladies, it did not.
Killing in bulletstorm is almost as enjoyable. You get extra points for using your leash, your kicking ability, all sorts of environmental dangers, and some nine weapons (each with a charge up shot) in new and creative ways. To a minor degree, this was actually annoying because I often felt like I was micro-managing my gunplay instead of simply engaging in all out chaos. But... ultimately it was just fun, exploring all the ways to kill the barbarians, mutants, giant plants, ECHO special-ops, and all other beasties.
The elements surrounding this gunplay are equally impressive. The setting is beautiful. The whole thing takes place in an abandoned resort town that is absurdly well created. I mean seriously, it's gorgeous. Overgrown with killer plants, decrepit with vines bursting through the walls, covered in water after a dam is destroyed. I would say, with no hyperpbole, it is among the most beautiful games I've ever played.
If you've read Kevin van Ord's review (that is, gamespot's review) you will have heard of the obscene language. Honestly? What a bizarre complaint. Here we are, decapitating people, shooting them in the balls, dismembering their limbs, kicking them into cacti, disintegrating them, and LANGUAGE is a complaint? Well, I may be simply be a crude individual (can't you tell, by my language?) who has worked construction before and with soldiers, but it didn't bother me in the slightest. I never felt the game was trying to appeal to my baser instincts - I just know that's how many soldiers talk.
In summary, if you like FPSes AT ALL, you owe it to yourself to give this game a shot - it's a mere $20 on Steam right now, but I feel like it's always going on sale on there or on Amazon. Also, don't play it on easy. Cause you know, challenge is actually fun.