Early Access Authorized: Heavy Bullets – So take a number, undertaker

It’s safe to say that releasing your game onto the Steam Early Access program isn’t enough of a hook anymore. Numerous quality games have earned our hearts as we anxiously await their full release. Therefore, a hook is still needed to bring in inquisitive minds.

Enter Heavy Bullets, a stylized, randomized FPS dungeon crawler. That’s not the hook, though; you’re only given six bullets.

Total.

For reals.

You’ll need to make sure that you’re constantly picking up fired bullets, otherwise your weapon chamber will be empty and you’ll be S.O.L.

On its own, this could be enough of a mechanic to garner interest, but the way Heavy Bullets combines its identities, specifically its colorful retro-ized visual style, draws you into its challenging dungeons. The constant randomization of levels coupled with challenging enemies means that you’ll have to constantly keep on your toes, a feeling that should exist when ammo is incredibly scarce.

That being said, the game borders on too challenging. Unlike other rogue-likes where the screen fills with threats, you’re often navigating the world of Heavy Bullets alone with the occasional enemy run-in. Because of this, the game at times tip-toes the lines of frustration, but it’s nothing a little bit of balance tuning can’t fix.

Despite its frustrations, the uniqueness offered in Heavy Bullets keeps me coming back for more. Trust me, though, I’d really like to be able to progress further into the game, but I often feel hampered by an overly-difficult setting.

Then again, I could just be bad at the game.

We’ll see if my skills improve when Heavy Bullets fully releases in the near future.