Blues and Bullets - Episode 1: The End of Peace

 PC
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 75 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 75
  3. Negative: 23 out of 75

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  1. osprey
    Aug 28, 2015
    5
    I was really looking forward to this game as I love film noir and the trailers for this looked and sounded so good. I have to say my first impression is not good. The game White Night did everything this game is trying to do so much better. The writing is nothing special. The voice acting is not good and the atmosphere is just not there. I like this better than Life is Strange but notI was really looking forward to this game as I love film noir and the trailers for this looked and sounded so good. I have to say my first impression is not good. The game White Night did everything this game is trying to do so much better. The writing is nothing special. The voice acting is not good and the atmosphere is just not there. I like this better than Life is Strange but not much better. I am on the fence on whether I will play the second episode as so far I am very disappointed. So sad.… Expand
  2. Rem
    Aug 24, 2015
    7
    Blues and Bullets already screams crime noir from the title alone, but does it really have the guts to delve into its inspired roots or is the title simply misleading? Rest assured that this episodic adventure game from a Spanish team really picks up and shows promise in a genre long forgotten by gamers. Right off the bat in the first scene alone, the game has this stark contrast betweenBlues and Bullets already screams crime noir from the title alone, but does it really have the guts to delve into its inspired roots or is the title simply misleading? Rest assured that this episodic adventure game from a Spanish team really picks up and shows promise in a genre long forgotten by gamers. Right off the bat in the first scene alone, the game has this stark contrast between black and white with touches of red dotting in once in a while. It's poignant and nostalgic and serves the setting well but mostly it's to mask the really crude texture work hidden in the darkness and the poor shadow work, though this isn't made with a big budget, so it's understandable. What the game gets right in the first few minutes it's the score. It's noir soul basically but the tracks in this game are very powerful and more fitting with the dark undertones of the game. The protagonist, Elliot Ness (who seemingly sounds too much like Geralt of Rivia) is your typical down on his luck detective with a love for violence and whiskey. It's typical in films and tv but seeing this sort of character in gaming with as plenty of backstory is rare and it's breath of fresh air to walk in his shoes. The writing also follows up on the positive side with it being relative to the genre once more. Sardonic quips and comebacks mixed with self hatred and dark comic saturate this game, and it works fantastic. Each character has their own identity though they have yet to be fully fleshed out since this is the first episode. The dark nature of crime noir gets a notch up in this game with one particular sequence being bathed in blood and gore so caution for those weak in the heart, this is not a game for fun. The mechanics in contrast to this game however reveal the weakest aspect of the game. I understand that there are limitations given the small company, but even moving the character felt sluggish, shooting (while not an important aspect) was incredibly stilted and uneventful, and the animations range from passable to awkwardly stilted. The choices made in this game have yet to bear fruit, but I doubt I will be making a second run till the next episode fans out since you pretty much play the same scenes through and through. The games I can compare this most to are Life is Strange and The Walking Dead since they too were episodic and focused on your choices. Blues and Bullets is instantly captivating and compelling from the start and rears you into an adult tale of missing children and violence that has me excited for the next episode.… Expand
  3. Mazomou
    May 13, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's a very interesting game when we start to talking about the story. It flows in a very nice way. But in the other hand, the gameplay it isn't so good. After sometime of game play, the game makes you fight with some ghosts that it just Elliot's imagination. It was totally unnecessary.
    The game is made by a small studio, so the gameplay is something that can be apologize.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Jan 4, 2016
    70
    This episodic action adventure has a solid foundation, although there should be something more in the coming episodes to back it up. The premise is promising, just some fine tuning and the product hits right on the mark. [Dec 2015]
  2. DarkZero
    Oct 30, 2015
    60
    With one episode behind me, I feel like the series may be too rough in far too many areas to heartily recommend to all, but regardless there is something compelling about it.
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  3. SpazioGames
    Oct 23, 2015
    70
    We want to give the benefit of doubt to this first episode of Blues and Bullets. It brings back a noir atmosphere that has been missing for quite a while in videogames, but it's also an adventure with well defined rails where the player can only slightly change direction. Now we just want to see where the story goes, and if the developers really deserve our trust.
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