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
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