Developed by Tachyon Inc.
Published by 5pb.
Released for Xbox 360 (4/2011)
Also on PC
Backwards Compatible on Xbox One
Bullet Soul was brought to us by Tachyon Inc., the same crew that ported Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi Extra over to the Japanese 360 crowd, which was a Cave game from the arcades, so they definitely had some experience programming shmup titles prior to this game. Bullet Soul happened when these guys decided it was time to make their own original shmup. Bullet Soul features a mechanic that will make you feel quite overpowered: when you destroy an enemy ship you also vanquish their bullets. So, in theory, as long as you destroy the enemies quick then you'll never even have a chance of dying. Clearing the first loop in the game is quite easy but the second loop will still challenge your average gamer while not quite being as ridiculously hard as many other shmups.
The vanilla game features 3 ships to choose from, each with a nice varied style of play. One of them has powerful forward focus shots, the other has a nice spread shot and the third character has homing attacks. Just like in Cave's shmup titles, while firing the regular shot your character moves fast and while using the focus shot your speed slows considerably. You also have bombs for emergency situations. The game does a nice job of keeping the enemies flooding in so there's rarely a dull moment. Throughout each stage there are hidden bonuses that can be shot and if you find them all in a stage without dying you'll receive the platinum medal (highest rank you can obtain). You can still obtain a medal if you die, but you'll be demoted a rank. If you rack up enough platinum and gold medals (I know for sure that at least 3 platinum and 2 gold) you will gain entry to the game's second loop and at the end you'll face the true boss. Bullet Soul is nothing ground-breaking, but presentation-wise it's definitely on par with Cave's titles. Overall, it's a fun game and the difficulty level is very low compared to your average shmup, so if you're usually intimidated by the high-challenge of these types of games, Bullet Soul will feel a bit more inviting.
Bullet Soul was originally a Japan-only release (region-free disc though!) and did see some DLC on the marketplace. Caravan mode is a timed mode where you try to rack up the highest score possible (think Star Soldier). It's definitely a very cool mode to play but unfortunately it seems to be just this one scenario. I suspect when the developer was still supporting the game they use to switch up the scenario for this mode and if that's the case it's a shame you can't select from the previous offerings if you missed them initially (if anybody can confirm this please let me know).
There was a second DLC release in the form of Bullet Soul B, which adds a new character to play as. If the other characters weren't already overpowered enough for you, this chick is incredible and can clear the screen out with ease! This is a fun mode and the new character is a beast, almost like using a cheat code! Within a year or so after the game was released on disc, it received a digital release in the Games on Demand section of the marketplace (at least in North America). If you purchase this version the DLC is included, which is a definitely a welcome surprise!
It's also worth noting that this title was exclusive to the 360 all the way up until April 2017 when it was finally released for PC. The game does also include the option to rotate the screen if you'd like to play in portrait mode which is always welcome in vertical shmups. If you're a collector looking to obtain the disc copy, which included a soundtrack, be prepared to pay high as this one's in decent demand. Luckily for those who just wish to play the game, the digital option is quite affordable.
Final Verdict: Bullet Soul is a highly polished shmup that is a bit on the easy side, but is still a blast to play through, making it an excellent jump-off point for those interested in the genre.
Purchase Links:
Buy Bullet Soul (Digital) - Xbox Marketplace
Buy Bullet Soul (Disc) - eBay
Related Links:
5pb. - Official Site (Japanese)
5pb. - Official Site (English)
Bullet Soul - Metacritic
Bullet Soul - GameFAQs
Bullet Soul - Xbox Achievements
Bullet Soul - True Achievements
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