Bulletstorm is the stupidest game ever made, and also one of the cleverest shooters ever
Bulletstorm is the stupidest game ever made—and PC Gamer’s retrospective suggests that’s precisely why it deserves your attention. This 2019 feature celebrates the shooter’s unapologetic commitment to irreverence across every design element: its dimwitted protagonist, comically incompetent allies and enemies, deliberately absurd weaponry, and nonsensical skillshot mechanics. The game’s narrative script seemingly takes pride in packing each line with as much ridiculousness as possible. Even the premise embraces this philosophy—the setting is a holiday resort built using prison labor on an alien planet so hostile that it literally rains gamma radiation.
The article positions Bulletstorm as a counterpoint to the relative seriousness of games like Gears of War, arguing that despite—or perhaps because of—its commitment to stupidity, the game represents clever shooter design. The piece encourages players to engage with the title, noting that it frequently appears on Steam at steep discounts, making it an accessible entry point for those curious about the game’s unique approach to the genre. Rather than viewing the game’s absurdity as a flaw, the retrospective frames Bulletstorm’s irreverent design philosophy as evidence of creative boldness in commercial game development.