BPM: Bullets per minute
It’s murder on the dance floor.
Here, we have a game that forces disparate genres into an unholy tryst, and the sweaty aftermath is as attractive as it is unnerving. Please, let me explain.
The main hook is that the actions of your weapons, both firing and reloading, are tied into the synth-tinged rock soundtrack. You need to act in time to the beat of the music. Try to shoot out of sync, and your gun jams. Attempt to reload outside of the beat, and nothing happens. It makes sense, then, that enemy attacks are also tethered to the music.
It’s a system that takes some getting used to, but once I feel that I’m on top of it, it provides some uniquely satisfying moments. This blissful feeling of synchronicity never lasts more than 15 minutes into a run. Doom is a clear influence, something that becomes increasingly obvious the further I progress. Constant movement is essential, and the claustrophobic rooms will often be crammed full of enemies. The problem is that Doom has a rhythm all of its own. A constant, urgent rhythm that keeps you on edge until danger has passed. Forcing this into the middle of an entirely different rhythm dictated by music is disorienting.
The result is that the player is required to dance to two different internal beats simultaneously, something that I imagine many people will struggle with. I do, certainly in later stages where Doom’s rhythm becomes louder and more important. The game only truly shines when the heart of the rhythm mechanic is torn from the experience.
The dungeons themselves have variations that crop up now and then. I don’t mind being surprised with a low gravity dungeon, but suddenly having enemies that take and deal extra damage thrust upon me feels unfair. That’s something I should choose to challenge myself with, not stumble into partway through a run. For all its flaws, there’s much to love in BPM, even though most of it is detached from the central rhythm mechanic. There’s a lot of rock-infused fun to be had – but you’ll have to dig for it. LUKE KEMP
BPM is a great concept that’s somewhat fumbled, only redeeming itself when it breaks its own rules.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★