BPM: Bullets Per Minute
PC
Getting a ‘Flawless Clear’ rating matters little during early runs of Awe Interactive’s rhythmshooter Roguelike. And yet at the same time it means everything. This is the pop-up you get when you’ve destroyed all enemies in a room, and timed every action perfectly. Movement is free, but your shots, your reloads, your jukes and jumps must all match the rhythm of a driving rock soundtrack. Over time, doing this on a regular basis is the only way to improve your best tally, with your score multiplier increasing the longer you sustain a streak of immaculately-timed shots. But in the early stages, when reaching the second dungeon is an achievement in itself, this is your reward for surviving with style – and boy, does it feel good.
Otherwise, BPM: Bullets Per Minute can be a chastening experience. As a valkyrie making your way through procedurally-generated dungeons in Asgard, you come up against a variety of seemingly modest opponents (hungry worms, leaping spiders, spitting bats) that can wipe out your health bar within seconds. Elsewhere, you find yourself inside a caged arena with a giant bat that shoots sonar waves, and a brute that slams the floor to create stop-motion shockwaves, the circles jerking outward to match the score’s tempo.
Pitched as ‘ Doom meets Crypt Of The Necrodancer,’ it certainly mimics the chief demand of both: if you’re not constantly moving, you’re in big trouble.
With the right weapon, however, it’s more likely to be their funeral. Mastering the firing rhythms of the various guns is one of the great joys of BPM, whether it be a powerful six-shooter into which you manually slot every round before you can fire again, or a pistol that you can reload on the half-beat. Save up enough coins and you might even be able to afford a rocket launcher; pair that with gear that lets you shoot through walls with auto-targeting and you’re laughing. Otherwise you can fill offering plates to boost your accuracy, range, damage or luck, or else bank coins for future runs. Chests holding more lucrative kit can be opened with keys, or you might prefer to unlock a library in which you can learn special techniques – letting you conjure explosive barrels with your left hand to blast with your right.
Your enjoyment of each run is ultimately a little too dependent on dice rolls. You may as well wave the white flag if you reach the first boss with your starter weapon still in hand, while some enemy spawns can be cruel, particularly in the crowded challenge rooms. Still, this is a fine calling card for the Derbyshire developer: far from flawless, but clear proof that this new hybrid genre has a bright future ahead.