They say that gymnastics is a great athletic program to put youth into so that they can develop balance, quick reflexes, and acrobatic agility. Lets just say that Bleed’s wonderful protagonist Wryn must have been the star of her gymnastics class. If Bleed by Bootdisk Revolution has taught me anything, its that if you want to be the greatest hero of all time, being able to acrobatically fly through the air while doubling-fisting automatic pistols is an absolute must-have skill. So ladies and gentlemen, do your stretches and get your trigger finger ready because Bleed is a fast-paced ride that will have you entering bullet-time like Max Payne on crack.
You play as Wryn, a young lady with ambitions to become the greatest videogame hero of all time. Unfortunately for her, six heroes previously awarded the title of The Greatest Heroes of All Time stand in her way. As with most conflicts in videogames, the best solution to this is to grab your weaponry and let the guns do the talking. You find yourself assaulting the fortresses of these previously celebrated heroes in a bid to dethrone them from their perch in the Hall of Heroes.
Each stage is unique and visually distinct, providing the player with different environmental challenges to overcome. Stages also contain baddies exclusive to it, which gives each level a unique personality and forces the player to make conscious decisions with regards to what weaponry to use during a particular encounter. Bosses fit perfectly into the overall motif of each stage, with environments and enemies often acting as foreshadowing as to what the final boss might be. In a lot of ways it reminds me of Megaman in the sense that each environment felt like it was exactly where it’s boss would live. You’d expect to find ‘the Worms’ deep within the Earth’s crust, just as you’d expect to find Pharaohman waiting for you beneath the sands of Egypt in Megaman 4. The stages work very well to give the player a varied experience with differing locations and enemies.
That brings me to the only real complaint I have about Bleed. You know that old saying ‘time flies when you’re having fun’? Well, time will fly while you play Bleed and you will quickly find yourself at the end of the game. With a playthrough taking only a couple hours, many gamers may find themselves at the credits screen within a single sitting. There are unlockables and a few fun challenge modes to keep you going, but generally speaking, they don’t have the same allure as the story mode of the game. With that being said, the game was developed by a lone developer, Ian Campbell. For the work of one man, the game is incredible. I guess I’m just sad that the game ends as quickly as it does.
As you blast your way through the game, you will find yourself at ease with the controls. If you have an xbox 360 gamepad handy, you will be delighted in the game’s responsiveness to your every command. The dual-analog controls are the recommended experience, as they work perfectly to propel Wryn into battle as she unleashes a barrage of bullets in every direction. Mouse and keyboard controls work well too, but I have to say after playing with both control sets, the controller definitely takes the cake. In a game so focused on relentless pace and combat, the controls are absolutely paramount to the experience and I am happy to report that Bleed delivers.
My absolute favorite aspect of Bleed is how it simply glows with charm and personality. From the wonderfully expressive hero Wyrn to the chiptunes that lovingly fill your headphones while you blast your way through the stages, every element of the game feels like it was thoughtfully crafted. The result is a game that puts a smile on your face even at the most unexpected times. For instance, Wryn motivates players to not give up when faced with the ‘game over’ screen, encouraging you to give the level another shot. Bleed is filled with fun, quirky moments like these which adds to the overall charm of the experience.