If we’re being honest with ourselves, we’ve all overindulged in food at some point in our lives (heck, 2020 has done a number on this writer’s belly alone). But could you imagine being able to consume literally anything and everything? You could argue that Pac-Man got there first, but Bite the Bullet is a run-and-gun action game that grants you the ability to munch on your fallen foes for energy and abilities. Set in the distant future where most of humanity has sauntered off to other planets, you’re left to fight off ghouls as one of two hungry heroes: Chewie or Chewella (and no, they’re not friends with scruffy looking nerf herders).
Taking inspiration from Metal Slug, and more recently Mercenary Kings, Bite the Bullet is a display of pure over-the-top action that looks like it was ripped right out the ‘80s. Visually, it’s a colourful, visceral blend of retro, pixel art sprites and modernised lighting effects, with neon signs and blood red moons really bringing the world to life. The action can admittedly become quite cluttered on occasions, with the game’s HUD exacerbating this issue with obnoxious notifications down the right-hand side of the screen. Performance takes a hit as a result, and the game struggles with its frame rate during more heated battles.
Primarily, the gameplay sees you mowing down enemies left, right, and centre, utilising various weapons and sub-weapons along the way. There are plenty of items to experiment with, each of which bringing various stat boosts and advantages to your chosen character. Gobbling up food, however, is undoubtedly the game’s most unique feature; staying full is vital to keeping your health bar at max, and depending on what you eat - whether it’s vegetables, robots, or fallen corpses - you’ll be granted with different abilities, along with DNA to spend on permanent upgrades.
Eating whatever you happen to come across - while a fun and unique premise - is ultimately a bit time consuming (heh, ‘consuming’…), and breaks up the flow of the overall combat a bit too much for our liking. Cutting down the animation, or speeding it up probably would’ve gone a long way in solving this, but we actually found ourselves avoiding it where possible and purely focusing on the gunplay itself. Sad to say, though, that even this has room for improvement; the movement controls never quite feel responsive enough, and you never really feel like you’re aiming your weapon in the correct direction.
Despite its flaws, Bite the Bullet is a fun experience that we’d recommend if you’re a fan of franchises like Metal Slug. The game looks gorgeous, and while we do take issue with the controls and gameplay, there’s just enough here to keep you entertained throughout the campaign. Just don’t blame us if you start feeling a bit hungry…
Comments 12
I bit a bullet one time.
I don’t recommend it.
I bit this bullet; upon playing it, it's more like biting a nerf pellet. I don't recommend.
Pixel art and modern lighting and particle effects don't look good in my opinion.
I came real close to buying this. In a rare moment of lucidity, I actually listened to myself to hold off for reviews. This review echoes what I’ve been reading about this game. Shame really.
All that hype for nothing, for shame.
Such a pity it’s not as polished as it looks. Still- I’m sure it’s fun in spontaneous bursts. I might get this when it’s on sale.
Gameplay first. Shiny standout graphics second. They went so nuts on making it stand out that everyone took notice when it was just middle of the road.
Nitpicky, but the subtitle for this article should say "hunger pangs".
I gotta concur with the summary review. I ended up uninstalling it for now. Hopefully some patches can rectify some issues.
I can’t wait to see the NL review of Short Hike.... good game, but sooooo short.
Poor performance is inexcusable when we're talking low-demand pixel graphics like these, I don't care how "underpowered" the Switch is. Games like this should hold a rock solid 60 fps no matter what, no excuses.
@Dm9982 Yeah, I've been playing a short hike daily, trying to only play a little bit. It is so good! I'm really curious to read what Nintendolife ends up saying. I personally like short games. I like long ones too, but a short game can be perfect, like Sayonara Broken Hearts, Jet Lancer, Bad North, Snipperclips, VVVVVV, GRIS, KeroBlaster, Yoku's Island Express, Minit, Gato Roboto, Donut County, Dig Dog, Refunct, Downwell, and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (a compact experience if not short). I'd probably give A Short Hike a 10/10. It has made me laugh, smile, and I'm always excited to load it up and play it. I think its the first game since Breath of the Wild that has that kind of climbing and I love it, plus the flying and gliding is way better (if restricted to a smaller world, which probably also allows the much higher framerate which is part of why the gliding and diving is so fun).
@60frames-please Yeah it was def fun! I told my friend it was like a small mix of animal crossing and Mario 64. I just wanted more was my only issue. Lol
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