Real History Informs Really Spooky ‘Blues and Bullets’
Welcome to Indie Spotlight!
Today we go back in time and take on the mysteries of Mafia America — in Blues and Bullets!
Created by A Crowd of Monsters, Blues and Bullets is an episodic noir adventure that puts you in the shoes of retired detective Eliot Ness as he begrudgingly deals with the ever increasing corruption of Santa Esperanza. After his legendary days as the head of the Untouchables, Ness only wants to run his diner and live a simple life. Of course, that wouldn’t make for a very thrilling crime narrative, would it?
You begin Episode 1 with an artistic flight through shady lands and into a hidden underground prison. I couldn’t tell if I was getting into a detective story, an adaptation of Sin City or some unknown Tim Burton horror flick. Eventually you find yourself in control of a little girl, trapped behind bars. A few other children are seen in the same condition, one of them crying and rattling his door begging to be freed.
Without spoiling any starting events, this opening scene serves as a teaching tool for the game format. You’re able to walk around freely at certain times and interact with your surroundings (marked with a large red eye symbol). On occasion, the scene will lead you to make a decision, much like Bioware and Bethesda games. Some may just give the scene its own flavor. Other choices are remembered for later…
Like all episodic games (like Life is Strange or Tales from the Borderlands which I reviewed here), it’s more about the experience and the atmosphere. Simply put, Blues and Bullets is oozing in both. Coloring the world in grayscale and red adds to the feel, and both special effects and musical score are dead on.
The coolest part is, despite being an interactive movie you still have some great action elements. Early on, the story throws you into a flashback where a drunken Ness assaults Al Capone’s home (yes, this game is based on historical fact! The Capone part anyway, maybe not the drunken Rambo’ing), and you get to control the gunfight! Fret not, you don’t need to be an expert or fan of shooter games to handle it. Movement and cover is handled for you — you simply aim a little red circle at the highlighted enemies and take them down one by one.
All in all, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first booted up Blues and Bullets, and I found myself entranced with the narrative and cinematic portrayal of the early-mid 20th century. If you’re looking for a gritty detective story with a grand sense of ambiance, you need look no further.
Blues and Bullets is available now on Steam and XBox One.
