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Posted: 16 May 2010 11:53 PM PDT

Bulletstorm, which is being developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly looks destined to be one of next year’s biggest shooters. It’s not out until late 2011 but we’ve already seen it in action at an exclusive preview. We’ve got high hopes for it. Read on to find out why.

During a top secret preview event in the heart of London we saw the likes of Dead Space 2, Crysis 2 and Medal of Honor in titillating gameplay action, but it was refreshing to see an unfamiliar title ready to make a name for itself – Bulletstorm.

In development by Epic Games and People Can Fly, Bulletstorm “Puts the fun back in first-person shooters” Adrian Chmielarz, Creative Director at People Can Fly told us.

Bulletstorm is the story of a futuristic confederation of sorts that is protected by elite mercenaries by the name of Dead Echo. When Dead Echo members Grayson Hunt and Ishi Sato realise they’ve been working for the wrong side, they’re betrayed by their commander and exiled to some far flung galaxy – surrounded by mutants and flesh eating gangs in an abandoned utopia. They have two sole objectives: get out alive, and exact sweet revenge on the man who sent them there.

Before showing showing Bulletstorm off, Chmielarz told us how it will inject an almost unhealthy dose of fun back into first-person shooters. Taking control of Grayson Hunt (he’s a bit like Marcus Fenix from Gears of War, with a sense of humour) players are encouraged to shoot with style. Kills are rewarded via a Skillshot system rewarding the most outrageous kills for points to upgrade their character and unlock weapons.

It all lends to some seriously over the top action. Speaking about it, Chmielarz told us how players will be able to kick your enemies up in the air, and play around with them like a cat with a mouse. There is method to the madness. Bulletstorm will feature a storyline full of twists and turns. Unfortunately Chmielarz wasn’t giving anything away.

We got to see just one of the levels from the abandoned paradise we were told of. It’s a deserted, colourful metropolis scattered with large scale modern structures, an abundance of exotic foliage and fountains. The graphics are on par with anything we’ve seen before. Think Uncharted with a psychedelic colour scheme and you’ll get the idea.

Onto the action. We were shown just some of the ways players will be making enemy mincemeat. Rather than just shoot up bad guys, players can boot them up in the air before toying with them with a variety of other weapons and objects to rack up skill points.

One move we were shown involved, grappling and sending an enemy flying with a boot, before popping its kneecaps and plying its privates with bullets before ending it with a headshot for a “Mercy” bonus. It doesn’t stop there. You can throw objects at them, or impale them on the dozens of sharp cacti lining the surroundings. Shooting nearby pods sprays poisonous powder to confuse enemies so that they attack each other. Chmielarz said that maximising the environment is key to notching high style points. One weapon we were shown shoots a chain that wraps around the enemy. Once they’re tied up it’s up to you what to do with them. The more imaginative the fate you dish out, the more points you earn.

Like in Epic Games’ Gears of War, Bulletstorm will have massive boss battles. We got to see a face-off with a gigantic Venus Flytrap style monster. It was the usual shoot-at-its-weak-point type boss, but with the player having to dash to avoid its array of attacks it looked like great fun. The boss battle also hinted at some of Bulletstorm’s humour. Nathan Grayson’s female sidekick told him to “shoot the tentacles,” for Grayson to reply “You did say tentacles, right?”

Will Bulletstorm live up to its promise and put the fun back in first person shooters? Sales of such games and their accompanying DLC suggest there’s plenty of fun in the genre already, but from what we saw Bulletstorm looks like it could stand with the best of them next year.

For some, Bulletstorm’s style-focussed play might be a gimmick, but if it plays as well as it looks then there’s plenty to look forward to.

Bulletstorm will release in 2011 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.