Ballistic Craft is a difficult game to explain, but developer Palladium Soft describes it as “a bullet hell of your own making.” The storyline is very simple: you are a poor lottery winner who has been invited to compete in a tournament. The core gameplay involves one-on-one battles against progressively harder opponents. The only method of attack is by shooting what are called magic shots, but that doesn’t mean all shots are created equal. You can unlock new shots by defeating opponents, or create your own shots to fully customize your three-shot loadout.
This game has a very simple premise, but the battles give you a lot of control over your character’s movement. Along with the basic movement, you get three jumps before touching the ground as well as a dash, which allows for lots of mix-ups when shots are coming from different directions. Each opponent has a different set loadout, so you’ll have to adapt to them as you progress. The last main feature is the magic shield that appears around you and regenerates over time. If your shield gets hit too many times, you fall to the ground, vulnerable to all attacks for a short while. Of course these all apply to your opponent as well, so make sure to attack while they’re off guard.
It’s sad to say the storyline of Ballistic Craft is pretty uninspired, but the character dialogue around the castle was entertaining. I would recommend talking to every person you can just to see what they have to say. They might even give you a chance to earn some more points in the competition. The aesthetic of the game reminds me of JRPGs, so the characters feel familiar. I did enjoy the feeling of power that the floating stages during tournament sets gave me. Apart from the few innovations in those battlegrounds, though, the castle looked exactly like what you’d expect.
A lot of Ballistic Craft functions perfectly fine. It definitely feels like a majority of the effort put into this game was spent on the battle system and shot customization. The story and aesthetic are just there as a way of bridging the gap between enjoyable boss battles. While the dialogue was sometimes quirky, the battles themselves are definitely the star of the show. I loved picking my favorite shots, as well as customizing my loadout for different stages. It made me feel like my battle experience was really unique. All this being said, the game is very short – I completed it in about 3 hours. Given the relatively low price point ($11.99), I think that’s a reasonable length, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re looking for a game to get invested in.
For all this, I’d give it a 7/10. Ballistic Craft holds its own and is good for a short afternoon of creative target shooting if you’re in the mood, but don’t expect a masterpiece.
Check Out the Ballistic Craft Video:
Ballistic Craft is available for PC via Steam.
Steam Review
I am an aspiring game designer looking to explore the philosophy behind game creation. Some of my favorite games include Overwatch, Super Smash Bros, Portal, and Beat Saber.
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