Review: Bite the Bullet (Nintendo Switch)

Bite the Bullet is a rogue-lite, run-and Gun RPG. While the run-and-gun genre’s popularity kind of died out, it has recently made a comeback with indie games. Let’s see how this one stacks up. 

The story takes place in the not too distant future after an economic collapse caused by underpopulation. Pollution leads to shortages of food, and many people are starving, leading scientists to discover implantable bio-nodes which allow humans to eat any substance, organic or inorganic. Unfortunately, the bio-nodes cause mutations known as ghoulification.  Humans fled into space, where they flourished. The Ghouls that were left behind on Earth continued their existence. Darwincorp—a biological corporation that makes a name for itself researching genetic material from across the galaxy—sends Chewie or Chewella to return to earth to conduct further research.

Players take control of either Chewie or Chewella as they navigate their way through multiple levels of run-and-gun gameplay. After a few shots, just before killing an enemy, players can choose to eat the enemy if they would like. Eating the enemy doesn’t really affect how the character controls; however, it will make them a bit chubby if you consume too much. 

At times, levels felt extremely long, a problem exacerbated by optional objectives such as eating a certain amount of fats or protein, or killing a certain number of enemies within a given time. The long levels made me not want to go back and complete the objectives. There were also a ton of minigames to complete within the level. Some of them were really fun to play, and others felt like filler.

The game is loaded with many different types of weapons. Many guns have two forms of attack: primary and secondary. The Primary usually does less damage but has a quicker fire rate. Some weapons only have a primary fire, which is usually a much higher damage rate than a normal gun. Finding the correct weapon to suit your playstyle isn’t too hard to do. Ability customization is definitely a strong part of the strategy of the game. Luckily, the game features a fairly advanced skill tree. 

There are two control schemes: Noob and Pro. This is fine, as most games have some form of control customization. The issue is that the game starts you on Noob. I often loaded my game, but there seemed to be something off when trying to play. I went into the controls and saw they’d been switched to pro, something I didn’t do. This became quickly annoying. 

Bite the Bullet is a decent run-and-gun game; the eating mechanic was a fun addition to the style. While long levels may seem like a good idea, it often felt a bit overwhelming. The level goals were also a decent addition to the genre; however, the length of the levels had me struggling to complete them. Fans of run-and-gun games may want to consider Bite the Bullet. Players who are not run-and-gun enthusiasts might want to steer away from this title.