10 Bullets

I fully recognize that I should probably be focusing my efforts on browser games that are relatively robust, ie. they're more than just a single gimmick. Every now and then I feel obliged to write an overly-long review for something tiny, however, and 10 Bullets is the perfect choice for just such a review. So there.

Concept

10 Bullets is a shooter. You play the role of a robotic, ground-based defense system, aimed to the sky and set to kill. Ships are zipping by overhead, and you need to shoot 'em down.

And you only have ten bullets. Obviously.

That's pretty much all there is to 10 Bullets. Wait until a ship comes in your range, then hit the SPACE key to fire a bullet. If you hit the ship it will blow up, sending debris in two directions. Manage to hit another ship with that debris and the next will explode into three pieces... then four... then five, six, seven... you get the idea. You want to chain as many exploding ships together as possible.

As far as concepts go, this one's pretty damn basic. Fun for a couple minutes, sure, but it gets mindless in no time. Best suited as a mini game attachment for a larger title? Maybe so.

Controls

Does your computer have a SPACE bar? Yes? You're good.

Graphics

Nothing special. The ships, and particularly your gun, are rather ill-defined. (Seriously, I can't figure out what the gun is supposed to look like.) Some variety in the ships would be cool.

Sound

A single techno song, playing over and over. This game is damn short, but I muted my computer in a hurry - I'm not a fan of this kind of music. Most players probably won't react so violently, however.

Challenge Rating

10 Bullets is a teensy bit trickier than it sounds. True, the game's out of your hands as soon as the bullet leaves the barrel of your gun, but you can control the initial explosions to an extent with proper timing. Make sure there are lots of ships flying along a single line, and more incoming on the adjacent lines, before you fire. This should maximize the damage done and raise your combo bonuses as high as possible.

In the end, though, yeah, you can't control what'll happen. Some explosion combos carry on for long minutes; some peter out after two or three hits. This game is luck at play.

Conclusion?

Once you hit over a hundred destroyed ships, you'll probably close 10 Bullets and play something else. I probably should have done that rather than write this review, but, there you are. For what it is, 10 Bullets is glitchless and well-executed - it's just as bare-bones a game as you're likely to find.

PLAY 10 BULLETS