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Possibly the most-destructive shooter yet yields hidden depths

The clue is in the title. Far from some earnest, grittily authentic military simulation, Bodycount is a straight-up gun-fest; a caffeine-charged bullet ballet packing the latest in destructible environment technology. “It’s a very focused, very pure shooting experience,” says outspoken Creative Director, Stuart Black, of Codemasters’ new Guildford studio. “It’s all about what happens when you pull that trigger. A highly stylised orgy of shooting…”

Your enemy is The Target, another super-rich organisation with global interests. “These guys are really vicious,” explains art director Max Cant. “They’re psychotically focused on their world vision, which is diametrically opposed to The Network’s. Their hardware is aggressive, angular and predatory. They’re going to be coming after you and they’re going to enjoy it. They savour the kill.”

Of course, when two global corporations clash it can only mean one thing: destruction. Bodycount features an advanced damage engine that lets you shatter almost everything. We got to play an early, grin-inducing, test build. Fire at a wall and chunks of plaster and brick erupt off it. Keep firing and you’ll wear through to the support beams. With thinner internal walls, you can blast a large hole and then run through it, adding a layer of tactical depth. We love Bad Company 2’s devastation, but it’s sign-posted – in Bodycount, if the world is a canvas, the gun is your paintbrush.

Hands-on, it’s fraught and solid. Even the agile Heckler and Koch G36C assault rifle has a real solidity and ballast to it, with thunking sound effects – feeling more like Killzone 2 or Gears Of War, than Modern Warfare’s lighter arsenal. Indeed, the proximity and visceral combat – tied to the use of health packs and energy meters, instead of COD’s gradual recovery mechanism – lends an almost Quake feel. Sniper rifles play a part when the environment opens up, but this still isn’t a camper’s paradise.

Keith Stuart
Keith Stuart
Freelance journalist

Keith Stuart is an experienced journalist and editor. While Keith's byline can often be found here at GamesRadar+, where he writes about video games and the business that surrounds them, you'll most often find his words on how gaming intersects with technology and digital culture over at The Guardian. He's also the author of best-selling and critically acclaimed books, such as 'A Boy Made of Blocks', 'Days of Wonder', and 'The Frequency of Us'.