Bulanci

Bulanci aims to bring the savage world of pillow warfare to your PC. Yes, you read that right: this is a multiplayer action game where players take control of irascible cushions that shoot each other in wide-open arenas. This might be one of the most specific games available, yet the formula works so well that maybe other shooters should start including pillows as a gameplay mechanic in the future.

Based on an early 2000’s version of the game, this updated version of Bulanci promises even more multiplayer shenanigans and a much more visually-pleasing design. Even if its premise might be a bit too farfetched for some, there’s no denying that the original gameplay formula remains as addictive as ever.

Pillow Fight

As the game’s developers put it, Bulanci is essentially pillow fights taken to the next level. Instead of smacking your opponents over the head with soft cushions, these pillows take matters seriously, shooting each other with guns, shotguns, and all sorts of high-caliber weapons.

Imagine if the little critters from Worms Armageddon suddenly became fluffy – that’s more or less the gist of Bulanci. However, unlike the long-running Worms series, encounters in Bulanci take a much more fast-paced approach to combat. You’ll no longer be taking turns to fight your opponents, instead being more of a top-down arena shooter.

It helps that the game boasts a fun aesthetic; while it may be pretty basic when compared to modern games, it fits perfectly within Bulanci’s niche appeal. The player characters look like they could have come straight out of a kindergarten art class, making them feel almost childlike in appearance.

The same could be said of the rest of the game’s aesthetics. Even though they might look a bit rough around the edges, there’s no denying that the developers have made a great job revitalizing the classic Bulanci experience.

New Gen, Same Cushions

As is to be expected, this new version of the game features new and improved visuals that are a clear improvement over the original’s basic look. All the environments and character models are now fully rendered in 3D, with some background elements that even feature some impressive levels of detail.

However, it’s worth noting that the game still has a half-baked look to it that’s hard to ignore. While the graphics do appear decent enough at times, they can also make the whole thing look rather cluttered and unorganized. Thankfully, the audio and music selection help to keep things on the upbeat side, although one gets the feeling that a few more options would have been welcome here.

Despite the obvious shortcomings, the developers have mentioned that they’re still in active development for the game, including some nifty new features with every patch. For instance, the Early Access version of Bulanci doesn’t include the single-player campaign yet – a feature that’s sure to add even more hours of gameplay to the final release.

All in all, Bulanci is a promising game that manages to keep its core gameplay intact despite the much-needed upgrades. There’s certainly a lot of potential here that makes it worth checking out, especially if you enjoy old-school multiplayer shooters.

Pros

• Improved visuals over the original game
• Good facial animations
• A vast selection of weapons makes the multiplayer feel much more dynamic than before

Cons

• Some visual elements might look a bit stale
• No single-player campaign – yet
• The humor is a bit hit-or-miss