PixlBit

“And here I thought this was a hunting game…”

This is one of the most nerve-wracking games I have ever played… but not for the reasons you might think! As indicated on my About Me page, I have an allergy of bee stings, and as a result have a phobia of bees. To no surprise, the game is chock-full of stinging insects such as wasps and hornets, known collectively as The Herd. Naturally, it makes me a tad uneasy, but there’s also a certain satisfaction to shooting down a swarm of bees!

Upon reaching the title screen, I instantly spotted the Training option, and naturally started there. The goal of the first area was simply to reach the gate to the next area, so I took this safe opportunity to learn the controls. The A button is used to take off from the ground, and for forward moment, and the B button is for braking and hovering. The analogue stick is used for aiming the gun, as well as movement. Strangely, I found that, when pressing the stick all the way to the left or right, Buck would stop turning. Wondering if it were somehow an issue with my controller, I inserted a different one, and was met with the same problem. Because of this possible bug, the controls take a little getting used to, as I had to keep it in my head to move the stick just barely less than the full way.

The tutorial felt quite slow, it seemed unnecessary to introduce the simple elements one by one. Growing impatient, I took a nosedive into a nearby puddle to see what might happen. Buck struggled in the water as the health bar drained, I tried pressing various buttons and directions to see if there was any escape. Once the health bar was empty, the screen faded to black and returned to the title screen. The game is simple enough so I figured I could learn as I go, and started the main game.

I played through the first nine stages, most of which take place in a garden, with some involving a sewer. What bees are doing in a sewer is beyond me. Most stages involve either killing all the enemies or destroying the specified target(s), though there was one level which involved picking up and carrying a bomb to the enemy base, which would explode if Buck crashed into something. There were a few different weapons I came across, which include a pulse rifle, laser cannon, and grenade launcher, which have varying strengths and fire rates.

Buck controls more like a commercial airliner than a flying insect, which leaves something to be desired in the maneuverability department. It doesn’t give the feel of zipping around as a bee, which at times makes the gameplay seem a little sluggish. This doesn’t stop the enemies from buzzing around in haste, and it can sometimes be difficult to keep them in the sights since the direction you aim is the direction you fly. Getting hit by an enemy causes the camera to jerk, which is a little disorienting and can become quite an annoyance after multiple hits.

It’s a bit of a plain garden, as there are very few plants; it’s mostly dirt hills and small ponds surrounded by brick walls, though there’s some detail in the texture work. The only real issue with the visuals is the fogging, which makes many areas feel smaller than they actually are. Fortunately, it is rarely – if ever – a hindrance on the gameplay. The sound is a bit odd. The effect for shots connecting with enemies sounds more like a bullet hitting metal, and the bugs sound like a plane crashing when they go down. I guess it is supposed to be comical. The music consists of drum and bass, and is quite repetitive, with the same couple of bass lines and drum loops playing over and over.

There is a two-player option available, which features two modes. In Buck Battle, the two bees duke it out in one of five arenas to score the most points. The other mode, Buzz Ball, is basically football. There’s a giant ball in the middle of the field, and it must be pushed into the opponent's goal. The modes feel tacked-on for the simple purpose of adding the two-player symbol onto the box; it’s a bit of a shame there is no co-op mode on offer, as that would have been worthwhile.

Buck Bumble is basically a quirky air combat game. Anyone into shooters or air combat games may want to check out Buck Bumble. It has its fair share of issues, but it can still be enjoyable and has a certain charm to it.