There's less than a week left until Epic Games and People Can Fly's love letter to violence, Bulletstorm hits shelves. Some developers would be happy to let the excitement generated carry through until launch date, but not this bunch. With visions of potential skillshots still fresh in our mind, Epic has rolled out a brand new trailer that explains the bare motivations behind the game for any gamers still not sure whether the game is worth it or not. To sweeten the deal, Microsoft's Games for Windows Live is offering free copies of the original Gears of War to any PC gamers who pick up Bulletstorm in its first weeks.

The sale will offer the free add-on through March 8, and let's be serious, if you're going to pick up Bulletstorm, you're likely going to be picking it up immediately. This announcement comes hot on the heels of EA's own offer, handing out copies of Shank to anyone who preorders the game from their digital storefront. The choice is yours, and either way you're getting a quality shooter.

While the various trailers we've seen for the game focus more on the insane creativity offered players in their efforts to rid a hostile alien world of mutated cannibals, there really is a story to Bulletstorm.

We could get bogged down in the various revenge plots and science fiction flourishes, but that really does seem to be taking a backseat to the actual mindset of the game's developers.

To get an idea of what we're on about, have a look at the latest trailer for the game. Story and game mechanics can appear complicated pretty quickly, so listen to how Epic and People Can Fly have simplified the message for their audiences:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImrSrwJCYyk

There's no question that the game is bringing a breath of fresh air into a genre that has, at times taken itself too seriously. We're overflowing with ultra-realistic military shooters, but when it comes to fun FPS titles developed by major studios, we really only have Bulletstorm and Duke Nukem Forever to look forward to.

It's an interesting twist of fate that Epic's zany shooter would be set to release in the same year that Gearbox's Randy Pitchford finally brought Duke Nukem back from the dead. In an interview with Kotaku, Epic President Mike Capps revealed that the similarities are no coincidence, as the developers were more than aware that they were treading the same path that Duke helped forge:

"They are both over the top shooters...It's funny, before Duke came back to life and Randy (Pitchford) and his guys were able to make it work, we were sort of thinking of Bulletstorm as somewhat of a spiritual successor.

"But it's a very different game, it is much more story-based, there are no pig aliens or whatever. No John St. John. We were really glad when they were no longer shipping right on top of us, because I think there is a similar segment that is going to want to play both of those games. It's a fun, pure, have-a-blast shooter game, which I think we need more of right now. There's a little too much serious in games."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves. There's never a bad time for some fun to be injected into a gorgeous shooter, and for those who are doubting the graphical prowess of Bulletstorm, Capps gave some words of warning. The PC crowd has come to expect stunning visuals from a handful of developers, but apparently the development team have been hard at work maximizing the game's potential:

"I would take that gaming computer, set it aside for a few weeks. I would play Gears of War for awhile, to bide the time, and then I would get Bulletstorm on Feb. 22. I mean come on... it's awesome...It will make (your system) weep if you play it in 3D, full screen, full resolution. It's gorgeous. I'm really proud of it."

So there you have it. Big deals, a clear cut description of the fundamentals behind the action, and a promise that the game's graphics will put your gaming rig into therapy. It seems that Bulletstorm is all set for its release.

Still, it wouldn't be surprising to see more details drop before Bulletstorm is released on February 22, for the Xbox 360, PC, and PS3.

Source: Joystiq, Kotaku