Bullet Witch is set on a bleak planet earth in the year 2013 with human kind on the brink of extinction and hideous demons creating a tidal wave of destruction and havoc. All hope of mankind’s survival rests with Alicia, a beautiful witch blessed with magical skills and a swift trigger finger. Players take control of Alicia in her heroic quest to prevent the decimation of mankind through her fearsome weaponry and spectacular powers with which she can manipulate natural phenomena in her environment.

“Bullet Witch flaunts exactly what next-generation gaming is all about with more destructible environments and stunning visual effects, coupled with a captivating storyline," said Jeremiah Cohn, Product Manager, Atari, Inc. “Cavia has made a slew of enhancements in both the European and US versions to deliver an extremely exciting game.”

Bullet Witch includes numerous features inspired by American horror and Japanese fantasy monsters. Combining shooting and magic, Bullet Witch will take advantage of Xbox 360’s advanced physics engine by showcasing massive environmental damage, explosions and destruction. Cavia has balanced and fine tuned gameplay features and made enhancements including improved camera rotation during battle, increased shotgun power, increased Will Power, enemies made more sensitive to attacks, improved enemy AI, and more.

“Bullet Witch shows a unique world-view with the combination of reality and fantasy through its guns and magical powers,” said Tohru Takahashi, Producer, Cavia Inc. “Also, by using the physics engine, we were able to have glitzy effects in the game as well. We hope players will enjoy Alicia’s magical power to blow up cars and enemies and experience all the elements that are impossible in the real world, and we hope the overseas game fans are looking forward to this unique title.”

Following launch, players will be able to download additional Bullet Witch content via Xbox Live® Marketplace, comprising five packs delivered every two weeks, each containing a new costume for Alicia and revised levels to play through, further adding to the gameplay experience.

• Destroy enemies using a wide array of unique weapons and magic including four upgradeable gun types and 27 mind blowing spells
• Massive levels to explore filled with a wide variety of game experiences including battling monsters, healing and protecting civilians and coordinating team assaults with friendly military troops
• Fully destructible environments with particle physics and varying item weights so explosions cause trees, cars, buildings, enemies and debris to fly realistically in every direction, causing even more massive environmental destruction
• Intense fast-paced action that challenges the player to use both weapons and magic together to survive
• RPG aspects such as upgradeable weapons and unlockable spells allow and magic together to survive
• Large intricate levels to explore with deeply developed characters

GCM: Thank you for your time! Please get us started by introducing yourself and telling us about the team bringing Bullet Witch to the Xbox 360.

MR: My name is Matt Rush and I'm the producer for Bullet Witch in the U.S. for Atari.

GCM: What was the inspiration for the unique and multi-genre premise of Bullet Witch and how has the game evolved from the beginning of the project to now, near its release?

MR: Cavia wanted to design a game that no one had ever created, mixing gothic and horror with a bit of Western mythology. It's definitely evolved from being a grand idea to being a stellar game that's extraordinarily fun to play.

GCM: Sexy females (Lara Croft, Blood Rayne, etc.) seem to be a popular choice for game leads these days. Tell us a little about Alicia, her background and motivation for trying to save the Earth and how you plan to set her apart from a growing stereotype.

MR: Well, I don't want to give too much away because part of Alicia's appeal is her mystery. Why is humanity's fate resting on her shoulders? Why is she haunted by a voice? These are things you have to play to find out. She's definitely an intriguing character, but I wouldn't say she's more or less interesting than Lara Croft or Blood Rayne - she's got her own style. She's more of a reluctant hero, which is why you feel compassion for her. She's also younger than Lara Croft, and a little sassier in my opinion.

GCM: What person(s), real life or fictional, inspired the artists and character designers while creating Alicia?

MR: Alicia is a completely new and original IP. Cavia went through many iterations in order to perfect the look and personality of Alicia.

GCM: From the existing screenshots, Alicia appears to have an extensive wardrobe. About how many costumes will be available during the game? Any unlockables?

MR: There will be several downloadable costumes for Alicia on Marketplace.

GCM: Bullet Witch promises some large, intricate, and fully destructible levels. Just how big are these levels and how many of them will make up the entire game?

MR: There are six levels in the game, and yes, they are huge! Cavia wanted to encourage exploration and destruction and for this you will be rewarded. :)

GCM: How did placing the game on Earth only six years into the future limit or expand your freedom for level and environmental design? Will we recognize any locations and do you have a personal favorite level?

MR: I'd have to say the urban setting is my favorite, its like a parallel New York City. You will recognize some popular buildings, skylines and landmarks if you are familiar with NY. The timeline added to our freedom for environmental design, it's the world six years from now but you'll see that quite a lot happens between now and then. Atari’s HQ is in NYC and after destroying buildings in the game all day it actually feels strange to walk down the street without destroying anything! ;]

GCM: Explain a bit about the unique mix of spells and bullets and what challenges you had in balancing the two primary modes of combat? Any personal favorite weapons or spells?

MR: This is where the player gets to have a lot of fun. Alicia can use her gunrod to destroy a vehicle for example and then hurl it down the street by casting Willpower, or just cast Willpower and watch the vehicle explode on impact! The player can alter their strategy to favor either the gunrod or witchcraft, but either way both techniques will need to be combined creatively for the player to beat the game. As for my favorite is a toss up between Tornado and Meteor Shower. These spells have amazing effects, I love littering the streets with dead Geists and then watching them get sucked up by the Tornado, but devastating entire city blocks with the Meteor Shower is a jaw dropper.

GCM: Alicia will apparently have the ability to coordinate with military troops. What level of tactical control, if any, will this involve from a strategic standpoint, or does Alicia just fight alongside AI-controlled soldiers?

MR: There are Resistance fighters that Alicia will meet up with during the game. They’re led by a cool and charismatic guy by the name of Maxwell Cougar who plays a big part in the story.

GCM: It seems that just about every game these days has some RPG-lite element thrown in. What plans do you have to make the spell and weapon upgrades in Bullet Witch more integral to the gameplay? (i.e. can you actually change the focus from weapons to magic by building up one set of attributes over the other)

MR: Yes, the player will be able to tailor their abilities, various forms of the gunrod, and increase their witchcraft. The RPG interface is streamlined and appears at the end of each stage to make sure the action stays fast paced.

GCM: How inventive or challenging are the Achievement Points going to be in Bullet Witch? Any favorite objective you’d care to talk about?

MR: I do have a favorite achievement which I suspect will end up being the favorite of many! It’s quite…amusing. The only clue I can give is that it’s one of the four “Secret” Achievements.

GCM: If you had to pick one single element of Bullet Witch that is going to set it apart from any other Xbox 360 game this year, what would that be?

MR: Massively destructive witch wearing a schoolgirl outfit killing demons.

GCM: What, if any, are the plans for Xbox Live multiplayer, either versus or cooperative story mode?

MR: We’re going to be listening to the fans. For those who love BW we’re going to be very responsive to what fans want to see more of…

GCM: There is already some talk about post-release Marketplace content for Bullet Witch. What kind of content can gamers expect to further their adventures after the main game is over?

MR: Very cool Concept Missions that are a departure from the “normal” gameplay. “Dynamite Beauty” is one of the first I’ve played and it’s an absolute blast!

GCM: Our PS3 readers won’t forgive us if we don’t at least ask…any plans for a PS3 version of Bullet Witch or is this an Xbox 360 exclusive?

MR: This title, for now, is an Xbox 360 exclusive, but if PS3 fans begin to rally in the streets then it’s a possibility! :]

GCM: Any plans for a playable demo of Bullet Witch on Xbox Live prior to or after release?

MR: No, this is one of those titles that you don’t waste your time on playing a demo, you just buy it! :]

GCM: Thank you again for your time! Do you have any last impressions or thoughts for our readers? Perhaps something we didn’t cover.

MR: Sure, I’d like to say thanks to Game Chronicles and to the fans, and I hope everyone has as much fun playing Bullet Witch as Atari did bringing it to you!

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