Splatoon launches this week, and it's a colorful take on a familiar genre. In the game, players paint the floor to gain points and attack other players in a shooter setting. It's a strange premise, but it's not the first in the genre to shy away from typical ammunition. Here are five games that decided bullets weren't necessary.
The Unfinished Swan
To be fair, placing The Unfinished Swan in the shooter genre may not be accurate. It does, however, take place from the first-person perspective, and has players firing off projectiles into the environment. Like Splatoon, it uses ink (among other liquids) to help with environmental exploration and puzzle solving. You can find our review here.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare
In the surprising Plants vs. Zombies spinoff, you do often fire what are basically bullets, but called by another name (peas, seeds, etc.). But there are plenty of other bizarre weapons, especially on the plant side, that shoot sun rays or other strange non-bullet weapons. You can read our review here.
Real Heroes: Firefighter
What could be written-off as one of the Wii's many forgettable budget titles, Real Heroes: Firefighter actually garnered some positive reviews. In the game, players play as firefighters and take control of fire hoses to combat flaming buildings from the first-person perspective.
Dark Sector
Dark Sector featured plenty of guns, but the game was built around the use of the Glaive. It is a boomerang-like weapon that could be controlled remotely to solve puzzles, attack enemies, or adopt the properties of its surroundings. For example, throwing the Glaive through a flame would make it catch on fire, and then it could be directed towards a flammable collection of red barrels.
Breakdown
Another title that does feature guns, but doesn't really want you to use them, Breakdown demanded you use your fists and later your feet. It's a game I have a soft-spot for (it was my Super Replay Showdown pick this year) as it features a strange, multi-dimensional storyline with clear Half-Inspirations, and you can eat a hamburger from the first-person perspective.