Game Review: "BPM: Bullets Per Minute" puts a unique spin on rhythm and shooter games.

With rogue-like and rogue-lite games gaining popularity, some indie game developers are putting unique twists on the genre.

In AWE Interactive’s “BPM: Bullets Per Minute,” the player takes control of an assortment of Valkyries to take back the Norse realms that have been overrun by various types of demons. Each Valkyrie begins their run with a different weapon, with the starting character Goll having a basic pistol.

Players are able to travel through the different realms of Norse mythology, beginning in Asgard. Each level consists of two stages, designated by a numeral I or II. They must then progress through Vanaheim, Svartalfheim and Helheim, eventually facing the dragon Nidhogg in Helheim II. Upon defeating Nidhogg, players complete that attempt and are presented with a score screen.

Players are able to further unlock characters through completing different challenges, achieving their first upon beating the first set of levels, Asgard. Players will eventually unlock Odr, who was once the most difficult character in the game, falling after just one hit with no way to gain more. However, in a post-launch update, Sanngriðr, who must explore every room while also having Odr’s limitation, was added.

Each character has two unlockable skills. The first is unlocked upon defeating Nidhogg on any difficulty. The second “ultimate” ability is unlocked after the player defeats Nidhogg on the hard difficulty. Both abilities can be unlocked in the same run.

All skills and weapons are also obtainable outside of their signature character. Throughout a player’s run, they may come across shops, with Muninn’s Armory selling weapons and other upgrades as the shop is upgraded, as well as chests that can contain weapons. As for skills, the player may come across locked library doors, behind which is a guaranteed skill. This can be a basic ability or an ultimate.

The difference that makes “BPM: Bullets Per Minute” unique is the rhythm aspect. The player must shoot, reload, and dodge to the beat. The rock-operatic soundtrack, featuring tracks such as “Fight of the Valkyrie” and “Into Asgard,” keeps players on their toes, having to follow the rhythm of the changing songs in order to engage in the first person shooter action.

In terms of accessibility, BPM offers several avenues. The difficulty modes modify the difficulty directly through enemy type and amount. There are also settings that allow players to adjust how strict the rhythm requirement is to count as on-beat, or to disable it completely. There are also options for adjusting color saturation levels for each stage, as some may be overwhelming or make it difficult to quickly distinguish where enemies are. “BPM: Bullets Per Minute” is available now on Steam with a Playstation 4 and Xbox One release planned for Oct. 5.