Doom changed a lot about first-person shooters, especially modern shooters that encourage players to play more aggressively. Because of that, Doom has made other first-person shooters over the top. Bullets Per Minute (BPM) is a good example of the influence, as many players are comparing it to Doom. The main difference is that BPM uses music as a mechanic to shoot and reload, making it essentially the musical version of Doom.
BPM is difficult, but players can minimize this by picking a character to run with for each stage. These characters of valkyries each have different play styles and attributes, enough to change the gameplay. This can make things harder or easier; however, BPM does not give players a good indication of each character's strength. This list will give players an idea of where each character stands.
6 Sanngriðr
One of the main aspects of BPM is following the rhythm, which allows players to do things fundamental to their survival. If players fall out of rhythm, the game becomes unforgiving. Sanngriðr highlights this. She is best for seasoned players, mainly because if she gets hit once, she dies. What's more, players can't get health upgrades or armor for Sanngriðr, making her hard to play with.
Her pistol offers a good amount of protection, but not enough for newer players. So she's best used by players who know the BPM well. She can be a good character to play because she forces players to fight in different ways. This way, players can become more fluid with how they get through each phase.
5 Odr
Odr is a somewhat balanced character, but unlike Sanngriðr, he can get players through the stages more easily. Armed with a double barrel shotgun (which is one of the better weapons in BPM) he can fight pretty well. However, his main issue is that, like Sanngriðr, he has no health or armor, so using him is a high-risk-high-reward playstyle.
Odr does have fly or dash ability, which makes him harder to hit. This also makes players fight more fluidly. They get run into the mess, do a lot of damage, and dash out within seconds. This justifies Odr not having health, because he can be really hard to take down. In turn, this helps players get a lot more comfortable using him.
4 Rún
Rún is an interesting character to pick, because she plays somewhat differently from most other valkyries in BPM. Every run with her is different, since she starts with random attributes each time. Her health and armor may be nothing, so players should prepare themselves when playing as her. That randomness makes players a lot more versatile and allows them to engage with less fear.
However, the reason why she's higher up on this list is the same randomness. While it can provide a great way for players to learn BPM, it can also hinder gameplay, making things a lot harder. When using Rún, players should understand that randomness first and foremost. It will matter when players are facing hordes of enemies, and they're defending themselves with things they don't know how to use.
3 Göll
Göll is the first Valkyrie players get. She has balanced attributes, which do impact gameplay somewhat, enough to make players understand the game better. As mentioned before, the rhythm plays a huge role in this game and Göll is evidence of that. She helps players get into the rhythm faster, and helps them find momentum.
Her abilities are great as well. Her fire bolt can help create breathing room, which is essential in the game's combat. This can make her a well-rounded character overall; however, her balance can lead to players getting too comfortable with one playstyle. BPM needs players to play in diverse ways in order to get past each stage. Göll is great for those starting out, but as players progress in BPM, there are better characters in the game that have more to offer.
2 Skuld
This Valkyrie emphasizes the chaos of BPM by forcing players to play aggressively, which makes them live a lot longer. For Skuld specifically, this matters a lot more than the others. He starts off with a lot of health; however, with every beat, he loses health. In order to get his health back and maintain it, players need to keep shooting and keep fighting. This approach can make players more stressed out, but it opens up the game to be even more entertaining, much like other over-the-top shooters.
This is a great character to use after players get the meta of BPM. Once they're used to the game, players can fight better knowing that each shot is bringing back health. Plus, BPM is also about movement; if players stand still, they'll die. But with Skuld, players can rest assured that he'll make things easy on them. Everything the player does, from entering a new stage to wiping out enemies, restores health.
1 Hildr
Hildr is one of the better Valkyries, if not the best, based on what she can do. Her pistol, which is rather powerful, has enough for four shots, plus it can be reloaded quickly. On top of that, Hildr is quite good when it comes to movement. She showcases what other arena shooters are great at: the speed of the character.
Even though she doesn't have a lot of health or armor, she makes up for it in speed — Hildr is the fastest in the game. When players fight, they can get out of any sticky situation quickly. She also has an ability that can give players breathing room, which is always a plus — her fireball does lasting damage and pushes enemies out of the way. When playing Hildr, players will find some difficulty, but after mastering her attributes, BPM becomes easy.
Bullets Per Minute is available now on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.