SpeedRunners!
*Sources of screenshots are listed in their respective file-names.
SpeedRunners is an Early Access title currently available exclusively on Steam.
As an Early Access title, the game is not fully optimized and various bugs are present. However, this also means that SpeedRunners is continually being updated, refined, and improved. Best of all, YOU get to help influence this process.
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In a world full of superheroes, an innocent citizen cries for help…Suddenly, SpeedRunner races into view to save the day! No wait-Hothead comes to save the day! Cosmonaut Comrade to save the day? Unic?
Well, no matter…here come four superheros to save the day!
Are they actually shooting missiles at each other?
Hothead launches a shockwave right before Cosmonaut Comrade can pull ahead.
SpeedRunner screams towards a wall wielding a supersonic drill.
Cosmonaut Comrade gets revenge by “hooking” Hothead in mid-air, gaining the lead.
“Oh well,” the citizen sighs. “I guess I’ll have to fix the yard…AGAIN.”
Welcome to the cutthroat-heroics of SpeedRunner.
The objective of SpeedRunners is to either be the last superhero standing or to be so fast as to finally outdistance your opponents and run off the edge of the screen. This is made more difficult by both the environment (spikes and momentum-ruining boxes) and the other players (missiles, grappling hooks, Invinci-Drill, etc.).
I appreciate how the female superhero Moonraker is not being objectified (as often happens in the superhero genre):
Play is incredibly competitive, even when no verbal communication is taking place. This competition is accentuated by a feeling of fairness. If you missed a critical jump by this much, you not only know where you went wrong, but how to fix it.
Custom Matches allow you to apply modifiers to the action. These modifications include SpeedRoulette (a random modification), srennuRdeepS (reversed maps), SpeedHookers (all items are hooks) and SpeedRapture (missiles fall from the sky).
A common criticism of the first game was its lack of online multiplayer. This time, online action is the focus. Matches are quickly found, and once in, players tend to stay for several levels.
Unlike the profanity-screaming adolescents found in online games like Call of Duty, the SpeedRunners community is incredibly welcoming. Several times, players more advanced than myself would wait as I struggled to get past a certain section. Later, I was able to return the favor. This creates an atmosphere of sportsmanship rarely seen in online gaming.
For those uncomfortable playing online, there is also a singleplayer mode titled Origins, with additional levels made by the community. Playing against the AI is another option, and the “bots” can be quite intelligent if implemented correctly. Finally, local multiplayer is included and can actually be combined with online so you can play with those at home and around the world at the same time.
Steam Workshop is supported. This means that players can make their own levels, share them with others, and download more.
The leaning tower of speed boosts…
Conclusion:
SpeedRunners is a great racing game in the vein of Mario Kart. With features including Steam Workshop support, singleplayer, seamless online and local multiplayer… SpeedRunners is a polished game even in beta.
Potential Concerns:
The male superhero “Unic” (short for unicorn) is extremely effeminate, with lines like
“Join the pink side, it’s fabulous!” and “I heart unicorns!“
Although we see this multiple times, it does not occur within gameplay but in ocassional pre-match loading screens and in “Superchat” when bots are enabled.
In-game photo of Unic.
A SpeedRunners Valentine’s Day Card released in developer announcement-not in-game.
There are a few double entendres included such as SpeedHookers (for the Custom Matches modification where all items are hooks).
Some user-created levels have inappropriate names.
The action and gameplay of SpeedRunner is nonstop-both extremely addictive and absorbing. It is a genuinely polished game in Beta (more so than some full releases). Although greatly enjoyable, the aforementioned elements are unfortunate dampeners on an otherwise fantastic title.
Buy Now! (PC)
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