Impressions: SpeedRunners

July 9, 2014 Ailingforale

SpeedRunners is a game that makes me want to hook my PC to the TV and invite friends over to play. Risk of Rain is a fun romp in the multiplayer universe, but it’s not very competitive. (Unless you’re speed achievement fighting a friend.) I’m fine with Risk of Rain over the net. SpeedRunners makes me want them right there so I can hoot and holler at them and punch them in the arm when they grapple me from downtown.

In SpeedRunners you run around a map with a bunch of obstacles with other players or bots vying for the position of first place. As you run, the border of the screen encroaches in on you making the safety zone from first place smaller and smaller (you need to start catching up!) Last one on screen wins a round. If you win three rounds in a row, you win the game and it starts over at the level select screen.

Ah the glory and getting better and better at a game only to then notice that you're playing against bots. Then you realize that you should have picked up on this sooner and then your soul is crushed a little more. At least I had fun... right? — Ah the glory and getting better and better at a game only to then notice that you’re playing against bots. Then you realize that you should have picked up on this sooner and then your soul is crushed a little more. At least I had fun… right?

Even in beta, you can see this game shine. Everything works as it should right now (control wise) other than a few items that are a little OP at the moment. That is to be expected since they are still in the middle of completing the game. That said, it’s common to see the devs visiting the Steam forums and replying and thanking players for their feedback. I know this gets harped on a lot, but if this is done by taking fan feedback with a grain of salt and with the devs ignoring complaints that would change the core of the game into something they don’t want while still maintaining a fun and playable game, victory is assured since the game is already fun.

It gets super tough to stay together near the end there. With the screen size getting so small, you've really got to step up your game or make them fail. — It gets super tough to stay together near the end there. With the screen size getting so small, you’ve really got to step up your game or make them fail.

On the note of adding things, I don’t thing much more needs to be added. I think a few more levels to the basic setup, more aesthetic only different “heros”, an easier way to play imported maps with buds over the net, and if they want to add more items, make them optional would be about it. Others can probably think of more imaginative things while at the moment I’m tapped out. I’m a fan of what they’ve got right now with the bombs, grapple hook and rockets, but adding to many extra items would take away from the core of the game which is racing or speedrunning. You’re supposed to be beating your buds, but it’s not Smash Bros. (Even in tournaments items get turned off there.) There are plenty of smash clones out there, let this be something different.

Holy crap I won a round against this "Thederp... something or other" guy! Either way, while someone may want more than just the looks to be different, I like that the only real differences right now in the characters is the way they look, jump, and fall. If they keep this up, you'll be able to pick any character you want without having to worry about "slower acceleration/faster top speed" nit-pick differences. — Holy crap I won a round against this derp character. While someone may want more than just the looks to be different, I like that the only real differences right now in the characters is the way they look, jump, and fall. If they keep this up, you’ll be able to pick any character you want without having to worry about “slower acceleration/faster top speed” nit-pick differences. (I think he honestly let me win this round, but I’ll take a victory lap.)

Fear not, for those of you who are uninitiated in this game, SpeedRunners has a tutorial and a story mode to get you used to how the controls and levels will work. You’ll learn to grapple and wall jump, but there’s something they won’t teach you. “What is that?” you may ask. Well friend, that’s how to deal with the fact that they don’t have a working matchmaking system and you’ll either race against someone who can get so far ahead that he can taunt comfortably or you’ll be destroying the competition. I can’t ding them for this since they said in the forums that this is on the table to be worked on soon. I’m one of those that got paired against a Falcon that could run circles around a first timer like me, but I took it as a learning experience. I’m not a seriously competitive person most of the time so I still had a load of fun. After all, that’s what videogames are for.

Really very yes. I can honestly recommend this game to anyone at this point in it’s development. $9.99 isn’t exactly a steal, but it’s a very good deal. Grab four and save some money while being able to play with your friends. They’ve put a lot of effort into the game as it stands and I believe they are heading in the right direction. If you’re a fan of racing games or just straight “any form of competition” game, you should pick this up. If you’re the type that just likes a challenge, you’ll find something here for you as well in trying to get all the gold medals and winged feet in each of the story mode levels.