Warhammer 40,000 - Speed Freeks Preview (PC): Carmageddon Vibes in a Warhammer Setting

After spending several hours with an alpha version of Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks, I can safely say that this will have a lot of supporters once it's out. However, I don't see how developers will be able to keep a large enough pool of players to justify the continued support, unless they plan to add new content on a regular basis.

That being said, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is a lot of fun, unless most of your team is AFK, and you'll be farmed by the opposing team time and time again. If you plan on playing the alpha test, don't be like me, and make sure to leave the game if you notice that half of your team doesn't move from the spawning location.

First off, this is exclusively a multiplayer game. I'm not even sure developer Caged Element is even considering a single player campaign, although I’m pretty sure they could add one if they had the resources. Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks isn't really a benchmark when it comes to visuals, but it doesn't have to be.

It's quite easy to guess what the game is all about, judging by its name. Simply jump behind the wheels of an Ork-made vehicle and kill your opponents by throwing Molotovs or shooting bullets and rockets. Of course, the most common cause of death in Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is "death by ramming." But not if you're driving a Looted Wagon, a mini tank that’s slower than a snail, yet more powerful than a dragon.

In Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks, it's very important to be fast and accurate. There's a lot of chaos and mayhem in Speed Freeks, so trying to be both fast and accurate will not save you from death when you're ganked up by 3 or 4 assailants, but that's the beauty of the game.

The alpha version of the game has just one 16-player battle mode. You're probably not going to play this for too long. Once that game starts, the two teams must race to a point on the map and conquer it. The first player to reach the base can claim it for their team, but then they have to defend it to score points.

Having a base under your control is the main source of points for a team, but each kill adds points to each team's scores. After a few minutes, another point on the map must be claimed by one of the teams, so another race starts.

The game ends with a 'race to the finish,' and the first three players who reach the finish line will score a lot of points for their teams. If the match is very close at the end of base defending part, whoever manages to reach the finish line first will most likely determine the winner.

At the moment, there are seven different vehicles that players can choose from. You can even switch between them during matches, but only after you’ve been killed. Some are slower but provide more firepower, while others are very fast and extremely good at support. A mix of a few tanks that can provide cover from a distance and several fast vehicles are usually ideal to perform well, although that requires a lot of communication between players.

The cartoonish art style and the guitar riffs are pretty much on point with the Warhammer setting, so that's one of the things that developers nailed perfectly. The driving mechanics seem pretty barebone, but it's already hard to drive fast and hit your target at the same time, so I’m not sure how the experience can be improved.

Conclusion

Those who played Twisted Metal will feel right at home in Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks. Also, I think that choosing the Orks for a combat racing game set in the Warhammer universe is completely on-brand for the race.

Although Orks are usually a murderous race in just about every other universe, the Warhammer Orks are mostly known for being goofy and silly. I think the folks at Caged Elements managed to capture that goofiness and perfectly mold it to the combat racing formula.

I'm not sure whether or not Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks will be an instant hit since the alpha version doesn't offer too much in terms of content, but what I played was quite fun and kept me entertained for several hours.

If you're looking for a combat racing game that offers pure chaos and mayhem, and you happen to love Warhammer 40K, too, I strongly recommend trying this out while it's free. Keep in mind, though, that this is a multiplayer game through and through.