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The Warhammer universe is a winning recipe, and it seems the developers of the games made under this banner are perfectly aware of this fact. We've seen many games that hold the Warhammer prefix, and most of them turn out to be a success in the end.
So why not try to make a classic racer shooter, a genre that can provide tonnes of fun if done properly; add the game into this rich universe, and it simply cannot fail, right? Well, sometimes, carrying the weight of a huge name can be a great burden too, and it seems Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks simply isn't a strong enough title to deal with such pressure and responsibility, the Warhammer name comes with.
Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is a game that was released in early access last year, and it received a lot of criticism on account of numerous microtransactions that were too much, even for the die-hard fans of the franchise, so, with this full version of the game, the developers decided to make some decisions that are definitely praiseworthy.
The decision was to leave the microtransactions completely out of Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks, so in this title, everything can be unlocked simply by playing the game in multiplayer or single-player mode.
Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is a vehicular combat game, heavily inspired by the Twisted Metal series, that looks and feels like it jumped straight from a Mad Max movie. In this game, you'll drive buggies, tanks, and even trucks loaded with orcs, and apart from racing to reach the finish line first, you'll kill everything in your path.
The game is designed to be played in multiplayer, although it can be played solo too. Once you enter the game, you'll be prompted to choose one of two modes, and those two modes are actually the very axis around which the entire gameplay is built.
Those two modes are Deff Rally and Kill Konvoy. Deff Relly is an 8v8 capture-the-flag-like mode where you drive along with three teammates gathering points (killing the opponents and wreaking havoc), and once you have enough, you drive to the finish line to score.
The other mode, Kill Konvoy, is a bit more complicated. In this mode, your goal is to protect a massive machine with your team while working to destroy one from the opposing team.
Both modes are extremely enjoyable and very fun to play, but probably due to the lack of variety in maps, driving through the same areas and killing the same enemies can get a bit boring, but that's generally the story of every multiplayer title.
As I said, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks can be played solo as well, and I can already see a huge question mark above your head: how's this even possible? Well, apart from the regular quick match and matchmaking modes, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks has a free roam mode too, where you can drive around the maps, recon the area, and get ready for the upcoming matches.
While free roaming, you can set your own matches, join with friends, and even battle the bots, and while doing that, you can earn XP and level up your character. Speaking of levelling up, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks has all the usual multiplayer levelling features.
Winning matches and killing opponents will grant you the XP points, which you can invest in levelling up, and apart from that, you can customise your vehicles as well.
There are three types of vehicles you can drive: buggy, tank, and truck, and each vehicle has its pros and cons. For example, the buggy is fast and manoeuvrable, but it has pretty low health, while the tank is harder to destroy and has stronger firepower, but in terms of speed, it is way worse than the buggy.
So you'll have to choose wisely which vehicle to use in which situation. Each vehicle has different weaponry, but generally, every vehicle is equipped with main guns and special weapons, whose power you can unleash only once or twice during the race.
It is good news that weapons can be changed on every vehicle, and once you win the new one, you can access the customisation menu to install it and wreak even bigger havoc than before.
Once I got the code for reviewing this game, it was almost impossible to connect to servers; however, the situation is much better now, and in this state of the game, the servers are quite populated. This is why this review came a bit later than it was supposed to. The only reason is that I really wouldn't have been able to play a single match before the issue was resolved.
In terms of visual and audio presentation, the game holds its own, but the graphics could be better. Even on the highest settings, the game looks like some old title set on low visuals to get better FPS. You cannot see the usual smoothed lines and objects like in other modern titles. In Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks, everything looks dated and generally like the graphics were the developers' last worry.
The vehicle and character models are designed quite generically, too, without anything that sets this game apart visually. It is quite a shame, I must say, because the Warhammer universe is a very rich and inspirational environment full of unlimited potential. The best example is last year's Space Marine 2, whose graphics take your breath away.
Regarding sounds, the music and the soundtrack in general are quite good, featuring very interesting heavy metal songs that elevate the atmosphere to a whole new level. The sounds of revving engines and guns blazing are also pretty good, and when it comes to sounds, I cannot find a single complaint.
Conclusion
Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is a very good racer shooter title that will satisfy all your needs for this sort of mayhem, but if you're searching for perfection, you won't find it here, because this title has some serious shortcomings.
The competitive segment of the game is pretty decent, and it will give you a lot of fun, I'm sure of that. However, the lack of variety in maps and a very dated visual presentation can be a big no-no. So, take everything on the scale and make your own judgement.
For me, the amount of fun the game provides for the price of $40 on Steam is more than acceptable. If you played the early access, this version is totally free, so why not try it? Because if that's the case, you've got nothing to lose.
The Good
No microtransactions- Fun gameplay with two main modes
- Customisable vehicles and weapons
- Good soundtrack and sound effects
- Free for early access players
The Bad
Outdated graphics- Generic level design
- Limited map variety
