SpeedRunners

Genre: Platformer / Party Game

Players: 1-4 Competitive (Local, Online)

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Review:

SpeedRunners is a Platforming game, originally released on PC in 2016, with a focus on a fast-paced multiplayer Party Game style, where players use double jumps, wall jumps, a grappling hook, slides, and special items to try to outpace the other players on a circuitous platforming level.

This game uses a simple, cartoony art style that manages to be distinctive despite its simplicity, thanks in part to its good use of color and its memorable character designs. This is joined by an energetic soundtrack that, while not especially memorable, supports the fast-paced action of the game pretty well.

It’s clear that the focus here is on the gameplay, and the gameplay here is solid, giving players a good variety of traditional platformer moves with characters that feel good to control, which translates into a game that’s immediately understandable to anyone who’s played platformers over the years, placing the full focus on trying to outpace other players.

That’s not to say this is all skill, as there’s a surprising level of strategy to the gameplay here. Do you save a boost to help you catch up when you fall behind? Do you use it when the opponent hits a tricky series of jumps to put the pressure on them? Or maybe you use it to speed out of a turn that opponents are still navigating to catch them at the edge of the frame, effectively trapping them. The strategy also applies to item uses, too.

I will say that this game loses something in the single-player mode. It’s still fun, but it’s clear that this is a game that was built around its multiplayer. On that note, while there are a good number of courses here, this game feels like it would have been ideal for some sort of level creator, which the game does not have.

However, if you’re looking for a game with great competitive Platforming gameplay, SpeedRunners does what it sets out to do very well. Just be aware that this is a game best played with others (online or off).

tl;dr – SpeedRunners is a multiplayer-focused Platformer that has up to four players racing through levels and trying to outpace the others. The gameplay here is well-designed and fun to play, and although I wish the game had more features and a more significant single-player mode, it’s overall an excellent entry in the genre.

Grade: B+

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