In Warhammer and its sci-fi cousin Warhammer 40,000, Orks put the bomb in bombastic. Although violent and aggressive, they aren’t an unfeeling menace like the Tyranid. These big green barbarians have plenty of culture, though their favorite social activities all seem to revolve around bashing someone, exploding something, or going fast. Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks takes up the mantle of destruction derby-style games, with fast-paced vehicular combat, goofy voice lines, and an arcadey sense of fun. Here are the highs and lows of my time with the game in early access.
Twisted Metal WAAAGH!
Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is team-based Twisted Metal with racing elements, a unique Capture the Point system, a 40k skin, and two modes. Deff Rally is a race through multiple Capture Points, culminating in a race across the finish line. Kill Konvoy is a competition to get your team’s giant Stompa to the finish line before the other team (while bombing and obliterating them in the process). It turns out that the warmongering Greenskins are ideal for this kind of game. Their Mad Max meets Tolkein aesthetic plays well with Caged Element’s visual style, resulting in a cartoony yet cohesive look.
The racing portions feel good but are nothing compared to the combat. Watching a Rukkatrukk Squigbuggy disintegrate into a constellation of fire after a direct rocket hit feels great every single time. Guns are punchy, collisions are crunchy, and explosions give the beefy booms you need. I’m not a huge fan of team-based driving games, but Speed Freeks nails the arcadey chaos. It helps that there’s minimal downtime after getting blown up, letting you play with reckless abandon and still enjoy yourself. Hit the nitro, hit that jump, and bellyflop into war.
Da Red Wunz Go Fasta!
Keep your self-healing Squigbuggy, Kustom Boosta Blasta, and Boomdakka Snazzwagon with its infinite supply of molotovs. All I need is a Looted Wagon, stolen from the Imperials. Watching a Grot embrace their inner Dr. Strangelove and ride a ballistic missile through the sky is my single favorite thing in this game. Controlling the Missile Grot’s trajectory, circling the battlefield like an inebriated pelican, beats Space Wolf recruitment any day. The Looted Wagon has replaced Sweet Tooth as my favorite car combat vehicle, which is saying something. Apologies to the homicidal clown.
I experienced no crashes and few bugs, aside from some wonky collisions here and there. Every vehicle functions as its own class with unique abilities, so there’s a decent amount of strategic variety. Do you want to heal other players? Drive circles around clumsy tanks? Sit back on a ridge and rain down missiles like the Orkish thundergod of Imperial nightmares? Everything boils down to “shoot and don’t get shot,” but when the abilities, SFX, and audio make firing and getting shot so enjoyable, I’m here for it.
A Death Match Made in Heaven
Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is a solid, 40k-themed vehicular combat game with tons of room to grow. There’s extensive car customization and the obligatory battle pass full of unlockables to earn while you dust your rivals. I’d like game modes like Death Match and Team Death Match added, but there’s already fun to be had here, especially with friends. If your tastes run more toward racing than car combat, I’d give the game more time to cook before diving in, as the latter appears to be the focus for now. 40k is notoriously hit or miss with game adaptations, but Speed Freeks hits like a Warboss headbutt.
