Speed Limit

Ok, so picture the scene. You are on your normal commute to work, just minding your own business. You read the news, scroll through your socials and watch the outside world roll past your window. Then all of sudden, something snaps and every single person on that carriage and indeed the entire world want to see you dead, leaving you with one option, run. This is essentially the plot of the indie title Speed Limit that aims to offer a 2D platforming adventure that is high-intensity action from start to end.

This game plays out like a classic 2D side scroller/beat-em-up like Streets of Rage, Double Dragon, Shovel Knight or Mark of the Ninja. However, the gameplay in this title is constantly turning on its head, never settling in one place for too long and providing some of the fastest paced action we have witnessed within the genre. However, does this chaotic approach make for a fun game? We find out in our review of Speed Limit.

New Age Meets Old School

As we saw from the sales of Streets of Rage 4, the power of nostalgia can only go so far and the side-scrolling beat ’em up genre’s power is waning. So, with that in mind, Speed Limit tries to combine old school mechanics with a new age feel and comes out smelling of roses. The gameplay is frantic and fast paced, with a very accessible control scheme that is easy to pick up but hard to master. Then even when you do master it, the game switches it up and changes the format altogether.

When a game starts at a ten like this, you often think, surely this game can’t maintain this. However, on this occasion, Speed Limit manages to maintain its blistering speed right to the last second. This is undoubtedly due to the players ability to jump back into the action fast after dying. Plus, the game has a constant progression, upping the ante, keeping the gameplay fresh and never letting the player feel comfortable throughout proceedings.

Blink and You’ll Miss it

The pixelated art style also suits the ever-changing format of the action within this title. Thanks to the simpler approach, this has allowed the developers to create several perspectives with ease. You’ll play a top-down racing segment and a 3D aerial dogfight section alongside your standard side scrolling sections and the art style looks consistent and well presented in each. If the developers reached for more realness, it could have been a disaster. So this choice was a welcome one.

The only real issue we have with this one is that it’s done in a flash. If you are proficient with each set of controls, you’ll see this one off in a few hours’ tops. We will admit, any longer and this game would have overstayed its welcome. However, in this current age of gaming, when competing with indie games offering tens of hours of content, you could at least offer a new game plus option.

The Verdict

Overall, this game does a phenomenal job of capturing the cheesy eighties action movie vibe. Delivering a non-stop action showcase that is equal parts chaotic as it is brilliant. We will admit that the old school formats limit this game’s potential and aren’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea.

Pros:

• High octane action in abundance
• The fantastic retro pixel art style
• Challenging and ever-changing gameplay

Cons:

• Old school format won’t please everyone
• A short experience that could have benefited from a new game plus mode