Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks has no story whatsoever. You just duke it out in big arenas, shooting other Orks to oblivion, earning points to secure the win for your team. The game is all about online PVP, so it doesn’t really need a narrative. Warhammer 40,000 does have expansive lore you can read up on, as we also had very little knowledge about certain things in the game. We didn’t mind the absence of a narrative or the lack of an in-game codex.

Graphically, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is not a bad-looking game at all. We loved the vehicle designs in particular. There are a few vehicles to choose from, each with its own distinct style that respects the source material. As you progress, you unlock some cosmetic upgrades, but these are very basic. We assume this was a deliberate choice to ensure the vehicles would remain in sync with the official Warhammer 40,000 vehicle designs. The different arenas you’ll be battling in are fairly expansive and look good, too, but they do feel a bit empty. The latter does feel like a logical design choice, as too much clutter would make it too hard to navigate the levels. Nonetheless, everything still looks good, and some destroyed structures are to be spotted here and there to provide cover from enemy fire. All in all, the performance is great, but we did encounter the occasional stutter when things got a bit too hectic.

The sound design is decent in Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks. For the most part, you’ll have to make do with the roaring engines of the vehicles, the explosive sound effects, and the Orks’ war cries. This fits perfectly with the general theme and setting, but we would have loved a more engaging soundtrack, perhaps. This game would have been amazing with a soundtrack you’d hear in titles such as .

Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is a multiplayer action title that’s all about vehicular combat. The offset is quite simple, as you’ll play in teams to take out the opposition in two different modes. You’ll either opt for the Deff Rally mode or the Kill Konvoy mode. Deff Rally puts a higher focus on checkpoint racing, while Kill Konvoy will make players pick up bombs or escort players with bombs in order to hit the other team’s so-called Stompa (mobile fortress). Both modes will take you a few matches to get used to, but everything actually feels very straightforward. Even though the release was a bit bumpy, with not being able to join games at first, this was quickly resolved by the developer. After one of the recent patches, we were able to dive into the action and sink in quite a few hours. If you’re not a fan of playing against other players, you can also create your own private matches and fill the player slots with bots. The AI is decently programmed, and even bot matches proved to be a lot of fun.

Somewhat similar to FPS titles having roles, Speed Freeks has different vehicles that serve different purposes. You’ll have those that are built to go fast with light weaponry, while others are bulky, have more armor, and have more explosive weaponry. There’s even a support vehicle of sorts that can heal other cars. It’s a fairly balanced system that allows for different tactics, if your team actually works together.

We were somewhat undecided as to what our favorite control scheme was when playing Speed Freeks. We enjoyed the vehicle handling and general driving a lot more with a controller, but our aiming was a lot more precise with the mouse and keyboard set up. Even so, the controls are intuitive, and all of the different vehicles only require around four buttons for their skills. You’ll have a main attack and an alternate fire, and two more active skills. You can also use a boost and a quick turn. It’s all straightforward stuff, and we were used to the controls already during the course of our very first match.

Even though games such as remained entertaining enough with a simple concept, we still feel that Speed Freeks might be a bit too light on content for some players. You do have the two modes to play, there are vehicles to unlock, and you can grind to unlock some cosmetics, but this might not be enough for players who invest around 20 Euros into a game such as this. Don’t get us wrong, however, as we didn’t really get bored with what is on offer here, but we also look at this one as more of an in-between title. Opinions will heavily differ here, of course.

Conclusion

Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is an entertaining entry in the ever-growing catalog of games that take place in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It’s been a while since we had a good vehicular combat title, and Speed Freeks manages to entertain for the most part. While the limited content may scare off potential buyers, we still recommend taking the plunge if you’re a fan of the genre. You’ll be treated to intense combat, cool vehicles, a lot of Orks screaming down your speakers, and simply a solid multiplayer title.

Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks - Review, 9.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating