Speed Factor Review

Speed Factor is a new racing game inspired by classic franchises like Rad Racer and Top Gear/Racer. Compete againsts other racers in order to finish in first place. The higher you place in the race, the higher the monetary reward, so aim for first place.

Akin to the Top Gear/Racer series, players need to keep an eye on their gas tank and make sure to pick up gasoline cans in order to avoid running out and losing the race. You also start each race with three nitro boosts you can use at will during the race.

During each race, you can also pick up replacement nitro boosts as you cannot have more than three. There’s two types of boosts: red cans and blue cans. Blue cans can be collected, as mentioned up to three, whereas red ones give racers an instant boosts.

Each championship have a set amount of races to win before moving on to the next one. What’s interesting is that you can compete in the races in the order you want, so if one is giving you troubles, you can try others and not feel like you’ve hit a proverbial and frustrating wall.

The game looks great; it very much reminiscent of classic racing games from the 8-16 bit era of gaming; which bring back a bit of nostalgia in this era gaming. Each region have their distinct feel and as you progress through the game, difficulty increases and color palette varies. On the sound of things, nothing really special. The soundtrack sounds like a generic stock score that you’ve heard many many times before.

While there’s nothing really wrong with the gameplay itself, there’s a big nuisance with the audio. Your car’s engine sound is incredibly loud and insanely annoying. It’s also to a point where it’ll make you cut your gameplay session short; it even drowns out the music. While you can lower it in the options, even at 3 out of 10, it’s insufferable.

Speed Factor is a fun and addictive racing game; nothing overly complex, easy to pick up and play with a lot of content for an indie; the game’s total of 50 races across 5 regions will keep players busy for a bit. A lot of bang for your buck. You can suffer through the abysmal engine noise and the simplicity of it, you’ll find a new gem here; although a few extra game modes would’ve been a nice touch. But as it stands, Speed Factor is one of the best indie games I’ve played this year. If you’re looking for a relaxing racer, I highly recommend this game.