Speed Brawl

78%
Game Brain Score Based on 90 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Speed Brawl Game Cover
Do you feel the need, the need for a fast-paced beat-'em-up?
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Speed Brawl is a combat-racing game set in a dystopian 19th century. As a member of a freewheeling street fighting team, players must chain together combos and utilize electrifying power-ups to take down adversaries and reach the finish line. With each victory, they can upgrade their fighters and gear to face tougher opponents and more challenging races. The game features a single-player campaign and local multiplayer for up to four players.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

78%
Audience ScoreBased on 90 reviews
gameplay14 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • The game features a striking anime-inspired art style and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Combat mechanics are fun and rewarding, allowing players to create dynamic combos and adapt to different situations with a diverse roster of characters.
  • The gameplay is fast-paced and encourages skillful play, with a focus on maintaining momentum and chaining attacks for higher scores.
  • The game suffers from pacing issues, with levels often feeling slow and bogged down by excessive menu navigation and item management.
  • Enemy AI is not proactive enough, leading to repetitive combat where players often wait for enemies to attack rather than engaging in fast-paced action.
  • The loot and skill systems feel shallow and can detract from the core gameplay, making it feel less about skill and more about grinding for better gear.
  • gameplay43 mentions

    Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players finding the initial experience slow and unengaging, while others appreciate the fun mechanics and dynamic character swapping that allows for creative combos. The game features responsive controls and a variety of moves, but some feel it encourages repetitive strategies rather than creative play. Overall, while the gameplay can be enjoyable and rewarding, especially for those who appreciate fast-paced action, it may not appeal to everyone due to its pacing and structure.

    • “One of the game’s unique mechanics is the ability to swap between two characters at any time, allowing the player to create dynamic combos and adapt to different situations.”
    • “The gameplay was simple to get used to but hard to perfect, and overall was pretty smooth.”
    • “Speed Brawl has a certain spark of fun and aesthetic quality that puts it above many other games with similar elements of gameplay and design.”
    • “That might change in the later stages, but the first hour of gameplay just was not interesting or fast enough.”
    • “In the end, it feels like the game could not really become 'fast'; gameplay in levels, from layout to enemies, is too slow, and there is too much stuff that bogs you down before you get back in a level.”
    • “Perhaps it's because I couldn't care less about the story or the characters, and the gameplay doesn't make up for it because it is a bit of a boring mashfest.”
  • story29 mentions

    The story in this game is generally viewed as a weak point, often described as clichéd and lacking depth, with many players feeling indifferent towards the characters and plot. While some appreciate the comic book style and find the dialogue entertaining, others see it as mere window dressing for the gameplay, which is considered more engaging. Overall, the narrative is seen as a typical tale of teamwork and competition, with a few players expressing disappointment in its execution despite the game's solid mechanics.

    • “You're fed story between levels, as the main team exchanges dialogue, quips, and insults with the owners of each speed brawl league.”
    • “The story is actually not bad; it kind of plays out like an intentionally cheesy comic book, but I found myself actually caring about the world and the different personalities of the characters all seem to work well so far.”
    • “Starting with very beautiful artwork and then very nicely developed characters and storyline.”
    • “Perhaps it's because I couldn't care less about the story or the characters, and the gameplay doesn't make up for it because it is a bit of a boring mashfest.”
    • “The story itself doesn't really bring anything new to the table, as it's your typical tale about how teamwork prevails.”
    • “I'm not very impressed with the story; it feels like an old comic where the villain throws everything at you, and the heroes beat it with a can-do attitude, leading to a repetitive experience.”
  • music27 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its energetic and immersive soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience, often described as groovy and delightful. However, some players find the music to be repetitive or of poor quality, leading to a polarized reception. Overall, while the soundtrack is a highlight for many, there are notable criticisms regarding its diversity and originality.

    • “So much fun, runs like a dream and the soundtrack is just delightful.”
    • “The music has a groovy rock feel with tiny bits of techno added in there, and most of all the gameplay is top notch.”
    • “It has charm, style and a great soundtrack.”
    • “The music is horrendous, like god awful.”
    • “The music was so bad and cringe I had to turn it off; most of the characters' voices aren't much better.”
    • “Music is horribly stock.”
  • graphics23 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning, anime-inspired art style, vibrant colors, and smooth animations, reminiscent of classic cartoons and modern aesthetics. Players appreciate the diverse character designs and the overall visual appeal, which enhances the fun and engaging gameplay experience. Despite some minor critiques regarding gameplay speed, the visuals consistently receive high marks, often described as top-notch or 10/10.

    • “The game features a striking anime-inspired art style, a diverse roster of characters, and a variety of upgrades and special moves.”
    • “Speed Brawl grabs the player's attention right away with an eye-catching, colorful, comic-book art style and entertaining dialogue before and after each level.”
    • “The art style and a bit of the pre and post-level dialogue remind me of classic Saturday morning cartoons from when I was a kid, except with polished designs and a refreshing modern color palette.”
    • “The art style feels very Skullgirls inspired; the characters are interesting and unique.”
    • “Although you're basically fighting in Victorian coliseums, the art style is very colorful and the characters are all light-hearted, lovable goofballs.”
    • “Aesthetically, it has a very unique and quirky style.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly during longer levels where strategic targeting is necessary to save time. While the equipment management becomes more significant as the game progresses, many feel it adds unnecessary busy work that detracts from the overall experience.

    • “On longer levels where this happens each fight, it becomes really tedious to have to learn what to target first to save time on spawn-ins.”
    • “I have no further desire to deal with the minor gripes about the game just to lead into more frustrating and tedious boss fights that feel out of place compared to the rest of the experience.”
    • “The gear is very tedious, and it's a chore to equip the best gear after each fight.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find decent replay value in its engaging gameplay and aesthetics, others criticize its lack of customizable content and limited multiplayer options, which detracts from long-term enjoyment.

    • “It has replayability, great art and sound, and is fast-paced.”
    • “Sadly, the whole thing is a bit short, but if you really get into it, there is some decent replay value.”
    • “Lack of replay value: I picked this game up to have another local multiplayer game, which is okay, but for a 2D game, it doesn't have any customizable content or direct PvP.”
  • stability3 mentions

    The game experiences some frustrating glitches and performance issues, including stuttering and freezing during level transitions and item sales. While these problems are less severe than in many other titles, they may be exacerbated by hardware limitations, suggesting a need for optimization, particularly for systems without SSDs. Overall, the stability is inconsistent, with reports of high CPU and GPU usage leading to overheating concerns.

    • “The game suffers from stuttering issues and freezes every now and then. When you finish a level, start a new one, or sell an item, it freezes for a second. I tested it on both my laptop and a gaming desktop, and it had the same issue, although a bit less frequent. My best guess is that the game would run better on an SSD or just needs some optimization, as it pushed both my laptop and desktop's CPU/GPU to a high level, higher than Overwatch, CS:GO, and many other 3D games, to the point where my laptop's GPU temperature reached 93°C, which it never did on any other game.”
    • “A few frustrating glitches and performance issues, but way less than honestly a lot of games I see these days.”
    • “Glitches happen frequently when you glitch through a wall.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Reviewers praise the character development for its great presentation and engaging designs, highlighting the fun and appealing nature of the characters. The soundtrack also contributes positively to the overall experience.

    • “The character designs are fun and engaging.”
    • “Great presentation, soundtrack, and character designs.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game experiences significant optimization issues, including frequent stuttering and occasional freezes during level transitions and item sales, affecting performance on both laptops and desktops. Users suggest that the game may benefit from better optimization, as it demands high CPU and GPU usage, leading to overheating concerns.

    • “The game suffers from stuttering issues and freezes every now and then. When you finish a level, start a new one, or sell an item, it freezes for a second. I tested it on both my laptop and a gaming desktop, and the same issue occurred, although less frequently. My best guess is that the game would run better on an SSD or just needs some optimization, as it pushed both my laptop and desktop's CPU/GPU to a high level, higher than Overwatch, CS:GO, and many other 3D games. My laptop's GPU temperature reached 93°C, which has never happened with any other game.”
    • “Performance issues, stuttering problems, and lack of optimizations.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively, as players appreciate the inclusion of lore elements in various game features, such as loading screens and item descriptions, which enhance the overall experience without feeling intrusive.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

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Play time

108hMedian play time
73hAverage play time
4-142hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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