Jump into the driver’s seat of a ramshackle death machine and get ready for an explosive ride across the wartorn wastelands of the 41st millennium. Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks puts the pedal to the metal with fast-paced vehicular mayhem pitting two teams of battle-hardened Orks against each other in adrenaline-fueled competition.
Developed by Caged Element and based on Games Workshop’s tabletop board game, Speed Freeks brings the thrills of armored combat straight to PC. Take control of buggies, trucks, and even walking Stompa tanks laden with giant guns and engulf your opponents in an orky inferno. Master the improvised art of “convoy bombathon” in Kill Konvoy or capture checkpoints in the contest of grit and savvy that is Deff Rally.
With eight unique rides to choose from and a slew of challenges to complete, you’ll spend hours customizing and upgrading your trusty transport through grinding and blasting foes. So start your engines, grab your trusty shoota, and get ready to scream “WAAAGH!” across two game modes of relentless vehicular mayhem. Speed Freeks is da best drive yu’ll eva ‘ave in da Waaagh!
WAAAAAGH Across the Wastelands
Grab your ride and strap in, because I’m going to take you for a tour of the explosive game modes that make up Speed Freeks. These orky contests are full of non-stop action from the moment you hit the gas, so you better keep up!
First up is Deff Rally. In this mode, you and your team will be racing through checkpoints, fighting rival clans for control of strategic positions across six different arenas. Holding checkpoints scores you extra points, so you’ll want to blast any unfortunate guys trying to muscle in. But watch out, because rival players will be gunning hard to knock you out of the running. It’s a gritty contest of speed, skill, and pure savagery as you scream your engines toward the finish line. Expect plenty of boom and krump as scrap heaps collide in your rearview mirror!
Next is Kill Konvoy, where things get really messy. In this mode, you’re escorting a towering Stompa battlewagon across the wastes towards the enemy goal. Problem is, they’re doing the same, and you’ll need to rain bombs down on each other to slow the rival beast’s advance. Bombs spawn randomly for the taking, so keep your eyes peeled and pray for a good grab. Then it’s all about dropping your payload straight onto the enemy convoy before they return the favor! Slow their stompa and you’ll be one step closer to total WAAAAAAAAGH!
Both modes are fast, furious fun but offer different kinds of action. Where Deff Rally is all about blazing speed and capturing territory, Kill Konvoy channels the chaos of an all-out convoy ramm match. Whichever takes your fancy, one thing is for sure: you’re in for ridiculous explosions and glorious orky carnage when you hit the track in Speed Freeks!
Fast Rides and Fancy Paint Jobs
With Speed Freeks, there’s no shortage of wicked rides to choose from when you’re rezooming into battle. Each vehicular beastie has its own role to play in the mayhem too.
First up are the nimble little Buggies—perfect for scouting ahead thanks to their zippy engines. They may lack armor but make up for it with 360-degree spins that’ll leave enemies green with envy.
Next step up are the fighting trucks like the Boomdakka Snazzwagon. A bit slower than buggies but packing more dakka to blast enemies from a distance. Just watch those grenade launchers; don’t kick back on you!
Then you’ve got the Stompas—the true beasts of burden. These towering tanks are built like impenetrable fortresses, able to soak up damage like nobody’s business. But don’t expect finesse—stompas are turning circles that are measured in weeks, not seconds!
My personal favorites though are the heavily modified Battlewagons like the Kustom Megabooster. They strike a balance between firepower, protection, and acceleration that just gets the WAAAAGH pumping.
But what’s a war machine without a good paint job? That’s where the vehicle challenges come in. By scoring Orky achievements like long-distance drives or bombing runs, you’ll unlock new customization options. Soon you’ll have your ride blazoned with scars, slogans, and whatever else strikes your fancy.
And when you want even more bling, take it to the local Mekboy. With enough scrap collected from blown-up gits, you can pick up scopes, exhausts, colors—whatever gear takes your fancy. Just watch the Mek doesn’t try to install any “upgrades” that aren’t WAAAGH-approved!
Between the variety of rides and ways to personalize them, Speed Freeks ensures you’ll always have something new to scrap for. And that’s before we even mention the loot boxes…
Crashing Colors and Chaotic Tunes
Now let me tell you—those Speed Freeks boys sure know how to create a proper rambunctious atmosphere! From the moment you start your ride, you’re immersed in their dazzlingly dingy world.
All around you stretch vast, scarred landscapes dotted with twisted metal hulks. But don’t think the environments are drab—they erupt in vivid explosions with each well-placed shoota blast. Reds, yellows, and oranges blaze against the steel-grey skies, putting on a lightshow to rival the greatest WAAAGHs.
And it’s not just the views that dazzle. Your vehicle’s coat receives the finest custom paint jobs, whether its kustom artwork or rusted metallic panels. Each grim machine tells a story, its tales etched deep in the scrapes and scars.
Where the eyes sing, the ears truly take flight. Grinding engines spur you to speed as an orchestral chaos swirls around. Heavy drums slam as bombs burst, while screeching guitars anthemize each destructive delight. It’s true musical motoring mayhem!
Perhaps best of all are the little authentic details. Subtle squeaks join your ride’s deeper tones, changing pitch with your throttle. Meanwhile, weapons achieve their own metallic music—from bolters’ sharp staccato to flamethrowers’ bassy whoosh.
Together, Speed Freeks’ audio-visual assault immerses you completely in its unhinged universe. You feel every impact through crashing color and pounding percussion. It becomes easy to forget this is a game at all—for a moment, you’ve joined the very WAAAGH itself!
Crashin’ Kourses and Fightin’ Foes
Multiplayer’s where the mayhem really kicks off in Speed Freeks. Whether stompin’ across six maps or blitzin’ checkpoints, expect total vehicular carnage against real opponents.
Each course provides its own challenges thanks to varied terrain. Twisted metal hulks choke narrow passages, while gaping craters await to send your ride sky-high. My fave’s probably Snazzsquig Gorge—its rickety bridges and sheer cliffsides make for suspenseful stompa showdowns.
As for typical matches, they play out roughly the same between Deff Rally and Kill Konvoy. First you pick your vehicle’s paint job, then it’s straight into a blizzard of explosions. Mad dashes across the map see boys yellin’ “WAAAGH!” as they fly past in smoldering wrecks.
It’s a brutal battle just to survive, but you’ll want more than that. Capturin’s points in Def Rally mean control of the kourse—hold out long enough and victory could be yours. Meanwhile, success in Kill Konvoy relies on bombs; lob enough into each stompa, and your team wins the race to the finish.
Fights against bots can still provide plenty of boom. But where Speed Freeks really shines is human opponents—their unpredictability keeps matches feelin’ fresh. Never know who might slam into reverse and mow down pursuers. Or launch a kamikaze attack that flips the whole game on its head.
Me? I just love driftin’ round corners and unleashin’ a payload of dakka when some git least expects. Nothing beats the adrenaline rush of a close fight, wheels screamin’ as you narrowly claim first place. The AI just can’t match the sweaty palms and shouted profanities of live players.
So whether you prefer solo stompin’ or competitive carnage, Speed Freeks offers endless vehicular violence. Just pick your preferred war wagon and get mashin’ foes across its ever-changing’ battlefields. Ain’t nothing in this galaxy as fun as a good old krump!
Making a Name on the Wastelands
There’s no krumpfest worth remembering unless you stand out from the crowd. That’s where old Speed Freeks’ progression and loot come in.
Each vehicle levels up separately as you rack up the krump points. Every few levels treats you to a new paint job or mod to pimp your ride. Completing daily challenges is a surefire way to speed things along.
These challenges make you try new tactics—like getting revenge kills after exploding. Nice way to keep matches interesting as you earn more scrap.
Speaking of scrap, it’s the currency that lets you trick out your vehicle at the Mek Shop. Want a souped-up boosta to leave gits in the dust? That’ll set you back a healthy pile of scrap.
It’s also how you pick up new vehicles over time. Just keep krumping foes and hitting objectives to earn the scrap for your next death machine. Choice selection is on offer, and more is on the way, so you’ll never run out of ways to bring the pain.
Now the Loot Pass is where things take a turn for the teef. It’s the usual live service fare—pay up for timed access to exclusive loot. Nameplates, skins, banners—all that good bragging material locked behind a paywall.
Some gripe it’s a cynical cash grab. But it’s hardly unique and purely for shiny bling, not affecting gameplay. You can earn cool kustomizations without spending a penny if you put the hours in.
Could Caged Element have shown more generosity? Sure. But for a free game, Speed Freeks delivers a solid way to build your reputation across its wastelands. Just keep your eyes on the finish line and keep the pedal mashed—you’ll be the biggest git around in no time!
The Review
Warhammer 40000: Speed Freeks
While the repetitive gameplay and thin selection of modes may pall after extended sessions, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks delivers smashing vehicular combat packed with Orky personality. As a free-to-play offering that avoids obtrusive monetization, it provides plenty of mayhem and opportunities for customization to suit all WAAAGH-hungry fans of the setting. When the itch for destruction calls, Speed Freeks answers with a WAAAGH-raising ride across its post-apocalyptic wastelands.
PROS
- Fast-paced, chaotic fun in skirmishes
- Deep vehicle and character customization
- Authentic Warhammer 40k setting and tone
- Flexible controls
- Free-to-play model avoids paywalls
CONS
- Only two game modes lack variety.
- Progression and loot boxes encourage microtransactions.
- Repetitive gameplay has low replayability.
- Barebones single player/co-op options
- Imbalanced vehicle types
