Speed Crew Review: Co

Speed Crew gives gamers a fun and chaotic cooperative party game with a unique theme of being a pit crew racing the clock to repair rally cars.

Speed Crew is a time management cooperative game by Ukraine-based indie publisher and developer Wild Fields. It can most easily - and favorably - be described as Overcooked for mechanics. Speed Crew features fun and cheerful 3D graphics alongside catchy music that is themed to fit the different decades the game covers from the 1970s to the modern day. Players can choose their mechanic and team up with friends to diagnose and repair vehicles as speedily as possible while trying to avoid being run over.

Although it has a car mechanic pit crew theme applied to it, Speed Crew is very reminiscent of cooperative party games such as Overcooked. There are many tools at a player's disposal to quickly race to diagnose, refuel, and repair rally cars to get them back onto the track but also many challenges to overcome. Whether trying to avoid being run over by passing cars, putting out fires from meteors falling from the sky, or calculating the timing for moving platforms to cross from one area to another, Speed Crew gives an experience that is as challenging as it is hilarious.

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The narrative behind Speed Crew is clearly not the focus of the game but is used as a foundation for the levels of chaotic pit crew racing. Players are part of a mechanic crew that starts in 1977 and works its way through different eras of races and championships, complete with music, car styles, and even advancements in tools to go with each decade. The silly antihero, Dominion Torrento, challenges the players' team and provides a bit of competition to keep moving as quickly as possible. Cutscenes take place at the end of each decade of races and are used as a bridge to move forward to the next.

As is the case with any party game of this style, Speed Crew is not the best experience for solo players. Obstacles built into some of the levels are designed to force players to work together by passing items across tables when lava blocks passageway, but when a player is alone this can be a test of patience. Shifting floors, dynamic gates, unexpected weather conditions, and other obstacles are all crafted with a focus on how players can be forced to rely on each other to become a cohesive team.

Teamwork in Speed Crew can be managed with either local play or online multiplayer with up to four other players. Communication and the ability to work together are tested as players are racing to repair the cars as quickly as possible without getting in each other's way. The game is suitable for players of all ages, although younger players may not be as adept at the micromanagement necessary and might need a little extra help and patience from their teammates.

Speed Crew can get players' hearts pumping as they race to repair the vehicles in time despite the surrounding chaos with the obstacles and challenges the game throws at them. Each car has its own timer for being repaired and too long of a delay will lead to penalties for each vehicle that sits too long. Each level also is timed with only so long to try to accomplish as many repairs as possible to return the cars to the race. Players can become delayed by respawn timers if they are struck by a vehicle or fall into level obstacles. Additionally, some of the tools such as for filling gas tanks or putting air in tires can become disastrous if left unattended too long on a vehicle.

Speed Crew's developers have already announced they are working on planned updates and DLCs that will include new levels and game modes for players to enjoy. There are some customization options for characters and vehicles in the game as well, which is a fun extra touch. The game was completed in solo mode in about 10 hours and that timeframe could easily shift when played with friends, depending on their ability to cooperate effectively. There were no technical issues observed over the entire course of the game, and its process of slowly ramping up the difficulty felt smooth and natural. Overall, Speed Crew is a very fun game that would be a great addition to any group of friends or family looking for a new party game to enjoy.

Source: Wild Fields/YouTube

Speed Crew releases on June 8, 2023, for Nintendo Switch and Steam. Screen Rant was provided with a Nintendo Switch digital download code for the purpose of this review.