In this day and age, first-person shooters are thriving, but for that matter, so is speed running. That is where gamers go through a game at a rapid pace just to say they beat it in the fastest time possible. So, what if there was a game that combined both like Warstride Challenges?
Made by Dream Powered Games, Warstride serves as a combination of “Doom, Super Meat Boy, and TrackMania”. It’s essentially a skill-based time-trial FPS ready to make waves when it comes out on Steam this spring.
What can players expect from this fast-paced shooter? Quite a bit, actually. We sat down with one of the game’s lead developers, Vincent Carbanas, to get some insight. Hang on tight, it’s gonna be a wild ride!
Let’s Get Up To Speed
So, how did Dream Powered Games come up with this idea anyway? It looks bonkers.
Thanks for the compliment! The three members of our team are die hard 90s, fast FPS fans, so we really wanted to make a modern game that captures the essence of our favorite titles, with a unique twist. It needed to be fast, brutal, rewarding, and allow you to enjoy short gameplay sessions. That’s how we ended up with Warstride Challenges, the lovechild of Doom, TrackMania, and Super Meat Boy.
Were you trying to test out the speedrunners out there, did you just want to provide a twist on the first-person shooting genre, or perhaps both?
Our goal was to make the sensations of speed running available for everyone. The game thus needed to be very rewarding, pushing the player to go forward as fast as possible. As the game is skill based, it quickly gets super satisfying when you start to master the movement system.
As I mentioned, and it’s very important, we also wanted to keep Warstride Challenges accessible: everyone can play and finish it, but the skill cap is very high and it will take a lot of practice if you want to be on the top of the world leaderboard.
Warstride Challenges is probably the best way to learn speed running and improve your skill in FPS games while having fun!
A Mountain of Challenges To Overcome
How is the game structured? There’s apparently 180 challenges to overcome overall.
Yes exactly, there will be 180 levels in the final game. They are split into 3 chapters of 60 levels. Each chapter is made of 12 unique levels, with 5 variations for each: Normal, Hard, Very Hard, Hardcore, and Nightmare.
Variations aren’t basic difficulty levels: the levels layout, spawn points, monster types, weapons, and powers available are also different! I won’t get into the unlocking system details, however during your journey to become a true master at Warstride, you will also unlock bonus levels as well as “BFLs”, the “Big F*cking Levels”! There are 30 of each, so that’s 60 more levels in total.
So, for those that go the extra mile, new challenges await?
That’s right, completing all 180 challenges isn’t the end of the game! It will unlock a New Game+ mode, where the 180 levels have been tweaked to be completed without slow motion. We have also planned other game modes, but these are top secret for now!
Getting Into Gameplay
Talk to us about the gameplay. You can slow things down and kill multiple demons in succession; we’re eager to see how that works out.
Slow motion will quickly become your best friend in Warstride Challenges: in each level, you get a limited amount of slow-mo and need to use it wisely!
As the game is all about speed, slow motion will really help you to aim correctly while bunny hopping (or slide jumping for the craziest of you) your way to the finish line. Especially when you need to kill several monsters midair while doing a 360° or a backflip!
Tell us about the Shockwave and Stomp techniques.
Shockwave can be compared to “the force push” Star Wars, with a twist; it will shred demons into pieces! Stomp is another way of annihilating multiple demons in 1 shot: it’s a super powerful dive kick that will blow everything up upon landing. Both are brutal and quite satisfying to use I must say!
What kind of weapons are available within the game? Is there a good collection built around the visceral gameplay?
For Warstride Challenges, we have opted for the classics: Big Gun, Shotgun, Assault rifle, Carabine, Railgun, and of course a rocket launcher! (rocket jump anyone?)
Is there a story here? Is there some intergalactic leader that’s challenging you to do all this, or is it just the hell of it?
Warstride Challenges is a recruitment simulator made by the POM (Protectorate of Man) army to recruit elite soldiers for its interplanetary thirst for conquest.
In the game, medals you will earn will allow you to increase in rank, the goal being to get 120 medals to become a PGM (Protectorate Grand Master, or some might say it means Pro GaMer, but who knows !)
Where Will the Warstride Challenges Head Next?
Will Warstride Challenges eventually make its way to consoles if it’s popular enough on Steam?
Yes, console versions are planned; we will release the game on PS5 and Xbox Series.
How has feedback for the game been thus far? Are there any changes you’ll be making to the final game before its release?
People who have played the demo are really loving it, and they haven’t even seen 10% of the game, so we are super excited to let them try more advanced levels, grappling hook, rocket launcher, level editor, and game modes we have planned!
Finally, do you see more Warstride Challenges to come if the game is popular enough?
Yes, definitely, we have a lot of ideas, and would love to make them come to life. Stay tuned for more!
To learn more about Warstride Challenges, check out the trailer below, and learn more about the game on the official Steam page!
Looking for more shooting goodness on PC? Join us as we talk to the developers behind Alien Dawn here!
