Speakeasy

Written by Cody Hamby on 11/12/2014 for PC  

Speakeasy is a fresh take on both the party and fighting game genres, bringing a stylized prohibition theme to a classic gaming concept. Developers Super Soul and Gun Media have taken the classic rock, paper, scissors concept and turned it into a fun and simple fighting game. The game pits you and friends against each other in some head-rattling fun. The no-single-player and no-online functionality has the potential to limit its player base, but late night gatherings with friends are looking to leave no one disappointed.

The gameplay is a fun change of pace for fighting games, as you no longer need to remember the 18-button combo to win. They keep it simple with three buttons, each of which can only be used once (in the standard mode). If you outwit your opponent, you win the round. If both players try the same attack at the same time, they face off against each other in a timed button-matching mini game that gets increasingly difficult the longer both players are getting the buttons correct. Through six game modes and five stages, and a lineup of characters that mimick Charlie Chaplin and Amelia Earhart among others, this title has just enough competitive edge to have you and your friends battling through the night.

 

The five stages add to the 1920's prohibition atmosphere using locations that match the time period. The speakeasy bar is a given, and is matched up with a chinese theatre, an airplane hangar, gangster alley, and wardenclyffe, which resembles a scientists lab. Each locale suits one of the game's characters, which again resemble familiar figures of the time period. Amelia Airborne and Charlie The Tramp as mentioned above, the manly Richard Slugging, Scientist Nicola Volt, Carrie Hatchet, and the game's blues musician, Barrelhouse Jones. The game modes are plenty, with my personal favorite being king of the hill, which allowed for longer play, and for my friends and I to keep the flower as we won. The game will also be accompanied by quick match, tournament, and tag team, which are all exactly what you would expect. The last two modes are interesting and apply more of a challenge, as instead of only having each of the three moves once, you each get two and three tries to make reading your opponent's move all the more challenging.

Speakeasy is looking to be a great, fresh take on both of the genres it collides with. The simplicity allowing anyone to pick up a controller to play, and its fun art style, will make this game a good time to best your friends at. The only thing missing is a possible mobile release at this point, which is where I think this game would excel. Speakeasy launches on PlayStation 4 exclusively on a still-to-be-decided date, with an Xbox One and PC version to follow sometime after.