The Epic Games Store, not just content with surprising gamers through the unannounced free release of Nioh: The Complete Edition this week, is finally fulfilling a promise months in the making. On September 16, the store’s free games will switch, with the current offerings of Nioh and Sheltered becoming Speed Brawl and Tharsis. Alongside a return to the store’s usual free fare of critically acclaimed smaller titles, this switch will also mark Epic making good on a planned release from August 5.
While Tharsis might be a more cerebral, atmospheric sci-fi strategy title with themes delving into human interaction and psychology, Speed Brawl has less lofty thematic ambitions. The game involves a brawl taking place in a reimagined London of 1888. Both games deal with classic science-fiction elements. For Tharsis, it’s the aforementioned slow-paced space adventure, whereas Speed Brawl deals with a close encounter. In keeping with the game’s tongue-in-cheek tone, these aliens facilitate the annual Speed Brawl, whereas Londoners compete to best both the creatures and each other. Both are great free additions to the Epic Games Store.
What is Speed Brawl?
Speed Brawl focuses on immediate action, and a cast of colorful characters that ensure each run of the rogue-like beat-em-up is suitably different. It stands in contrast to any of the other titles released in September as free Epic Store games. The recent free releases are a lot more cautious and considered, with a particular emphasis on strategy and tactics. Speed Brawl throws caution to the wind, with gorgeous 2D pixel art underpinning its chaotic gameplay.
Much like its setting, Speed Brawl also allows for some industrious cooperative action across its campaign. Players can join forces with online multiplayer and battle through the story together, much like buddy cop FPS co-op title RICO: London. Like RICO, Speed Brawl has tightened every mechanic around the concept of speed. The semi-roguelike gameplay also compliments this aim nicely, meaning players are never very far from jumping back in. There’s a lot to be said for the fluidity of the game’s animation too, which makes the chaos of every level glide past.
The game takes place in an alternate timeline, where the British faced (and bested) a race of aliens called the Selenites. Every year, they hold the eponymous “Speed Brawl” to quell the growing tensions and restlessness in 1888 Victorian England that can also be seen in games like Bloodborne. The reason for this turmoil is that as a result of the battle, the British enslaved the invading race, forcing them into the labor roles in the burgeoning economy of industrialized Britain. As a result of the Selenites doing the majority of the work in the society, its members are at a loss of what to do. Not only are the Selenites forced to do the Victorian society’s work, but they also star as the antagonists in this staged conflict.
Speed Brawl’s Epic Games Store Switch Up
On August 5, 2021, Speed Brawl was supposed to release as one of the Epic Store’s two free games. In recent weeks, the store seems to have switched back to offering two titles for free, like when Speed Brawl was supposed to debut. Not only was the game going to be free, but it would be the first time Epic Games Store customers would be able to get their hands on Speed Brawl through the platform. This was not meant to be.
On the fifth, Epic users logged on to find that Minit was free instead. Additionally, the store had released a tweet discussing why Speed Brawl was not free that week.
This is not the first time a game’s Epic storefront release has been delayed - but it is rather unusual for one debuting as a free game to get this kind of delay. In the tweet, the Epic Games Store promised Speed Brawl would eventually make its way to the store as a free title, and provided Minit as an apology to its expectant fans.
Minit was a great choice as a replacement. It’s a unique title, but was similar enough to Speed Brawl in certain ways to make it fit as an alternative game. Unlike many other recent time-loop games, Minit does not involve a careful introspection as to the best dialogue choice or the best solution to a puzzle.
The core conceit of Minit is that players have just a minute before the world resets and they are asked to repeat the game’s events. In a way, this makes it work a lot better than games like 12 Minutes. While its voice acting received deserved praise, at many points 12 Minutes narratively fell apart under the weight of its time loop.
The length of time each loop takes, and the repetitive nature of the activities in it, made it a chore at points to play - which is the exact opposite of how Minit works. Minit’s comparatively tiny time loop means its action feels diverse and interesting, with an array of characters and events to encounter in its highly minimalistic pixel art world. It also made it a great title to pick up free from the Epic Games Store, which also seems to be true of the most recent releases and announcements.
On September 16, Speed Brawl and Tharsis will release on the Epic Games Store for free.