Game Info
GAME NAME: Speakeasy
DEVELOPER(S): SuperSoul
PUBLISHER(S): Gun Media
PLATFORM(S): PlayStation 4
GENRE(S): Party Fighting
RELEASE DATE(S): November 25th, 2014
In the PlayStation 4 title Speakeasy, from SuperSoul, the developer took the simple playground game “rock paper scissors” and made into a party fighting video game. Speakeasy takes place around the roaring 1920’s time period and focuses on being a very addictive and fun local multiplayer affair, even with it’s three button control scheme.
However, set goals and meeting them are two different animals. Speakeasy being a great party game is not the case unfortunately. The main issue I had with the game is that it only has local multiplayer, which I can see for the developers wanting Speakeasy to be a party game, but other games in the genre such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero allow you to play against a computer opponent or even online.
The three buttons that you can use to your disposal are attack, dodge and block, and you can only use them once per turn. This tactic builds the tension and excitement because you don’t know what the other person is going to do first. The fun of these battles though only lasts about 15 minutes even with having a full tournament.
The art style looks great when your character attacks and knocks the opponents head off, which I’m not going to lie is pretty awesome, but starts to feel dull after a few fights with no new animations even when playing with all the different characters. There is no distinction between the characters when it comes to special moves or anything attack wise, it is all pretty standard. The graphics and sound are okay and the one thing to me that stands out in this game is the art style and hoped there was more to the controls and overall functionality of the game instead of just the three buttons you get to use while fighting.
I wish this was a game that could have kept my attention longer and I feel with addition of online multiplayer elements it could have achieved that. Instead, I only get enjoyment from just short 15 minutes gameplay sessions.
The Recommendation
It is tough to try and recommend this game to people who only have one controller or like to play online because Speakeasy is only playable locally with couch multiplayer and no single player. The one good thing I can take away from my experience with this game is the art style for the era in the game is great and really gives the feeling that you are in the 20’s. A patch to make multiple modes would be a huge improvement and make Speakeasy much more enjoyable.
