Warstride Challenges Preview

When a game claimed that it’s a mix of Doom, Super Meat Boy, and Trackmania, I couldn’t help but be intrigued as to what kind of unholy amalgamation was created. As such, I clicked download on the demo of Warstride Challenges from the team at Dream Powered Games, as part of the Steam Next Fest extravaganza. What followed was a descent into adrenaline-fueled frantic action as I kept pushing to improve in this first-person time-attack shooter.

The demo contains a handful of levels, each with benchmark times pre-set for you to aim for. The rankings are coloured going from the lowest with bronze “C”, silver “B”, gold “A”, and what appears to be diamond “A+”. For example, to gain a gold ranking in level “Demo-1” you’d have to beat a time of 2.5 seconds. Sounds easy right? Well, the game doesn’t make it that easy for you. Granted it does start gently by going over some tutorials so that you learn the basics of movement and shooting.

This is where the game subtly implants that seed of wanting to go faster and improve. Seeing how close you are to the next benchmark just triggers that impulse of trying again, seeing where you can save even more time and go fast like Sanic! (Yes, Sanic, not Sonic, because memes). I can’t tell you how many times I restarted the same level over and over just so I could see that magical green number indicating that I’ve beaten my previous time. Not only so I could improve on the global leaderboards, but also get one over on my friends. Additionally to this, you may also set who your nemesis is in-game, regardless of whether you’re friends with them, a streamer, or just someone at random you don’t like the name of. This then adds their time as a fifth benchmark to aim for along with a ghost of their run, visible in your own game.

Progressing further unlocks more to do within each level, teaching you more tricks, and unlocks further abilities and weapons. You may start by learning to bunny-hop, then moving fast while trying to “Juan Deag” — a term used to depict the act of a single bullet kill — the enemy, but soon you’ll be dancing around levels, slow-motion shooting as you glide around a corner before unleashing a mighty stomp from above to obliterate a group of foes. The key to it all boils down to repetition and muscle memory, repeating the course, and remembering where the enemies spawn so that you can line up for the next shot the moment you’ve defeated a foe.

The demo only gives you a small taster of what is on offer in a visually appealing environment; the art team have sure hit the right aesthetic for this one I feel. It’s also wrapped within an amazing soundtrack that is sure to get the blood pumping and adrenaline flowing. I’ve genuinely come away from my playtime feeling the adrenaline still surging, a feeling I’ve not had for quite some time. Not since the days of playing QUAKE or Unreal Tournament at a GameOn LAN have I felt the need to be so on point with my aim, trying to get those flick shots to shave a tenth of a second from my time.

The game holds so much promise and looks to deliver a huge amount of content, not only from the developers but also the community with the level editor that appears to be on offer. The mind boggles at what kind of creations will emerge, no doubt requiring the reactions of a cat that’s completely off its rocker, sat on a gamer chair pulsating with RGB lights, and actively being fed G FUEL powder through its bumhole.

Set for an Early Access release sometime in 2022, I highly recommend giving Warstride Challenges a whirl and adding this to your Steam wishlists.