Let’s just make a shooter where you have to go really, really fast…

Break Limit by Zombie Monkey Games is an indie game title that combines the old school challenge of a space shooter with a strong emphasis on performing a “speed run” (aka go as fast as possible without dying).  Your ship flies through space shooting anything and everything in its way, but weapons aren’t enough.  You can also use a speed boost that makes you invincible, but hurls you through space so fast it can give you whiplash.  Motion sick prone people take note…


What we liked:

Retro feel, polished look: This game is pretty basic.  Shoot stuff.  Go fast.  Don’t die.  But it looks HD-shiny and runs smooth with only the occasional frame drop.

I can aim!!!: One thing a space shooter hardly ever has (aside from using powerups) is the ability to aim your shots.  The XBOX controller is not a waste of buttons here as the analog stick gives you that sweet aiming ability along with two buttons that fire traditionally straight.

Hyperduck Out of Control: The boys at HYPERDUCK have made an awesome soundtrack and for an indie game this has some quality sounds.

They don’t care about the plot either: Every game has a story, and most shooters have a story that barely matters.  The creators are aware of this and give you a quick tongue and cheek prologue to explain why you are flying a ship through space at dangerous speeds through various obstacles.

What we didn’t like:

Just two levels?? This game is all about fast times and high scores, but with only two levels you may tire quickly.  If you aren’t committed to some trial and error and want quick satisfaction, you won’t enjoy the challenge.  The three difficulty levels pertain to the amount of shield you start with.  The third level is promised sometime in January.

Hiccup: At one point during the game the xbox gave an error and went back to the dashboard.  Not sure if this is related to the game, but the xbox we used is fairly new.

There are plenty of shooters out there, but Break Limit boils the challenge down to basic survival while kicking the speed into overdrive.  It’s an unforgiving, white-knuckle challenge that may have you dropping the controller in frustration yelling “I almost had that!”  Rub four quarters together and get this game for only 80 MS points and see what it’s like to play a space shooter that rewards reckless speed and a desire to cheat death.

Score: Buy it!