Well, I didn't expect this today. Completely out of the ether, Rebellion, the studio behind beloved and brutal WW2 shooter Sniper Elite has just released a would-be sequel to forgotten PC classic Speedball. Essentially, this serves as a soft reboot, a top-to-bottom shakeup of the forgotten sports combat game, targeted at an entirely new generation. Fast, vicious, and totally unique for its time, Speedball may have slipped into the footnotes of gaming history, but the team behind Zombie Army and the upcoming Sniper Elite The Resistance clearly has fond memories of 1988 icon, and now it's bringing it back, newer and nastier.
Developed by legendary PC studio The Bitmap Brothers, which also created the brilliant strategy game Z and the vertical side-scrolling shooter Xenon, the original Speedball series centers on a hyper-violent futuristic bloodsport. Part ice hockey, part volleyball, and part deathmatch, the objective is to hurl the eponymous speedball into the opponent's goalnet while also collecting power-ups that grant you additional combat skills. Rollerdrome, the fast-paced shooter by Roll7, certainly takes some inspiration from the original Speedball, likewise Rocket League. Now, one of the best old games is making a valiant return.
Rebellion's Speedball is available in early access already. In essence, it's a remake of the 1988 classic. Grab the ball, make a play for the goal, and brutalize your opponents on the way. You can play against computer-controlled opponents or try online multiplayer. Rebellion says it wants to get fans involved in Speedball's development.
"This is Rebellion's first early access game," the studio says. "We chose this route for Speedball because we understand that the series has an existing, passionate fanbase and we wanted to make sure they are involved in the game's development journey. We are looking forward to speaking with fans, seeing their reactions and building a game that everyone can be proud of."
Rebellion says Speedball will be in early access for around 12 months, and that it has already created a Discord server where fans and players can share feedback. If you want to get the game for yourself, it's available right now for $17.99 / £14.99. Just head here.
Otherwise, check out some of the other best sports games, or maybe the best new PC games available right now.
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