For decades, 2D platformers have been a staple in the world of video games. Nearly everyone on Earth could likely point to one as the first video game they’d ever played. Or I might just be aging myself terribly, who knows. And while they’ve certainly stood the test of time, we’ve seen the genre evolve in every direction imaginable, from side-scrollers like Mario and Sonic to aneurysm-inducing hits like Jump King. Somewhere along the way, however, we lost the plot. Gamers only want one thing, and that’s where GO FKN FAST comes in – an indie platformer with one simple rule: go really fkn’ fast.
GO FKN FAST is solo developer Jason Roberts first published game. They composed all the music, created the wacky, cartoonish art, and learned to use Godot through YouTube videos and Discord. Its platforming and movement abilities are inspired by critically acclaimed hits like Celeste, while its no-frills, rapid-retrying functionality calls to speedy games like Super Meat Boy and Hotline Miami.
‘GO FKN FAST’ is a platformer locked in sixth gear
While the objective is simple – get from start to finish quickly – the journey isn’t always a cakewalk. GO FKN FAST‘s levels are cleverly designed with their various power-ups in mind. Orbs that allow extra jumps, for example, help to skip certain platforms that would otherwise slow you down. Other orbs allow sudden bursts of speed in any given direction, thrusting your character through tight squeezes and around spiked traps. On their own, they serve as helpful aids to shed some seconds off the clock. Later levels, however, will have you grabbing multiple power-ups to chain movement abilities together. This, coupled with fast slides and bouncy wall jumps, blasts you toward the high-velocity flow state the game’s developer intends.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a game about speed without a time clock on every level. GO FKN FAST logs your fastest completion times for each of its 45 stages, revealing a total time once you finish the game. And that, simply put, is all it takes to tap into my wannabe-speedrunner tendencies. There’s just something about leaderboards that makes me go feral, and while GO FKN FAST won’t compare your times to players worldwide, besting my own personal records is enough to keep the competitive sicko in me satiated.
GO FKN FAST is a bite-sized piece of high-speed platforming magic. And, for being their first-ever published game, I’m entirely impressed by what Jason Roberts brings to the table. GO FKN FAST is available now on Steam.
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