Impulse Revolution Spins Over to Couch Co-op

For fans of local multiplayer, there’s a new addition on Steam.

Impulse Revolution doesn’t feature cars, however. The creators describe it as “air hockey racing.”

Set in a neon-cyber world, Impulse Revolution tasks each player with controlling a tiny ship. The controls, while simple, are intentionally challenging. They’re dubbed as “tank controls,” with each ship being rotated either left or right, while propelling forward. Instead of accelerating gradually as in typical racing games, the ships can repeatedly “dash” for speed. In addition to racing, players can fire off a variety of weapons at each other as they attempt to clear laps as quickly as possible.

Frantically vying for the finish line is just one way to play Impulse Revolution . In Elimination, as soon as one puck-ship goes off-screen, they’re out of the race. Chain Gang has rules just like any other race, but every player gets chained to someone and must stay close. The Hunter mode is entirely different. One puck hunts the other players and converts them to their side, while the rest dodge and hide behind obstacles. In addition to these gameplay types, there are five extra minigames.

Mandlebar Games comprises four Northern-Irish game development students. They developed Impulse Revolution during their university placement year, a time set aside for professional work. Post-release, the studio plans to fix bugs, as well as work on more single-player content for the game. There are no current plans to bring online multiplayer into the mix.

released on Steam last week and is available for $6.99. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. Up to four people can play on one keyboard.

Check out Mandlebar Games on Twitter, Facebook, and their blogfor more updates about this multiplayer racer.