If you have ever dreamt of playing Asteroids whilst driving a Delorean, banging elbows with family and friends alongside, then developer 34BigThings’ Hyperdrive Massacre is the game for you. With a seamless blend of arcade-style menus and an electronic, synth-heavy soundtrack that would not feel out of place in a Rocky montage or Back to the Future trailer, Hyperdrive Massacre is the couch co-op experience that doesn’t take itself too seriously while still offering fun yet repetitive gameplay.
Hyperdrive illustrates its leading theme straight away. 34BigThings encourages you to “strap in with a space helmet and crack open a few beers.” The main menu, which is colourful and reminiscent of the arcade machines from the late ’80s, offers the usual selections: begin massacre, options, achievements, statistics and credits, all with graphic equalizers included at no extra cost.
Gameplay is basic but at first frustrating as you wrestle to get to grips with the floaty and sluggish movement. The aim of the game is to win short mini fragging games against friends or A.I with your own modified space cars, each of which is equipped with basic guns. These weapons can be upgraded by finding left over debris of destroyed asteroids, gramophones and gravestones. Be careful though, floating mines are a danger, as once they latch onto your vehicle it becomes near impossible to escape their clutches.
The ability to jump out of the screen limits and appear on the opposite side adds extra tactical strategies for the cunning attacker, giving one the chance to become the chaser rather than the chased. There are six game types, including fragging games such as deathmatch and last man standing, and more distinct modes like space soccer and spong, the studio’s own take on the original classic, Pong.
Although some of the game modes can be played solo against the super responsive AI, this offers little fun after your first few games and makes you realise that the game was built specifically for playing with others on the same console. Different game types will suit some more than others. I personally found space soccer the most fun and competitive, with myself and a friend screaming in jubilance as we scored, using our cars’ shields and guns to direct the soccer ball into the correct goals. Little did we know we were both shooting the wrong way till an Xbox achievement popped up for scoring 5 own goals!
Controls are simple, with triggers boosting your gravity-defying cars around the game areas and face buttons fragging, shielding, dropping mines, and sounding your car’s horn. Graphically, the game runs super smooth, but doesn’t really offer anything to catch the eye. With four maps and eight teams to choose from, and more of each available to unlock as you play, Hyperdrive offers plenty of scenic variety that looks and feels as if it would not be out of place in a game like Worms. Meanwhile, the soundtrack blends modern electronica and ’80s action movie tunes with a little 16-bit to boot, perfectly matching the atmosphere of the game.
Summary
Although single-player options are available, Hyperdrive Massacre comes to life when two to four players cram close together in front of a large television screen. The solid, bright visuals, tongue-in-cheek feel, and retro sound all demand that the television get switched on and the extra pads be brought out during small parties. It’s a blast to experience with others, not so much on your own.
David Anthony contributed 13 articles to ICXM between 2015–2016, covering game reviews, and Xbox news with a focus on hands-on impressions and verified-source reporting. Their bylines on the site span the run-up to Xbox One S and Project Scorpio, plus the broader Windows 10 gaming push. They post on X as @ziplobthud.