The Dead Space series strikes fear and adrenaline into the hearts of its players, and with [rumors of a reboot to the series](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/eas-ip-revival-is-reportedly-a-dead-space-reimagining/) as well as Dead Space premiering at Summer Games Done Quick — now is a very special time for Dead Space speedrunners.

Dead Space is a little over an hour of brutally challenging tricks and skips, coming together to form an incredibly difficult (and satisfying) run. With the help of [Looney](https://www.speedrun.com/user/Looney), let’s dive into the tech that broke Dead Space wide open: Pulse Boosting.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/3xz08xnl.jpg)

## What is Pulse Boosting?

Pulse Boosting is a trick that abuses the Pulse Rifles alternate fire mode which allows the main character, Isaac, to go flying, skipping large portions of the game. Pulse Boosting was [found September 2020](https://youtu.be/CXVyV1Ojj0w?t=26) by [r3sus](https://www.speedrun.com/user/r3sus), the contributor to many different strats for Dead Space 1 and Dead Space 2.

## How does it work?

In Dead Space, weapons collide with the game world. You can see this yourself by simply walking up to a wall and aiming, the game will push you away slightly. This was likely implemented during development to prevent you from shooting at or interacting with things on the other side of the wall — which funnily enough you *can* still do [with some ingenuity](https://youtu.be/G1nqodtvqs0?t=915).

So that’s step one of the trick, for step two we’ll need the trick's namesake,  the Pulse Rifle. The Pulse Rifle has an alternate firing mode where Isaac crouches down and fires the rifle 360 degrees around him. If you aim into a wall and on the same frame perform the alternate fire of the Pulse Rifle, the game will [shoot you away with a massive amount of speed.](https://youtu.be/G1nqodtvqs0?t=3237) Runners make the [setup for this trick](https://youtu.be/CLTCdk7LRWI) much easier by unbinding “stomp,” which otherwise would interfere with the boost. Then all they need to do is hold the spacebar and aim into the wall, buffering the alternate fire so it triggers the first frame you aim every time with ease.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/9kzw18nq.jpg)*[Source](https://youtu.be/CLTCdk7LRWI)*

Of course, even with the inputs being made a lot easier, that doesn’t make the trick easy at all. Making Isaac actually do the boost is the easy thing, but getting him where he needs to be is a whole other thing. The boost can be affected by Isaac’s starting animation, as well as the frame in that animation, framerate, angle, among other things, it’s certainly no easy trick.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/oxzd1vzm.jpg)*[Source](https://youtu.be/G1nqodtvqs0)*

## Honorable Mentions

### [Isaac Tilting](https://youtu.be/aelh6pIzERM?t=178)

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/y1n54ke3.jpg)This physics-defying trick is done by transitioning out of a zero g zone while meleeing, which makes the game think you’re still in zero g. Because of that, the game still sticks you to surfaces and tilts the game world around you as if you were still in zero g, tilting Isaac. This can be used in strategic places to skip [fights](https://youtu.be/G1nqodtvqs0?t=761) or [elevators](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1046244740?t=00h55m18s).

### [Elevator Warp](https://youtu.be/G1nqodtvqs0?t=3827)

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/l1n7l9e5.jpg)

Using nothing but a table and an elevator, runners can skip a huge chunk of chapter 10 - the biggest single skip in the run.

### [Zero G Jump](https://youtu.be/G1nqodtvqs0?t=3544)

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/97n69mnq.jpg)A tiny little hole in the zero gravity area of Chapter 9 allows runners to take the effect from zero gravity for *the rest of the level*, even in areas out of bounds. This trick has some… *interesting* effects, [as you can see.](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1046244740?t=01h20m47s)

## Games Done Quick

After everything was said and done, Pulse Boosting managed to chop off *a little over an* ***hour*** — essentially slicing the run right in half.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/7rnq7wej.jpg)If you’re eager for more Dead Space, Looney will be running Any% with commentary from [Waifu](https://www.speedrun.com/user/Waifu) and [Sharkhat](https://www.speedrun.com/user/sharkhat). The event started **Sunday, July 4th**, and Looney’s run takes place on **July 6th**. If you’re interested in watching, keep an eye on the [schedule](https://gamesdonequick.com/schedule) as it tends to shift around.

I hope you’re excited for GDQ because I, sure as hell, am.

Ahead of Dead Space's debut at SGDQ, let's take a look at the tech that allowed speedrunners to reduce their run times by half.

How Dead Space Speedrunners cut their runs in half

For a lot of people, glitches are at the heart of speedrunning. For many of us, witnessing cool skips and tricks at GDQ or other speedrun marathons is what got us excited about speedrunning in the first place. But where do these glitches come from? Who finds them? And how?

Well, that’s where glitch hunting comes in.

# What is glitch hunting?

In the most simple terms, glitch hunting is when someone attempts to find glitches and exploits within a given game. That said, there is a wide variety of approaches to glitch hunting that require different levels of skill and will often produce different results.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, a lot of speedrunners will do a bit of glitch hunting at some point or another. Some people are so dedicated to the search for glitches that they will call themselves glitch hunters. There is plenty of room for crossover between speedrunners and glitch hunters but that does not mean the two are synonymous.

While the process of glitch hunting can take different shapes, we can more-or-less break it down into some steps that may help you get started. (You might even recognize these steps from science class.)

# Step One: Observations

Before looking for glitches, you can set yourself up for success by getting to know the game you are hunting through.

This can take the form of repeated playthroughs but it can also include research into what discoveries other people have made about the game.

When it comes to repeated playthroughs it never hurts to keep recordings of everything so you can look back on any points of interest you stumble upon.

My own experience glitch hunting my primary speed game, Moomin’s Tale, has mostly included repeated playthroughs and discussion with the small Moomin speedrunning community.

As is often the case, community cooperation is one of the best paths forward. Whether someone plays the game casually, speedruns it, or glitch hunts it themself, you never know what discoveries can be made just by sharing experiences and working together.

This step can also include the use of additional tools to investigate a game’s code. My own coding skills are amateur at best and I’m just getting started using CheatEngine and other tools to understand the inner workings of different games.

[For more technically complex examples of glitch hunting with advanced and custom tools, check out our spotlight on the Prince of Persia speedrun community.](https://www.speedrun.com/news/694-2021-4-26-spotlight-prince-of-persia-community)

# Step Two: Questions

While learning about a game, follow your curious impulses and ask questions.

*Sometimes the physics in this game do weird things. Is there a way to exploit that?*

*Someone else just found a cool glitch. Are there other places that glitch could be useful?*

*This eagle boss is a poorly-coded, late-game run-killer. Is there a way to skip the fight entirely?*

The main point is turning the information you have gathered into questions.

For example, in Level 5 of Moomin’s Tale, there is a door on the other side of a small gap the player cannot usually jump over. Later in the level, one of the branching paths brings the player to that door presumably to trick new players into accidentally falling into the old room and forcing them to replay a portion of the level.

Additionally, there are fruit items in Moomin’s Tale, some of which give the player a speed boost until the next time they take damage. This boost also improves jumping distance.

Lastly, the player character’s sprite sometimes flickers between falling and landing when running into the edges of certain platforms.

With all this information combined, I asked: “If I have a speed boost and correctly time a jump across the gap then jump a second time while I am semi-colliding with the other platform, will that allow me to cross the gap and skip part of the level?”

# Step Three: Hypothesis

Once you have your question, it can help to turn it into a hypothesis by coming up with a guess and a way to find out if that guess is true.

*The physics in this game can be exploited by chaining these actions in this location. I will test it by attempting to demonstrate the trick.*

*That glitch someone else found can be used in this other part of the game. I wiIl test it by trying the glitch set up in the new location.*

*By getting out of bounds, I can exit the fight with the poorly-coded, late-game run-killer eagle boss and leave it behind. I will test this by editing the game code to put myself out of bounds to determine if it is possible before I start looking for a way to get out of bounds.*

Of course, in some cases, your hypothesis might just be “If I jump into this wall something interesting will happen. I will test it by jumping into this wall.” You don’t need a specific goal in terms of *what* you find. It’s going to differ between glitch hunters and games and game sessions. Sometimes it’s good to have a clear goal but it's equally important to keep an open mind to the possibilities.

Returning to my example from Moomin’s Tale, my hypothesis was: “If I have a speed boost and correctly time a jump across the gap then jump a second time while I am semi-colliding with the other platform, I can cross the gap and skip part of the level. I will test this by setting up a savestate before making the jump so I can make multiple subsequent attempts.”

# Step Four: Testing

It’s experimentation time. Put that hypothesis to the test and record what happens. You can even take notes if you’re testing something more complicated or you just like to be meticulous.

It’s up to you.

Demonstrate the trick, try the glitch, mess with the game code. There isn’t much else to say but to get to it.

# Step Five: Analyzing and Interpreting Your Results

So how did it go? Were you right? Were you wrong? Something else?

Maybe you were right. *You proved the physics in the game can be exploited by chaining those actions in that location.*

Maybe you were half-right. *You found that the glitch someone else found can be used in this other part of the game, but the setup is a bit different and it’s tougher to pull off.*

A lot of times, you might have gotten it completely wrong. *Getting out of bounds does not allow you to skip the poorly-coded, late-game run-killer eagle boss.*

In the case of my jumping experiment in Moomin’s Tale, I was successful. The jump worked and I was able to skip a short segment of the level!

##Step Five: Sharing, Repeating, Further Testing

In the first two cases above, you should of course share your discovery with other members of the community but it is often just as important to share when your discovery went wrong.

At the very least you can save someone else from fruitlessly repeating your exact actions and maybe other people can contribute new adjustments on your experiment or completely new ideas for

solving the problem you’re facing.

In a way, every experiment becomes part of the “Observations” stage of the next experiment! Regardless of what you find, you now know a little bit more about the game and can take that information into account while you continue your hunt for glitches.

In the case of my Moomin’s Tale experiment, I went on to double check if this new route was in fact faster than the previous one by timing both routes and comparing.

# One Last Thing

Of course, this cycle does not need to be as formal as these steps might make it sound. Some of these steps are unconscious or happen quickly as you try one thing after another.

But hopefully, this structure can help if you are new to glitch hunting or hitting some kind of roadblock in your hunt.

Whatever you do, good luck glitch hunting and wish me luck finding a way around the poorly-coded, late-game run-killer eagle boss in Moomin’s Tale because it is trying my soul.

Glitch Hunting is an important activity within speedrunning — but what is it, *exactly*? And how can you get started?

Glitch Hunting: What is it and how do you do it?

During Pride Month, we had the opportunity to speak with three LGBTQIA+ streamers who performed runs at Power Up with Pride earlier this month about their experiences speedrunning and more.

 

Let’s get right into it!



## Ori_Sky



Ori Sky is one of those gamers who was interested in playing games quickly before they realized that speedrunning was a thing.



They primarily run platformers with a focus on games with “fast, fluid, and high control movement” but it’s also important that games have a solid story and great music.



“Music honestly plays a big part in reinforcing how fun and engaging the gameplay is, and of course I wouldn't like having awful music playing when I'm replaying a game over and over,” they said.



[At Power Up with Pride, Ori ran Mindseize](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1053117390?collection=iIj_VrujhxaKEg), an indie Metroidvania that was so fun to watch that I ended up picking up my own copy to try it out.



Ori first started running Mindseize to get away from the anxiety that was keeping them from speedrunning Ori and the Will of the Wisps.



Even though they wanted to run the new Ori game, they kept thinking “‘other people have already routed this way more than me and already have times better than I'll ever get.’”



It’s an anxious obstacle that a lot of speedrunners face.



While their fears were negative, they were able to turn the experience into a positive when they looked around for other games they might be able to run.



“I felt like what I really wanted to do was be able to feel like I was actively contributing to a speedrun, rather than just trailing behind everyone who had already put hours and hours of work into it,” they said.



They enjoyed playing Mindseize casually and came up with exciting ideas for what a potential speedrun might look like, so they got to creating that run. 



“What I like the most about the game is the way in which all the movement mechanics interact and combine with each other to allow you to move super fast towards the end game if you know how to,” they said.



Additionally, they enjoy the challenge of finding new and faster ways to take down the game’s bosses.



While they don’t enjoy the overall task of glitch hunting, they do enjoy refining glitch discoveries by looking for simpler setups and new implementations.



“Another runner of MindSeize who actually ran the unrestricted category discovered a lot of glitches for the game, and although I would not have enjoyed hunting for those glitches myself, I've really enjoyed getting the chance to find new places to apply those glitches, or better setups for them so that it isn't as difficult to pull off frame-perfect tricks,” they said.



Over time, Ori has also moved away from their speedrunning anxieties by engaging with positive speedrun communities.



“The speedruns I've become interested in more recently...have honestly been spurred on by the communities I hang around in, not the other way around, so I think having a good, supportive community is a real plus for me,” they said, naming the Sonic Robo Blast 2 community among others.



It’s a great reminder that while World Records are exciting, it’s important to approach speedrunning with a focus on having a good time and connecting with positive community spaces.



Additionally, Ori said they’ve had a lot of positive experiences in speedrunning as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.



“All the speedrunning communities I've stuck around in have been incredibly supportive and understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community, and especially supportive towards me as I've gone through the journey of exploring my identity over the past year, realizing I'm non-binary, and accepting that,” they said.



Altogether they see speedrunning as an opportunity to engage with a game from new and exciting angles as well as a way to spend time with like-minded people.

“When a game has good mechanics, good story, good music, etc, being able to speedrun it and replay it over and over without necessarily getting bored of it, lets you breathe new life into the game,” they said.



## SaberaMesia

While some folks take to speedrunning easily, for SaberaMesia it took a few attempts to get invested in a speedgame.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/9qzpw6e3.jpg)

In early 2015, SaberaMesia took a shot at learning the speedrun for Shovel Knight with the goal of posting as soon as she could get a sub-hour run.



But the prospect of learning the necessary currency routing and item switching for Shovel Knight was overwhelming so instead, she committed to a different strategy.



“I was like, ‘I'm just gonna jump and stab things. And that's going to be a whole lot easier!’” she said, however, things did not go according to plan. “It was not easier. You don't get any HP upgrades and you don't get any of the strength upgrades.”



In the end, she did not get a sub-hour run so she never submitted to the leaderboard. 



“At some point, I just wasn't making progress anymore,” she said.



She took a short break from speedrunning and streaming in general but later on, she toyed around with learning a run of Axiom Verge, but again found the process overwhelming.



“The idea of having to remember where to go and where to find items was really scary to me at that point in time,” she said.



She made a few attempts at the Any% run, but again nothing clicked.



After playing through Celeste casually (including the B-sides and C-Sides) and learning a bit of the advanced movement tech, SaberaMesia decided to try for a sub-40 run of the game. 

“I was like, ‘there are no enemies in this thing, how bad could it be?’ and I got really into it,” she said.



To some extent, her practice paid off when she brought her run under 43 minutes, just shy of her goal but still a worthy accomplishment.



“I wasn't sad about that time. But I also, again...kind of hit a wall at that point, and...leaned away from it...just kind of coming back to play the game, occasionally, here and there.”

But her journey didn’t end there. 



One of her friends, NeoMagusX, hosts a yearly “Metroidvania Day” stream and for the 2019 event, SaberaMesia thought it could be fun to give Axiom Verge another shot and race against NeoMagusX.



“My best attempt at Axiom Verge Any% had resulted in a two hour and 49 minute time or something like that. It was my one and only Axiom Verge speedrun attempt,” she said, “so I was like, ‘I can probably get that down to around an hour...in a year, right?’”



To her surprise, the World Record had improved significantly since her last attempts but undeterred she began practicing the new tech and strategies.



Crucially, she joined the Axiom Verge Speedrunning Discord to ask for help about a trick she was struggling with and on the spot, another runner booted up a stream with his controller inputs displayed so she could see exactly how the trick needed to be performed.



As she continued to learn and practice, she found herself connecting with the game and bringing her own time down to sub-40 minutes which unfortunately meant a race against NeoMagusX would not have been as fair, but on the bright side SaberaMesia had finally clicked with a speed game.



“I just fell in love with Axiom Verge speedrunning and I've run it pretty consistently with breaks here and there ever since,” she said.



From there on, she was able to go back and get her sub-40 Celeste run and started branching into running even more games.



At Power Up With Pride, SaberaMesia performed runs for two games: [Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1053131719?collection=iIj_VrujhxaKEg)(“Deedlit” for short) and [Axiom Verge](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1053131721?collection=iIj_VrujhxaKEg).



She admins Deedlit and was the first person to publish a run to the leaderboard. In early access before the game’s full release, she was already finding glitches and exploits, some of which have gone on to be useful in running the full game.



During her Axiom Verge run, she premiered a glitch that had not been previously performed in a marathon. 



An older version of the glitch was only ever performed once by one player and nobody has been able to replicate it, but SaberaMesia discovered an alternate setup that made the trick a lot more feasible.



To put it shortly, the glitch involves using the “Address Disrupter” to turn an enemy into a glitchy, moving platform, standing atop the platform, releasing a drone, using the drone to push the platform and character into a wall, leaving the room, and recalling the drone.



Because of several interacting factors, things get weird. 



In her own words: “It resets the room that the drone is in and also the room that the character is in, instead of keeping state between those rooms. And when room state is reset and your character is embedded entirely inside of a wall. The way the game tries to fix this is by moving you straight up until you either end up out of bounds at which point it fixes that by putting you in your last known valid position, which was in a wall or it finds a free space that you can stand in, at which point it stops. And so that happens and it shoots you up to the back area of a room that you're otherwise not able to get to that allows you to bypass the boss.”



As far as her experience as an LGBTQIA+ speedrunner, SaberaMesia says she has been pleasantly surprised to find just how many LGBTQIA+ folks seem to be drawn to speedrunning and that for the most part she has found a lot of welcoming and supportive communities. 



“It's been way better than I imagined and has really helped me in a lot of ways that are unrelated to gaming in general,” she said. “And it's been a really, really wonderful experience that has made the last year...substantially more tolerable.”



## Crrool



Crrool wears many hats including speedrunner, physics teacher, and Oengus Community Manager.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/v5e18mn0.jpg)

As a speedrunner, he mostly plays Pokemon games and is particularly drawn to strange challenges.



“I'm mainly known as somebody who does a lot of dumb stuff you know, the kind of run that most people wouldn't really be particularly inclined to do,” he said.



While many of the most popular speedrunning games are platformers or other action titles, the RPG speedrunning scene makes up a significant portion of the community as well.



“It's a lot less execution heavy and a lot more planning and knowing what to do when RNG doesn't go the way you want it to. You know, being able to play around that,” he said, “...that's also why I do a lot of challenge runs, just being able to look at the game, look at what's going on, and then adapt on the fly and try and figure out which pathing works and what doesn't work and how to potentially adjust things if they don't work.”



As a testament to his dedication to Pokemon games, Crrool participates in the yearly Pokemon Series Race. 



The exact requirements of the race have changed from year to year but in 2020 it required runners to play through 62 different games including every version from each generation and obscure spinoff titles like Pokemon: Typing Adventure.



This year’s race will be less intensive but will still include a whopping 30 games.



Of course, many of the Pokemon spinoff games are not RPGs but Crrool enjoys the way they push him outside of his comfort zone.



“At the end of the day, I don't really run to compete for top times. I run because I enjoy running and because it's fun to challenge myself one way or another,” he said.



As previously mentioned in our [Power Up with Pride highlights article](https://www.speedrun.com/news/782-2021-6-9-power-up-with-pride-an-un-bee-lievable-hit), Crrool achieved a new World Record during the event when he beat his previous Personal Best in [Finding Paradise](https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1053057806?collection=iIj_VrujhxaKEg).



“The speedrun isn't really anything too special. It's a lot of text mashing, and just kind of knowing where to go. But the story is what makes it such a phenomenal game,” he said.

In fact, the story was so moving that Crrool’s run made a lot of audience members cry including some of the event staff.



“I did the prequel at Powerup with Pride in 2018 I think. So, now I got to do part two of the series, and part three is scheduled to release this year. So maybe next year,” he said.



A lot of speedrunning events rely on Oengus.io to schedule marathons and other speedrunning events, but in early 2021, site-creator Gyoo decided to step away from the project which was going to mean the end of the site as a whole.



Knowing how important the site has been for the speedrunning community, Crrool and his boyfriend Duncte123 took over the site to keep it running in Gyoo’s absence.



“It is kind of a big platform for the speedrunning community. So you know, that was kind of also a moment where we were like, ‘Yeah, no, we got it, we can't let this just die out like that,’” he said.



In order to maintain the financial side of the project, Crrool reached out to friends and contacts he had made as a speedrunner and marathon planner. The response was incredibly supportive with various marathons agreeing to contribute funds to the site.



Moving forward, Duncte123 is working on a new version of Oengus with the help of another developer to make the tools even better.



“The goal is to make the platform run a lot smoother, a lot more stable, far less issues and when issues do arise actually give us error codes that we can do something with rather than just having to run by the five most common possibilities of what could be going wrong, and from there on allowing us to actually build in new features from the back end, and we've got a fair few things planned, but you'll have to stay tuned for that,” Crrool said.



As a physics teacher, Crrool controls the conversation around his speedrunning and streaming by bringing it up at the start of each school year.



“‘This is what I do with streaming. If you want to know my name, just ask at the end of class, I'll happily give it to you.’ conditions do apply, obviously. But it's better that way. Because at least that way, I control the conversation,” he said.



Over the years, current and former students have dropped in the chat to say hello and hang out.



“Most of them drop in once and then never again, but there's always the odd few who actually got involved in the community,” he said. “One of my former students is now a Mario Odyssey speedrunner.”



Thanks to these runners for taking the time to share their experiences with us. You can find out more about each of them at these links.



Ori_Sky: [https://www.twitch.tv/ori_sky](https://www.twitch.tv/ori_sky)  

SaberaMesia: [https://m.twitch.tv/saberamesia](https://m.twitch.tv/saberamesia)  

Crrool: [https://www.twitch.tv/crrool](https://www.twitch.tv/crrool)



***Header image features Crrool, third from right. Used with permission.***

For Pride Month, we spoke with three talented LGBTQIA+ streamers about their experiences with speedrunning.

Pride Month Speedrunners Spotlight

E3 was chock-full of exciting new announcements, including some that look promising for speedrunners. Last week, we took a look at 8 AAA releases from various showcases. This time we’re showing some love to the little guy and going over 8 Indie titles announced/shown at E3 that should, hopefully, become great speedgames.

In no particular order, here are our top eight upcoming Indie video game titles for speedrunners:

## Tunic

**Developed by Andrew Shouldice**

**Published by Finji**

**Release Date: TBD**

**[Official Site](http://www.tunicgame.com/)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/0wzxrdzr.jpg)Why you should care:

Tunic is a gorgeous action-adventure game in a similar vein to classic Legend of Zelda games. Tunic also appears to have what looks to be a fairly in-depth combat system, managing a stamina bar and fending off multiple enemies with whatever loot you’ve found on your journey. The world doesn’t appear to be entirely open, but it is quite large and so routing out the open worlds and the dungeons contained within should be interesting.

Also, the fox is very cute.

If you want to check out some of the dungeon crawling, you can find 15 minutes of gameplay [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYMVIIZ6lRU)

## Severed Steel

**Developed by Greylock Studio**

**Published by Digerati**

**Summer 2021**

**[Official Site](https://www.digerati.games/game/71-severed-steel)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/qrz28lz0.jpg)Why you should care:

An arcadey stunt FPS inspired by games like Titanfall 2, Hotline Miami, and F.E.A.R where you play as a one-armed female protagonist named Steel kicking ass and taking names. This fast-paced adrenaline rush already has a solid community speedrunning the demo, and the developer listens to feedback in the [Discord](https://discord.gg/duFTaEH) every day. This one is for sure going to be a hit on release because it already is even just as a demo.

If you’re interested in checking it out, you can find the [Bullet Ballet trailer here](https://youtu.be/9mZWJvnyzHM) and a [speedrun of all the Arcade levels from SN Mortar here](https://youtu.be/EpzChkW3rug). Also, a few days ago, I sat down with Mattwla of Greylock Studio to discuss some of the behind-the-scenes thoughts behind the mechanics, which you can read about in [my article discussing the game.](https://www.speedrun.com/news/807-2021-6-21-coming-soon-severed-steel-an-fps-for-speedrunners)

## Neko Ghost, Jump!

**Burgos Games**

**Coming Soon**

**[Official Site](https://nekoghostjump.com/)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/1pzmdwzk.jpg)Why you should care:

In this challenging platformer, you play as Nekoman switching between a 2D or 3D perspective as well as swapping between physical and ghost forms to complete puzzles, find hidden areas, and even clear levels faster. Each of the 40 levels has an in-game leaderboard where times will be posted, which shows there was definitely some thought from the developers regarding speedrunning this title.

If you’re interested in checking out what might be one of the cutest speedgames in existence, you can check out the announcement trailer [here.](https://youtu.be/iie62igOhCU)

## SkateBIRD

**Glass Bottom Games**

**August 12th, 2021**

**[Official Site](https://skate.birb.rocks/)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/2yzr5mn4.jpg)Why you should care:

Okay so picture Tony Hawk's Pro Skater… but you play as a little bird. Do I really need to say anything else? SkateBIRD does appear to have a story mode, meaning yes, you *can* speedrun the game with the little bird trying his best. I will say, I’ve never run a skateboarding game myself, but if there’s any time to start,  I think it might be now

If you want to check out some gameplay of the lil birb doing his thing, you can check out the [official trailer here](https://youtu.be/S7dPN6TI-X8)

## Gloomwood

**Developed by Dillon Rogers & David Szymanski**

**Published by New Blood Interactive**

**Coming Soon**

**[Official Site](https://newblood.games/games)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/v5ngokeq.jpg)Why you should care:

If you’re not familiar with the titles that come out of New Blood Interactive, I highly recommend that you get to know them. Dave Oshry, CEO of New Blood, said “we love speedrunners and often use them to record our trailer gameplay footage”.

David Szymanski, one of the developers working on Gloomwood, previously worked on DUSK - which to this day holds a solid amount of active speedrunners. Now, this game seems to be more focused stealth horror than pure unadulterated chaos and violence - but I’m sure speedrunners will find a way to go fast. Gloomwood is still definitely recognizable as similar to DUSK, and it’s entirely possible that some of the [movement tech](https://www.speedrun.com/dusk/guide/pbtsr) might be transferable.

If Gloomwood sounds like it might be your jam, check out the intro to the game in this [5-minute gameplay reveal.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfIg98cUH4c)

## Lifeslide

**Dreamteck**

**2021**

**[Official Site](https://lifeslide.io/)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/qrz288z0.jpg)Why you should care:

The most impressive thing about [Lifeslide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGJtDsSP7t8) might be it's absolutely astonishing visuals. Lifeslide for most players is meant to be a rather zen experience, soaking everything in and just chilling out - but speedrunners aren’t about that are we? Amazingly, there’s a fair bit of movement tech in this game you can use to clear it faster. This includes tricks to angle yourself faster by purposefully touching the ground briefly, and also flying as low as possible for as long as possible because of the speed boost given to you — but of course you risk crashing.

A couple days ago, our very own Alice Pow wrote an [article going more in depth on the speedrunning experience of Lifeslide](https://www.speedrun.com/news/810-2021-6-22-lifeslide-speedrunning-as-a-paper-plane) — having received an early access key from Dreamteck and talked to speedrunner [SpeedyDeep](https://www.speedrun.com/user/SpeedyDeep) who was challenged by the devs to do a speedrun and was able to [complete the game in just a little over an hour.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOcFE-RRdL8)

## Warcry: Challenges

**Dream Powered Games**

**2021**

**[Official Site](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1608470/Warcry_Challenges/)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/1pzmdozk.jpg)Why you should care:

That’s right, it’s another movement FPS. What can I say? They make for good speedruns. Dream Powered Games describes this game as a “Skill based Time Trial Fast FPS”, which essentially means that it's a collection of levels rather than a true “campaign.” To get an idea of what the game feels like, the first line of the Steam description is “What if doom guy had a drunk one night stand with Super Meatboy?”

Thanks, Dream Powered Games, that’s an image in my head now.

All jokes aside, this game looks like an absolute blast to run through, and outright states some of its movement tech right on its Steam page. This is definitely a title to keep an eye on going forward. If you want to check out some gameplay, you can check out the [gameplay trailer here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHh0gdauRwg)

## Fallen Aces

**Developed by Trey Powell & Jason Bond**

**Published by New Blood Interactive**

**Coming Soon**

**[Official Site](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1411910/Fallen_Aces/)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/0dz4jkz6.jpg)Why you should care:

Another game published by New Blood, because *damn* do they publish some good games for speedrunning. Fallen Aces is a crime noir FPS with a truly unique comic book-inspired visual style that my eyes can get used to. Checking out the combat in the [E3 Trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBw-CTdfCdU), it looks incredibly satisfying and I for one am eager to dig right into some fight routing.

There’s no release date for Fallen Aces beyond SOON™ on the games Steam page, but if it needs some more time in the oven to come out just right - I’m okay with that.

## That’s a wrap!

Well, with that, we’ve finished our coverage of E3 2021. Especially considering the global circumstances of the past year, I think it’s safe to say we have a lot to look forward to from the gaming industry in the coming months.

If you missed our other articles surrounding E3, we covered [8 AAA titles for speedrunners](https://www.speedrun.com/news/800-2021-6-18-e3-2021-top-8-aaa-titles-for-speedrunners), and we went in-depth behind-the-scenes on [Severed Steel](https://www.speedrun.com/news/807-2021-6-21-coming-soon-severed-steel-an-fps-for-speedrunners) as well as [Lifeslide.](https://www.speedrun.com/news/810-2021-6-22-lifeslide-speedrunning-as-a-paper-plane)

E3 2021 introduced us to many intriguing new games. Today, we're taking a look at eight Indie titles that look promising for speedruns.

E3 2021: 8 Indie Titles for Speedrunners

E3 was packed with incredible game announcements. We’ve covered [some of the big announcements](https://www.speedrun.com/news/800-2021-6-18-e3-2021-top-8-aaa-titles-for-speedrunners), and [looked at a smaller title, Severed Steel](https://www.speedrun.com/news/807-2021-6-21-coming-soon-severed-steel-an-fps-for-speedrunners). Today, we want to focus on [Lifeslide](https://www.speedrun.com/lifeslide), an E3 indie title from Dreamteck with speedrun potential. 



Mitko Tsaprev, the CEO of Dreamteck who created the first version of Lifeslide for a university project back in 2016, was nice enough to provide me with an early access key so I could try the game first hand.



I also spoke to SpeedyDeep, who has already speedrun the game ahead of release.



---



## The Gameplay



In Lifeslide, players take control of a paper plane as they navigate procedurally generated levels in the game’s Story Mode, Zen Mode, and Challenge Mode.



The controls are simple with options for various play styles including mouse control as well as rebindable keyboard and gamepad support.



Flying close to the ground increases the player’s momentum but that can also make obstacles more difficult to evade. Flying through Yellow Gems increases the timer before the plane loses all momentum but flying through Blue Gems contributes to plane upgrades between runs.



According to Tsaprev, “It's a simple concept with simple input but it can have a lot of depth. Learning to fly well takes time and there is a big difference between players who have played 1-2 hours and the ones with 10+ hours.”



I can only speak for the levels I’ve played so far but, between the music, simple art style, and interesting gameplay, Lifeslide has succeeded at creating a game that is both uplifting and challenging.



The game contains minimal text with the story told through the environment and mechanics introduced as they show up which should be appealing for any speedrunners who dislike sluggish tutorials and long unskippable cutscenes.

  ![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/r1n8jweq.jpg)

---



## Speedrunning...speedflying?



Even before the game’s official release on Steam, runner SpeedyDeep has recorded a story mode speedrun of Lifeslide, which clocked in at 1:05:09.



“It definitely has potential to be played for speedruns.  That's one of the things I really like about Lifeslide, the difficulty is built into the levels.” he said, “If you want to have a chill experience, take it easy and just glide through the stages and enjoying the scenery, you can totally do that.  However, if you want to push the limits of yourself and your plane, all you have to do is try to hug the ground to drive your plane faster, which of course makes navigating the levels exponentially more difficult.”



As far as early speedrun tech, he has made a few discoveries though he’s confident there is more to be uncovered.



In some places, he says, players can quickly line up the angle of their plane with the ground by skidding against the terrain for a moment. This can also occasionally be used for small speed boosts.



To perform another trick he’s named “waffling,” he says, “You basically flap your plane up and down close to the ground to generate speed quickly, but your plane's max speed is the limit to how fast you can build that.”



He went on to describe one more piece of movement tech. “The most interesting mechanic is the death boost, I don't think it's a glitch really, but when you run out of time, your plane goes into a dark mode.  In dark mode, you have little to no steering, but your plane will suddenly jump to max speed.  So, if you time it right and adopt the right angle right before going dark, you can shoot your plane much further down the level.”



After boosting ahead, the plane will crash into the ground unless it's properly positioned and angled to finish the level or gather more Yellow Gems to refill the timer.



---



## Developing with Attention to Community



Because of players like SpeedyDeep showing interest in speedrunning, Dreamteck is motivated to lean into it. They’re always interested in community feedback for potential features, according to Tsaprev.



They also are open to feedback on accessibility. Tsaprev says, “We have planned a colorblind mode update that we will add after release. We are very open to any kinds of suggestions and requests from the community as well.”



Lifeslide will be released on Steam on August 6, 2021. Check out the Steam demo [here](https://store.steampowered.com/app/956140/Lifeslide/).

An indie title that was on display at E3, Lifeslide's simple concept supports both a zen gameplay experience and a challenging speedrun opportunity.

Lifeslide: Speedrunning as a Paper Plane

One of the many impressive demos [featured at E3 earlier this week](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQOLg6So5fk&t=2010s) was [Severed Steel](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1227690/Severed_Steel/), a fast-paced, single-player first-person shooter featuring bullet time and a variety of stunts players can pull off through the game’s mechanic “Stunt Mode.” 



Stunt Mode allows you to chain stunts together and keep you invulnerable to enemy fire, encouraging you to play fast and stylishly to be effective. Severed Steel has you maneuvering around gorgeous levels disarming and dispatching of baddies, requiring you to analyze your environment thoroughly and prioritize your next action quickly.



Severed Steel also features a destructible voxel environment so the player can shoot holes in the walls with traditional firepower or an arm cannon that blows giant holes in geometry, opening up an infinite amount of possibilities for routing through the games 30 levels (of which only [a few are available in the current demo](https://youtu.be/EpzChkW3rug)).

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/7rnqvmej.jpg)A few days ago, I got the chance to sit down with the *solo developer* of this game, Mattwla, and ask questions about what it was like to develop a game with speedrunning in mind.



## Developing a Speedgame



Matt has brought on a few people for some individual things like voice acting, music creation, and a friend to help with a little bit of the level design — but the majority of the work is being done by Matt alone, making the level polish on Severed Steel at this stage pre-release that much more impressive.



![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/67e935e1.jpg)Relationships between game developers and the associated speedrunning community tend to be the exception rather than the rule presently. Hopefully, this will change in the coming years as speedrunning becomes more mainstream.



I bring this up because Matt seems to be one of the exceptions with Severed Steel. As far back as two years ago when the project was still named “Impact,” Matt held a closed beta and realized very quickly that this game could be popular amongst speedrunners.



**Here’s what Matt had to say about it:**



*"The way I see Severed Steel and the speedrunning community is having conversations like this. And figuring out if I can spend an hour altering a feature that will make the entire speedrunning community love it that much more; it just seems like a smart way for me to spend my time. As far as content that speedrunners put out, it looks cool. Speedrun videos look great. As a game developer, you want people to make content on your game. So, to me, it seems obvious."*

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/3ynl93n6.jpg)

## Inspirations



Matt credits multiple titles, primarily games he's enjoyed, for inspiring him to pursue his own ideal first-person shooter, resulting in his work on Severed Steel.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/r7z339zd.jpg)The overall game feel is inspired by games like Hotline Miami and Bulletstorm, in that Severed Steel is arcadey chaotic goodness with (skippable!) cutscenes told through comic strips, lots of colors, celebratory popups, and a familiar scoring system.



The combat is also inspired from games like Bulletstorm, but also a good mix of F.E.A.R and of course, Superhot — the game that comes to most people's minds immediately when they see Severed Steel. 



When I asked about what specific elements Matt had looked to in F.E.A.R for inspiration, he said *“The bullet time, for sure. The environments are kind of on the gritty side, the look of the enemies are definitely F.E.A.R-inspired. I actually asked the voice actor just to give me F.E.A.R voices, pretty much.”*



Each move in Stunt Mode, those being the dive, the slide, and wallrunning were inspired from different games. Matt credits the dive to an old Half-Life mod called [The Specialists](https://www.moddb.com/mods/the-specialists), a title he cherished a lot in middle school. Right off the bat, Matt mentioned that the wallrunning and the slide were both inspired by Titanfall 2. He said the wallrunning definitely needs some tweaks before release, but considering how challenging it is for games to get wallrunning right, Severed Steel is doing great.



I noticed that each of the games that Matt mentioned as inspiration for Severed Steel’s stunts were from the Source engine (Surprisingly, *including* Titanfall 2)  Source has some legendary speedrunning history, so I asked Matt if he'd drawn on Source movement for inspiration.  He confirmed it:



Matt: *”Yeah. I grew up on Half-Life. Half-life and its modding scene was my life in middle school and in high school. So Source is there for sure. Honestly, I didn't really realize this until just now, but yeah. Cool."*



## Development Challenges



Making games is hard, making a polished game is even harder. Making a polished game essentially by yourself? Well now, that’s just downright baffling. Matt and I talked about the challenges of creating such a fast-paced game.



Cam: How do you know when the pacing of the game is right? Because that's really important for a game like this. Did you ever feel like it wasn't fast enough? Or maybe it was too fast? How do you find that balance?



Matt: *Yeah, there's also another layer because there's the game speed and there's the bullet time speed, different speeds to worry about. It's just kind of feeling, there's no math behind it. I just play it. Some days I'll just change the speed variable and see how it feels. It's like hitting a piece of metal with a hammer. Long enough and eventually it's smooth or something, right? Just testing and tweaking. *



Cam: So it's an iterative process. 



Matt: *Oh my god, iterative. Yes. That's the perfect word for it. Constant iteration. Yeah.*



![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/2qny03ep.jpg)I suppose at the root of game development, everything is iterative — a delicate balancing act. Even the game's title, and the name of the main character, have been iterated on. During the days when the project was titled Impact, “Steel” was actually named Eve. Down the line, another game came out with the name Impact, and so Matt needed to find a new name to stand out. 



Eventually, Digerati (the game's publisher) came up with the name of the game we now know as Severed Steel. At the time, it meant nothing and simply sounded good because of alliteration. Matt wasn’t entirely sold on the idea, but couldn’t think of anything else and so he sat on it for a bit. He eventually decided to rename the character from Eve to Steel — without even realizing he just gave proper meaning to the game’s title. Seeing as Steel is a one-armed protagonist, the name Severed Steel ended up fitting rather well.



## Where can I play?



On release, Severed Steel will be coming to Steam, Playstation 4/5, and Xbox One/X/S. For now, until June 22nd, you can play the [demo on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1227690/Severed_Steel/) and I ***HIGHLY*** recommend you do so because it’s a blast. Also if you’re interested in joining the community (especially if you’re interested in Severed Steel speedrunning), you should join the [Discord server](https://discord.gg/duFTaEH). See you there!



Sitting down with the developer of Severed Steel, we learned how this game is built for speedrunning.

Coming soon: Severed Steel, an FPS for speedrunners

The well-attended video game conference E3 2021 took a digital form this past weekend, with big showcases featuring top developers and publishers like Bethesda, Nintendo, and Gearbox.

If you were feeling overwhelmed during the four-day event, you’re not alone. There were plenty of amazing opportunities to get first looks, teasers, and new details about the games we expect to play through the end of 2021 and well into 2022.

We watched the event with one question in mind: what hot new speedgames can we look forward to?

In no particular order, here are our top eight upcoming AAA video game titles for speedrunners:

## Elden Ring  

**Developed by: FromSoftware**

**Published by: BANDAI NAMCO**

**Expected release date: January 21, 2022**

**[Official Site](https://www.bandainamcoent.com/agecheck?redirect_uri=%2Flanding%2Feldenring)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/v5e175e0.jpg)Elden Ring is the newest Souls-like installment in development by the legendary FromSoftware in partnership with George R. R. Martin. Previous games created by FromSoft include Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Bloodborne, and the Dark Souls series. Souls games seem to consistently provide fantastic speedruns with beautifully brutal combat and a host of entertaining glitches and skips.

While we don’t know exactly what to expect from Elden Ring, it’s almost certain that speedrunners will be diving right into it on release. Check out the [Elden Ring Gamplay Reveal here.](https://youtu.be/E3Huy2cdih0)

## Dying Light 2

**Techland**

**Expected release date: December 7, 2021**

**[Official Site](https://dl2.dyinglightgame.com/)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/qoeoxjeg.jpg)Parkour in an open world filled with zombies you can smash, stomp, shoot, zap, or otherwise dispatch how you please — need I say more? Doesn’t matter, I’m going anyway. Dying Light 2 appears to be very much in the spirit of the first game, just amped up to 11. Although open world games *tend* to have less sequence breaks, I think we can expect a fluid speedrun with deep movement mechanics and optimal routing choices around DL2’s non-linear story options

Who knows, maybe this open world adventure will get some wild glitches or exploits. Either way, I’m sure this game will make for a unique speedrun. You can check out Dying Light 2’s [Game Overview from E3 here.](https://youtu.be/RooY1pmvDA4)

## Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

**Nintendo**

**Expected release date: July 16, 2021**

**[Official Site](https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-hd-switch/)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/d3ek95nx.jpg)As discussed in a previous article, [speedrunning ports (or more accurately in this case, remakes) of a game can be a unique experience](https://www.speedrun.com/news/774-2021-6-3-days-gone-speedrunning-a-game-port). The standard edition of the game, which came out in 2011, is uniquely broken with a glitch called Back in Time that chops a hefty 4 hours from the run. I’m no Zelda runner, but if I was, the first thought in my head would be, “Will this work in Skyward Sword HD?”

Of course, we won't know the answer until next month but regardless of what it is, Zelda games are always a hit with runners in the Zelda community to some degree. You can check out [Skyward Sword HD’s trailer here.](https://youtu.be/DfnItaAI6PI)

## Metroid Dread

**Developed by: Mercury Steam/Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development**

**Published by: Nintendo**

**Expected release date: October 8, 2021**

**[Official Site](https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/metroid-dread-switch/)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/3xz0j1el.jpg)Metroid speedrunning has been around for decades, and for good reason. The Metroid games runs don’t typically boast giant skips, but rather optimal pathing and the frequent use of smaller glitches and exploits across the run — which really hits a sweet spot for a lot of runners. Not too broken, and not too rigid either. Considering this is the first mainline Metroid game in a *very* long time, this is gonna be a big one.

While Metroid Dread isn’t a remake like Skyward Sword HD, it *is* a new installment in a series that speedrunners have been playing for over two decades. Will we see some transferable skills? Repeat top runners, or maybe fresh blood taking the top spots? Only time will tell. You can check out the [Metroid Dread Announcement Trailer here.](https://youtu.be/8NjCICl7dDo)

## The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2

**Nintendo**

**Expected release date: 2022**

**[Official Site](https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/2021/a-new-look-at-the-sequel-to-the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild/)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/9kzwmjnq.jpg)So first things first, *technically* this isn’t the game's real title. Considering Nintendo won’t tell anyone what the actual title is, “Breath of The Wild 2” (BOTW2) is the best we’ve got. People will speedrun this because it's a new release in the Zelda series, but there are other reasons to believe this mysterious entry will make for a great speedgame. Nintendo has used the same tools to create BOTW2 as they did with the first BOTW game, the same process they used for Ocarina of Time (OOT) and Majora’s Mask (MM). It just so happens that OOT and MM shared quite a lot of the same glitches and exploits, so I think we can expect a similar result from the two BOTW games. And let’s be real, who doesn’t love watching [Link fly through the air like a majestic Loftwing](https://youtu.be/Ext6yE0d394).

Breath of the Wild 1 was also unique in that it was designed so that you could go to the final boss *whenever you wanted*, a special treat for speedrunners. However, the tradeoff was that you need to fight all of the games bosses at once while *also* being pretty ill-equipped. This made BOTW1 a very entertaining speedrun to watch, and I don’t think I’m alone in hoping BOTW2 will reflect the same. You can check out the [teaser for the “Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild” here.](https://youtu.be/Pi-MRZBP91I)

## Halo Infinite

**Developed by: 343 Industries**

**Published by: Xbox Game Studios**

**Expected release date: 2021**

**[Official Site](https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halo-infinite)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/oxzd29em.jpg)You *can* check out some a cinematic trailer for the campaign [here](https://youtu.be/wDZ-9B6hX5A), **but** the *real* meat is inside the [multiplayer gameplay trailer](https://youtu.be/4i86Ckj8xKk) where we get a good view at the movement and combat. The movement looks nice and fluid, with a fancy new grappling hook that *better* be in the campaign. The combat also looks nice and chunky, in the best way possible. Everyone loves a chunky shotgun blast. With what appears to be some solid base mechanics, it’s really down to how the campaign is structured for this to be a truly great speedgame — and I’m rooting for 343 to nail this thing out of the park.

## Back 4 Blood

**Developed by: Turtle Rock Studios**

**Published by: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment**

**Expected release date: October 8, 2021**

**[Official Site](https://www.back4blood.com/en-gb)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/y1n5jve3.jpg)Back 4 Blood is essentially Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2) brought into the modern day, even including some of the original dev team. If you don’t already know, L4D2 is a co-op zombie shooter made in the Source engine. Source, of course, brings along with it some fantastic movement in the form of tick perfect bunnyhopping, which makes up the majority of the skill required for L4D2 speedruns. The thing is, Back 4 Blood is being created on Unreal Engine 4, not Source. Chances are pretty high this movement will no longer exist, at least not the way it exists in L4D2 - but Back 4 Blood is also bringing along a host of *new* mechanics so who knows what it’ll look like in the end.

Either way, co-op speedruns are always a blast, and they were more popular than solo runs in L4D2, even if only by a little bit. I think the social aspect of co-op speedrunning  is much more important than any tech, and no matter what that will *definitely* exist here for Back 4 Blood. Who *doesn’t* want to smash in zombie brains while running against a timer with friends? *Definitely* no chance of ruining friendships there.

## Shadow Warrior 3

**Developed by: Flying Wild Hog**

**Published by: Devolver Digital**

**Expected release date: 2021**

**[Official Site](https://shadowwarrior.com/)**

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/l1n7v5n5.jpg)Shadow Warrior started out simply as a DOOM clone back in 1997, one of many other clones around that time. Since then however, it’s been rebooted as a modern series by Flying Wild Hog and they’ve turned it into something truly unique. Shadow Warrior 2 was a fast-paced slash and shooter, and Shadow Warrior 3 seems to be aiming for more of the same with a wider scope and more streamlined mechanics — even stripping out some of the more confusing ones. With a game so naturally fast-paced, it will no doubt be a hit with speedrunners. Check out the second [Shadow Warrior Gameplay Trailer here.](https://youtu.be/NYH5pwuIx58)

## That’s a wrap!

E3 brought us some fantastic titles this year, *especially* considering the global conditions of the past year. Sure, we’ve got to wait a little longer for some titles, but best to let them cook a little longer to ensure a better final product. Also, can we talk about how Nintendo just pulled out **ALL** the stops on their showcase? That showcase was one jawdropper after another, and I’m here for it, honestly.

That’s a wrap on our top 8 picks for AAA games for speedrunners. Coming up next, we’ll be taking a look at our top 8 Indie picks for speedrunners from E3, as well as in-depth looks at two indie titles, including developer interviews — so stay tuned!

E3 loaded up our wishlists with AAA titles full of speedrunning potential, including Elden Ring and Dying Light 2, among others! Here are some highlights expected to be released in 2021 and 2022.

E3 2021: Top 8 AAA titles for speedrunners

If you’ve never seen a [DOOM 2016](https://www.speedrun.com/d2016) speedrun before, you might not know just how broken the game can be. I’m talking *absolutely* **totally** busted but in the best way possible. [DOOM 2016 Any%](https://www.speedrun.com/d2016/run/yd9nopxz) is the category that goes absolutely ham. Bouncing off of rails to [reach the stratosphere](https://youtu.be/__198NZIHQU?t=50) and showing the demons you mean business with gruesome Glory Kills [that let you phase through walls](https://youtu.be/pZji9Asa4Tc) are just two things that Any% contains in the all-out battle to reach the end credits of the game as fast as humanly possible - skipping the majority of the game with one difficult trick after another. However, there was one theoretical skip that no runner could figure out. The second room of the game held the Praetor Suit and an accompanying introductory cutscene, and runners wanted nothing more than to skip it - this is the story behind the events leading up to the discovery of Intro Skip.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/0wzxjder.jpg)

# The Holy Grail Skip

As the weeks, months, and years went on and segment after segment of DOOM’s 13 level campaign was getting completely skipped, runners were attempting to find a way to skip this rather tedious cutscene they were watching nearly every attempt. This theoretical Holy Grail of a skip was given the title of “Intro Skip.” The idea was that if you were somehow able to clip out of either the first or second room, you would be able to move on with the level having never watched the Intro Cutscene.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/qrz24ln0.jpg)

Very shortly after the game launched, it was discovered that you could use the “Glory Kill” mechanic to clip through walls and floors. This was caused by the game moving the player into a set position determined by the Glory Kill animation so that the animation could play out properly. The discovery of “GK Clipping” was essential to the route of the run, allowing runners to skip extremely large portions of the game. Unfortunately, you did not get the ability to Glory Kill until after the Intro Cutscene, so it wasn’t possible to use it at that point.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/1pzm7wzk.jpg)

Many runners tried to figure out some other way to get out of the room, as some rooms in the game simply have no collision in certain areas, allowing you to get out of bounds that way.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/2yzr9mz4.jpg)Unfortunately, this room did not seem to be one of those cases. It is rumored that someone was able to get out by creating a macro that spammed jump inputs, but there was never any video evidence, and attempts to recreate it were unsuccessful.

For nearly 3 years, the search for the illusive Intro Skip continued, but only left those who chased it feeling disappointed.  This caused many runners to give up hope, and just accept that they would be stuck watching this cutscene in Reset Hell forevermore.

# The Discovery

That was until the well-known Any% world record holder [seeker__](https://www.speedrun.com/user/seeker_) discovered what is now known as [Paperclipping](https://youtu.be/6P8_zYeElJU). As it turns out, some walls in DOOM 2016 are paper-thin. So thin in fact, that if you find a corner or a little outcropping in a wall, you can wiggle your way in between the intersecting planes and just sorta.. pop out of bounds. Paperclips were found all throughout the game, ***including*** in the doorway before the Praetor Suit room. This meant that we could now take a *very* naked DOOM Guy to the end of the level and watch a (thankfully) short cutscene featuring the Slayers bare hands rather than the typical Praetor Suit gloves you’d normally get.

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/v5ngkkzq.jpg)*[Source](https://youtu.be/HVhoXbKeIv0?t=53)*

# The Timesave

The discovery of the Paperclip ended up shaving around *2 and a half minutes* from the 24-minute run, with Intro Skip saving over a minute of that alone. As for the Praetor Suit, you needn’t worry. The Slayer gets reunited with his titular armor immediately after completing “The UAC,” because a marine released from a hellish sarcophagus killing demons that bleed ammunition is fine but doing it naked?

Well, that’s just a bit *too* ridiculous.

The Praetor Suit and accompanying cutscene were one of the last major slow points to overcome for DOOM speedrunning. This is the story of how it was solved.

How DOOM Speedrunners Skip the Praetor Suit

This past weekend, [Power Up With Pride](https://powerupwithpride.org/) wrapped up an incredible marathon and raised $21,526.27 for [The Trevor Project](https://www.thetrevorproject.org/). The donation total marks a new record for the event, which is in its fifth year.



As is customary at charity marathons, Power Up featured donation incentives of both the exciting and silly variety. 



During the [Hades -3 Weapons RTA](https://www.speedrun.com/hades#3_Weapons) run on Friday, runner Moonblazewolf got to pet Cerberus for every 100 dollars donated. Of course, the audience made sure that incentive was maxed out to give that three-headed pup some well-deserved attention.



Along with plenty of speedrunning classics, the marathon featured games that don’t always get as much attention including a Turbographic-16 block with Neutopia, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, and Legend of Hero Tonma.



On Saturday, the event saw two WRs set. The first by Crrool in his run of [Finding Paradise - Full Game](https://www.speedrun.com/finding_paradise) and the second by SkullsAndCupcakes in her run of [SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 -  Knuckles All Emeralds NMG](https://www.speedrun.com/segaagess2/full_game#Knuckles).



Repeatedly throughout the marathon RNG and runner skill combined to finish scheduled runs with plenty of extra time, but event staff and runners kept everything going smoothly with improvised bonus runs and other entertaining segments.



On Sunday, Power Up’s Community Segment was hosted by TokyoScarab who used Mario Paint to follow along with an episode of Bob Ross. The audience was encouraged to join in with whatever art tools they had handy and the full segment served as a relaxing break from the excitement and an opportunity for community bonding and engagement.



When Power Up eclipsed its previous all-time donation record of a little over $17,000 later that day, the event staff came up with another donation incentive on the fly to carry the event to the end. They announced that if the marathon breached $20,000, the event staff would perform a dramatic reading of The Bee Movie in the near future. Additionally, at $21,500, runner Jaxler would speedrun [Bee Movie Game](https://www.speedrun.com/the_bee_movie_game) alongside the reading.



At the time, the goal seemed impossible anyways, so they figured it couldn’t hurt to have fun, but by the end of the night, they had reached the incentive, so look forward to a silly Bee Movie themed broadcast from Power Up in the next few weeks.



Power Up co-founder Celyying says the event was a success. “I've definitely poured my heart into this event over the years and I'm glad that people connect with and enjoy it so much,” she said. “...I'm so proud of everyone, from staff, to volunteers, the runners, and everyone watching and supporting.”



Check out videos from Power Up With Pride over on their [Twitch channel](https://www.twitch.tv/powerupwithpride) and follow them on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/pwerupwithpride) to find out more about the upcoming events from their team.



*Header image used with permission from [TokyoScarab](https://twitter.com/TokyoScarab).*

Power Up With Pride 2021 was a success with plenty of entertaining speedruns, including new World Records, and an incredibly wholesome Community Segment.

Power Up With Pride, an Un-BEE-lievable Hit

Ports of a game to a new platform can breathe new life into its community if it’s done well. 

Playstation has recently been re-releasing a lot of their previously console-exclusive titles to the PC, meaning the speedrunners of these titles have experienced quite a few changes to the game they're used to. 



The latest Playstation title to be ported to the PC is [Days Gone](https://www.speedrun.com/days_gone). Let’s take a look at what's happened inside the Days Gone speedrunning community since the release.



## New Activity



The re-release of Days Gone not only brought excitement to the previous runners who played on the Playstation, but also introduced the game to runners on the PC who otherwise would’ve never even had a chance to play the game. New runners in a speedgame are always useful, because having a fresh pair of eyes looking for better routes and new strats almost always leads to new timesave, especially in a smaller community like the Days Gone Speedrunning community.



## Timing Method



Aside from the changes inside the game due to routing or strat discoveries, the introduction to the PC platform brings some other quality of life things. Because PC users have access to tools like Cheat Engine. which can read game memory, custom scripts can be made to remove loading times. This helps keep competition on different hardware on a level playing field. It’s also possible to create functionality in this script to split automatically, meaning runners don’t really need to touch their LiveSplit much at all and instead focus entirely on the run. Autosplitting is a very nice quality of life change, especially considering the full game of Days Gone takes *between 8 and 10* ***hours***.



## Category Discussion



So yeah - as of the writing of this article the world record for the full game of Days Gone is [8:11:10](https://www.speedrun.com/days_gone/run/zxg83rky) by [Matt_The_Ogre](https://www.speedrun.com/user/Matt_the_ogre) - an incredible feat considering the staggering amount of content to mow through in Days Gone, but a great test of endurance nonetheless. 

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/r7z389nd.png)

Because the Any% category is so long, it was recently decided that there would be shorter segments of the game added as categories. The first of these segments is the [Lost Lake](https://www.speedrun.com/days_gone/full_game#Lost_Lake) category, which has you playing through just the first act of the game as fast as possible. The creation of these shorter categories has been revolutionary so far, and shows an exciting future for Days Gone speedrunning. Not only is a shorter category easier to manage for the average runner, it’s allowed for runners to focus more on specific routing and optimizations. Right around the launch of the PC release, the fastest time known for Lost Lake was just above the 2 hour mark by Hess. Since then, runners like [Hess](https://www.speedrun.com/user/Hess), [Matt_The_Ogre](https://www.speedrun.com/user/Matt_the_ogre), and [IEKevin](https://www.speedrun.com/user/IE-Kevin) have been optimizing the category finding further optimizations allowing Kevin to get a blazing time of [1:37](https://www.speedrun.com/days_gone/run/mkgd5kxy). If this level of optimization can be done for the rest of the segments in Days Gone, we could potentially see the full game run dropped below the 7 hour mark -  a time cut of over 10%

![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/2qnyg3np.jpg)

Note: The previously mentioned 2-hour time by Hess was never submitted to the leaderboard.



## New Discoveries



Of course, routing optimization is incredibly useful in shaving off time, but you know what’s even more useful? Abusing the game's cover system and a little ingenuity to fly through the air like a majestic eagle — [skipping entire sections of travel in mere seconds](https://youtu.be/n9TcLiKqKPE). 



![](https://next.speedrun.com/static/blob/r1n83wzq.jpg)[This trick was discovered by NoScopeFrog](https://youtu.be/ZbeO_AZbFm4) on May 27, 2021, dubbing it the “Frog Jump”. Depending on your setup, you can take this trick anywhere from a couple of hundred meters to [over 30 kilometers](https://youtu.be/6PaAbhX_1Y0).



Of course, this is a *very* new discovery, and its full potential has yet to be uncovered, considering there have only been a handful of spots found where it can be used. 



That said, if even just a few more spots could be found, the potential of this trick grows exponentially. Considering you can fly pretty much any distance, even across the entirety of the game world, the major restriction at this time is finding spots with good angles. 



Theoretically, finding some Frog Jump setups at places we can fast travel to and then boost anywhere on the map would cut out nearly 75% of travel time from the entirety of the run. Not to mention, if we find a way to boost to later sections of the game from the beginning, we’re talking about shaving off *hours* from the run rather than minutes. The possibilities of the future of this discovery are incredibly exciting.





## Conclusion



Even with just a few runners, the future of Days Gone speedrunning seems *very* promising. If you don’t think you can stomach the endurance test of an 8-hour speedrun, I definitely recommend checking out some of the shorter categories. If you fancy yourself to be a handy glitch hunter, this game seems to be on the verge of some massive timesave, maybe you could be the one to discover the next big find. If you’re looking to join the Days Gone speedrunning community, you can join their [Discord server here!](https://discord.gg/dYnQ5BH) 



A PC port for Days Gone was recently released. Let's take a look at what impact a port has on the game's speedrunning community.

Days Gone: Speedrunning a Game Port

xwpw4y0l

summertimealice

The leaderboards will open 2 weeks from launch to allow discussion about the categories we want to start out with.

Hades 2

Indigo Park: Chapter 1

Rooftops & Alleys

An embargo is in place. Please come back when the embargo is open!

**Why?**: The embargo is in place to allow moderators and community members to properly set up the leaderboards. Don't want to rush it and make mistakes!

Dr Robotnik's Ring Racers

UEFN: Paranoid

Join the discord to to learn about the categories if you'd like to start doing runs ahead of the board opening.