1993 Electronic Arts
Platforms: Commodore Amiga, SEG A Mega Drive and MS DOS
Also known as: Kult of Speed
Cult of Speed was to be a new Games Workshop licence from Electronic Arts for Amiga and PC, after the success of Space Hulk. The name was reported by Commodore Amiga User and represents a sub-grouping of Orcs in the Warhammer Universe who are obsessed with anything on wheels.
Generation 4 magazine had an interview piece with a short segment on the game, where they revealed that you would engage in merciless races onboard completely psychedelic motorcycles. The goal would be simple: don’t be last in the race or finish first.
According to the magazine, if you manage to win a few races, you will be able to equip your motorcycle with completely crazy gadgets, including a small cart that you drag behind you, on which there is a flamethrower operated by a goblin, who will cover your back when adversaries try to take first place.
The article featured a few screenshots, but then the game just seemed to disappear completely. It wasn’t clear how far it got or if it morphed into a different game. Then thankfully Steve Cook from the videogame history BlueSky feed got in touch after finding a whole article on the game in The One magazine in April 1994.
Firstly, we learn that the game was also known as “Kult of Speed”, and was being worked on by Simon Etchells (product manager), Kevin Shrapnell (producer), Darren Clarke (programmer) and Lloyd Baker (role unknown). The game was started in October 1993, and was due for release in June 1994.
There was apparently a track editor to be included, and the game was reported to have been initially intended for the Mega Drive as well as the Amiga. In the end, it was felt the game wasn’t particularly suited for the SEGA, and so was dropped early on.
A bit more information was revealed about the game itself, where there would be six clans competing in the races, with each having its own set of traits. There would be a number of obstacles to avoid on route and a lot of violence too.
Here’s a summary of its key features:
- Not Just a Racer: Although compared to Road Rash, EA insisted Cult of Speed was more strategic and fun, blending arcade racing with tactical gameplay and customization options.
- Combat-Focused Racing: Players earn credits through races to buy brutal weapons like telescopic spikes, wheel blades, and ball-and-chains.
- Customization and Strategy: Trikes can’t slow down, but players can perform loops or tactical turns to avoid obstacles or dangerous foes. The game includes a variety of upgrades and add-ons to improve performance or weaponry.
- Two-Player Split-Screen: A major technical achievement was reported to be its smooth two-player mode with no performance drop, even on a standard Amiga 500 (or so it was hoped!)
- Tailored for Amiga: Unlike Road Rash, which was a port, Cult of Speed was developed from scratch to fully exploit the Amiga’s capabilities, resulting in better visuals, speed, and animation.
It was all looking so good – so why was it canned in the end? Well, with some credits in place – we hope to learn sometime soon, and even see if anything still exists today!
With a huge thank you to Karl Kuras for the submission, Stefano Castelli for the Space Hulk shot correction, Tom Vinilo for the Aspect Warriors shot correction, Steve Cook at videogame history on BlueSky Stephen Stuttard and Archive.org for the scans.
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