Back when my obsession with PC gaming first started, I stumbled onto a racing game called Screamer. I picked it up at a local Electronics Boutique, before it became FuncoLand and later GameStop, without really knowing what to expect. The box art had a Lamborghini speeding, which instantly reminded me of OutRun and Ridge Racer. That was all the convincing I needed.
When I got it home and installed it, Screamer turned out to be a fun, fast arcade racer. Over time it was overshadowed by flashier, more graphically intense titles like the PlayStation port of Ridge Racer. Still, I never forgot that game. Now, decades later, Screamer is back and it’s not quite the game I remember. It’s not making its return, but it’s original developer, Milestone, who used to go by the name Graffiti who also developed the original game, is handling the reboot.
A New Look for a Classic
This reboot of Screamer is something I don’t think anyone expected, but here we are. While it’s still an arcade racer at its core, the game has been infused with a bold anime-futuristic aesthetic. The drivers and cars have a slick, stylish look that feels fresh while still resembling the kind of rides you’d spot on highways or in car magazines.
What sets it apart from most racers is that the driver determines your car, which are blends of realistic cars with some anime influence. In addition, each driver comes with unique perks and abilities, which not only affect the vehicle you’re racing but also how you perform on the track. While it hasn’t been said, but it feels that the game will have a story of some sort
Hands-On Impressions
Thanks to Milestone (Hot Wheels Unleashed 2, MotoGP 25), I had the chance to go hands-on with a preview build of Screamer. The demo gave me access to several tracks, which let me get a feel for the mechanics. The track designs look amazing, full of turns and sections to turn on the speed. Its’ like being reacquainted with an old free, while the racing gameplay is closer to Ridge Racer or Burnout, two series I know inside and out.
But Screamer isn’t just about racing fast. The build I played revealed a few clever twists that feel more like fighting game mechanics than traditional racing.
Fighting Game Flair on the Track
At the top of the screen is a meter that fuels several abilities. Boost is straightforward, giving you a burst of speed once it’s filled. Shift is more interesting. Even though the cars are automatic, at least in this pre-alpha build, hitting Shift at the perfect moment gives you an extra surge, almost like the active reload system in Gears of War.
You also have access to shields, which let you defend yourself from opponents who try to ram into you. Take too much damage and your car will eventually blow, costing you valuable seconds and letting others speed past. Then there’s Strike, the ultimate attack. Triggering it rockets your car forward like a bullet, and if you smash into another racer, the damage is devastating. The catch is that you can’t stop easily, and if you crash into the track, you’ll end up hurting yourself instead.
However, none of these abilities are possible until you fill up your meter, and there’s where the fighting game similarities come in. Sure, there are plenty of racing games that let you boost, shield and blast the heck out of your opponents, but those are only after picking up a power-up, which are readily available. That’s not the same here.
These mechanics make Screamer feel like no other racer I’ve played and also makes you pay attention to more than your speed and making sure you take the turns. It’s almost as if someone tossed fighting game rules into an arcade racing formula, and surprisingly, it works.
Twin-Stick Drifting
What really sets Screamer apart is its control scheme. Most arcade racers have you tap the brake, feather the accelerator, or double-tap to drift. Screamer does things differently.
Here, you use both analog sticks. Yeah, I know that sounds weird but stay with me here. The left stick handles steering, while the right stick controls the drift by pushing the back of the car left or right. It sounds simple in practice, but muscle memory from playing decades of racers that aren’t as “complex” really caused some problems on learning this new process. Yet, once it clicks, it does feel second nature.
Once you get the hang of it, you’re able to push your car through turns and can either jam the back end as much as you want or do a gentle turn, adjusting as you move through the turn, and it gives you a nice amount of control that you just don’t see in other arcade racing games. With this, you can even drift on sections where maybe you shouldn’t. But who am I to tell you when you can drift.
It’s unlike anything I’ve played before, a true twin-stick arcade racer. At first, my muscle memory fought against it, but once it clicked, it felt fantastic. It makes you wonder why no one has tried this approach before.
Take It Easy on the Car
There’s also car damage, as mentioned. However, there’s cosmetic car damage where your rear bumper or spoiler will get knocked off, but with no appear affect to the car. Then there’s getting blown the hell up, which, again causes you to lose precious time and track position.
You’ll know when the latter is coming as the game will start doing this funky red warning, meaning someone is attempting to perform a strike on you, and it’s up to you to guess when they’re about to hit you, as there so rear view mirror, or use the rear view camera and hopefully you have a shield to protect yourself, or get out of the way.
Early Thoughts
There’s still a lot I don’t know since this was an early build, such as the underlying mechanics, since what I played was very early, yet the game has piqued my interest. Screamer feels like a reboot that’s not afraid to take risks. It honors the arcade roots of the original while injecting fresh mechanics that make it stand out. And despite this being an extremely early look at the game, I enjoyed what I played.
If Milestone can keep building on this foundation, then Screamer could be more than just a nostalgic comeback. For me, it’s already scratched an itch left behind by other arcade racers that faded into the rearview mirror.
Screamer is slated for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in 2026.
