Arcade racing is almost as old as gaming itself, and its philosophy has always been simple: hit the gas and have fun. It was on this idea that the arcade races of the nineties were created, including Screamer. Although it never left a huge mark on the industry like some other series, its fast and accessible driving concept was still remembered by some players. Thirty years later, the series wins reboot which may not have many points of contact with the original, but it certainly wants to revive that same idea of pure speed and fun.
| Initial price | Reviewed version | Reviewer copy |
| 70€ | PlayStation 5 | Provided by publisher |
Modern Screamer is based on a single-player story. The plot revolves around the legendary tournament called Screamer, in which five teams of three drivers face each other in chaotic races. We follow each team non-linearly, and they all have their own backstory and some hidden agenda that explains why they decided to enter this dangerous tournament in the first place.
The list of characters in the story is quite colorful. One team consists of a famous pop band, others are astronauts turned into runners, while others represent dirty businessmen who want to be at the top at any cost. The game stands out for its anime-style presentation, which immediately makes it more interesting than generic displays. Each team has at least something that makes them stand out, so those who like at least a bit of narrative with cars racing and crashing have plenty of twists and turns here.
The story also serves as a kind of introduction to the mechanics of the game, gradually unlocking content and cosmetic accessories. But. the game does not force the story as the only way to play, so you can switch from the story to races and through other modes and unlock the rest of the content at your own pace.
The game offers a pretty solid selection of modes. At the center of everything is The Tournament, ie. already mentioned story campaign. It is composed of a large number of episodes, each of which brings new races and variations of tasks. Outside of the campaign, Arcade opens up a space for more relaxed gameplay and enjoyment of classic modes. In Race mode, the game gives complete creativity to adjust the rules from the number of laps and opponents and different race modifiers, but also prepared races, whether you want to drive against entire teams, only the leader or all against all.
Team Race is one of the more interesting modes because it emphasizes cooperation. Thus, in races in pairs or threes, the goal is not only to finish as well as possible, but also to eliminate opponents, which brings additional points. The same concept has been transferred online through the Ranked variant, for those who want a more serious competition with real players. For players looking for a slightly different challenge, there are also specific modes. The Overdrive Challenge forces you to stay in Overdrive mode for as long as possible, a special state similar to unlimited boost, where crashing into a fence immediately results in an explosion and the end of the race. Score Challenge combines races and tasks into a series of races for as many points as possible and a better position on the leaderboard.
Classic arcade formats were not neglected either. There’s Time Attack, which offers a 3-lap hunt for the best time, while Checkpoint Mode tests how long you can last by passing checkpoints before time runs out. Most modes are linked to global leaderboards, which adds an extra incentive to repeat and perfect your ride. Finally, multiplayer rounds out the package either through online racing or local split-screen for up to four players, which is always a good recipe for couch mayhem.
All modes are driven on a total of 32 tracks spread across four different areas. The design of the maps is really beautiful and I especially liked the night races through the city which, along with the anime aesthetic, give the game an extra dose of style and visual appeal. But it’s not all about looks, because the layout of the turns and the width of the track have a great influence on the driving style, so the player must constantly adapt. Most tracks rely on sharp turns and drifting as key mechanics. The differences between the areas are very noticeable, for example the city tracks have narrower and more demanding turns, while the tracks in the forest area are somewhat wider and easier to control.
A pleasant surprise are the hidden shortcuts that the game doesn’t emphasize at all, so they can only be discovered by research or pure luck. Such details complement the races really nicely and additionally help to take the lead if the opponents do not know about them. And for some strange reason AI opponents never know about them.
Along with the beautiful design, the tracks are completed by the drivers themselves with their cars, which visually appear diverse and easily recognizable. The models take their inspiration from cyberpunk anime from the 80s and 90s. All available customization options are purely cosmetic and have no impact on performance. Although there are differences between the vehicles, they are mostly kept at that visual level. When driving, these differences are much more subtle, so most cars leave a similar impression on the track. It was only after trying several different models that it was noticed that some still offered a somewhat different feeling, although to be honest, such examples seemed to me to be rarer.
While the differences between the vehicles are quite subtle, it’s the drivers that make the real difference. Each comes with its own set of active and passive abilities, from stronger attacks to moves that do not consume resources, which directly affects the driving style and opens up space for more specific tactics on the track.
The main advantage of the gameplay is the ECHO system, closely related to the story, which is divided into Sync and Entropy. Sync is charged with precise driving, primarily drifting without collisions, where twin stick control plays an important role, i.e. the left analog stick is used for turning, while the right one is used for drift, which gives the driver a specific and easier way to control the vehicle. Additional Sync is also obtained by timely gear changes on the semi-automatic transmission, which, although not necessary, reward the player with a short acceleration.
Collected Sync is used for strong accelerations and shield activation, and by spending it fills the Entropy bar that enables more accurate acceleration attacks that destroy enemy vehicles. There are no classic weapons or vehicle accessories like in the previously known titles, so everything comes down to speed and tactical planning of the attack, because it is easy to attack and miss. The entire system is additionally upgraded by the driver’s abilities, which bring another level of tactics into the course of the race itself.
It is worth taking another look at the anime design and the technical part of the game. At first I thought that a bunch of effects and visuals could stifle the experience, but everything is actually very well arranged and visually very attractive. The game offers cutscene and animated dialogues between the characters, and the characters and animations are made by Polygon Pictures, the Japanese studio that worked on the animations for the iconic Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, which gives a serious reference. On the PlayStation 5, haptic feedback really raises driving to a higher level, so that every change of speed, drift and collision can be felt in the hands, which gives the game extra liveliness.
The music perfectly accompanies the chaos on the track and enhances the believability, and the voice acting, whose team was joined by Troy Baker, gives the characters character. Each driver speaks his own language, which at first sounds chaotic, but with time it is easy to catch the rhythm. I honestly wasn’t very clear about that decision, but I guess it was chosen because of the anime aesthetic and colorful characters, so it adds a level of variety to the game.
After the race, I can conclude that the Screamer is back in a much more aggressive and modern version. He turned his races into a fast, chaotic mix of speed, crashes and effects. There’s enough content to keep the player engaged, the modes offer solid variety, and the anime style and immersive story give the game its own identity. At a time when the arcade racing scene is pretty quiet, Screamer comes at just the right time. While series like Need for Speed have been wandering without a clear direction for some time, Screamer offers without too much philosophy what is missing, which is fast, direct and stylized racing with new combat systems.
For Milestone, this is an obvious step out of their comfort zone, considering that until now they have mainly been involved in motorcycle racing with more realistic driving principles. However, their years of experience in the genre shows in the firm ride, reliable controls and impeccably polished package. While the game is not without its flaws, it is confident enough in what it does to leave a strong impression on the player.