Hands-On Preview: Screamer: An Explosive, Anime-Fueled Arcade Racer

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I frequently revisit classic racing games like Burnout 3: Takedown or Blur, either playing a few races with friends and family for fun, or simply to enjoy a wave of nostalgia. These games really capture my love for car culture and the excitement of fast-paced, arcade-style racing – though I still appreciate realistic racing simulations too.

Milestone’s new racing game, Screamer, feels like a blast from the past – a throwback to classic arcade racers, and maybe even a sign of their comeback. It’s a fast-paced, twin-stick racer focused on fun gameplay, with a vibrant, anime-inspired look that’s instantly appealing.

I recently got an early look at Screamer, playing through part of the single-player campaign and trying out several races in Arcade Mode, both with teams and on my own. If you’re interested in learning all about this exciting new game, keep reading for a detailed breakdown.

The Tournament with the Ultimate Stakes

In the first part of my hands-on preview, I played through the first six episodes of the single-player campaign. These episodes introduced the core characters – the Green Reapers, led by Hiroshi and his two unusual crewmates – and provided a taste of the story. Each episode was relatively brief.

Despite everything that’s happened, there’s still plenty to enjoy. Previous episodes cleverly shifted focus, letting us understand the viewpoints and reasons behind each team’s actions. They all communicate in unique and distinct ways, which keeps things fresh and interesting. You’re constantly surprised by the individual personalities, and the playful back-and-forth between them is quirky enough to remain entertaining throughout.

You’ll also meet Gage, the lead mechanic working for Mr. A during the tournament. He’s a key character throughout the series, often interacting with everyone else. He provides essential background information about the event and helps the Green Reapers advance through the qualifying rounds.

It was lovely watching the connection between him and Aisha – they clearly knew each other well beyond just being fellow racers. However, Aisha’s voice acting felt a bit out of place. It sounded quite flat compared to the other performances, and I noticed this even though I understand Hindi, as we both come from South Asian countries.

Playing Screamer felt like stepping back into the awesome arcade racers of my childhood, and honestly, it gave me hope that we’ll see more games like this again. It’s a real throwback, but also feels like it could kickstart a whole new wave of arcade-style racing games.

The story in this game doesn’t last long, and most of the experience focuses on teaching you how the ‘Echo System’ works. The races themselves are short, individual events that feel a bit dull, even though they’re meant to introduce the game’s basic controls. It’s surprising that, while trying to tell a story during the races, the opponents aren’t very challenging and there’s no way to make the races more exciting or competitive.

Overall, it did a good job introducing us to many of the characters and giving us a taste of what the single-player story will be like, building excitement right before the main tournament begins.

Burn Rubber and Strike Down the Opposition

Screamer’s core experience revolves around its driving. If you’ve played games like Inertial Drift, you’ll quickly understand the controls. While some might not appreciate the comparison, the game’s blend of realistic handling and exciting visuals strongly reminded me of the older, arcade-style Asphalt racing games, particularly their fast-paced, over-the-top feel.

As a racing fan, I’m really getting into how the Echo System works in this game! Basically, it’s what powers everything. You’ve got this meter at the top of the screen that fills up as you race, and even faster if you time your gear shifts perfectly. It’s not just a passive thing though – using Boost gives you a quick speed burst, and the Shield protects you from attacks by other cars. The shield lasts a decent amount of time, so it’s really helpful when things get chaotic!

What I’m really excited about is how Screamer’s gameplay feels like a strategy game, especially during races! In the team mode, the key to winning is knocking out as many other racers as you can. You do this with a special attack called ‘Strike,’ and you’ll see a pink bar called ‘Entropy’ fill up at the top-right of your screen. Basically, you charge up Strike and try to KO the racers in front of you. It’s tricky though – you have to get really close behind them for it to work, so timing is everything!

When the Entropy gauge is full, you can activate Overdrive, a short burst of speed that lets you quickly eliminate enemy cars. You’ll charge the Entropy gauge by using your Sync meter, so it’s important to carefully manage both. Pay attention to when you need to defend or attack. You can even perfectly time your shield to deflect attacks, similar to parrying in a fighting game like Street Fighter.

Riders on the Storm

Initially, everything seems to work perfectly with the game’s modifications. However, after a more detailed look, I have a few small but significant worries. Specifically, I’m concerned about how well the game will handle multiplayer when it launches. It’s important to carefully balance the game’s features – the Echo System in particular – so that nothing is too weak or too powerful.

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Racing games live and die on how engaging they are, and while Screamer has some great tracks and unique cars, it needs a decent challenge to really shine. Team races are chaotic and fun, but when you’re racing alone, the races just don’t feel very exciting or fast-paced.

I’m really enjoying the twin-stick controls – they feel perfect for this game! If I could offer one suggestion, it would be to make the cars feel a little more responsive, especially when drifting or taking turns. I love that each driver has their own unique car, but if the racing felt a bit smoother and the handling was just a touch more refined, I think this game could be seriously awesome in the next few weeks. I’m definitely keeping an eye on it!

The characters and quirky groups in the game’s story look like they’ll be really entertaining during cutscenes. Beyond that, I’m hoping the developers also address some technical issues, such as making the game affordable for players in different regions on Steam and confirming whether it will work on the Steam Deck – playing it on a handheld device would be a lot of fun.

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2026-02-17 19:10