Screamer PS5 Review
Summary: Screamer is a great game and while not without flaws, has several engaging elements that make it stand out from other racing games of this era.
3.8
Burning rubber
Screamer is a new narrative anime-style racing game from Milestone S.r.l. The game blends thrilling action and high-octane racing with an interesting, engaging narrative and endearing characters. While the narrative and gameplay have some far-from-stellar moments, the overall experience is incredibly engaging and memorable.
The game starts by putting players right in the action and introducing one of its main groups of racers and characters: the Banshees. They lost their leader in a brutal incident that happened in the past, which they believe was caused by a previous client called the Anaconda Corp. They are now set to take revenge against the company and its heir Gabriel, whom they believe are responsible for her death. The first scene sees the group contemplating their plan of action and their decision to attend the Screamer race, a grand, highly illegal, highly competitive race where the racers’ cars are equipped with advanced technology called the Echo, which prevents the racers from dying even in the event of a destructive or explosive collision. The winner of the race gets a whopping hundred billion dollars put up by the mysterious host, Mr. A.
This is the same race where Gabriel will be attending, and is their best chance to reach him. The game’s narrative features several characters, all from different backgrounds who have different motivations for attending the Screamer race. This includes Gabriel himself, who’s trying to prove himself worthy of his family’s company by winning the race.There’s also Ritsuko, a Japanese racer who’s part of a pop group, who attends the race with her group to acquire fame and learn the full details of what happened on the day her lover died. To do that, she needs to find information from other racers who were present on the day of his death.
These racers, and more, are brought together by the Screamer Race, and each has a story to tell, which we see through each of their perspectives. However, the overarching narrative has many moving parts, so it’s hard to grasp everything that’s going on within the first few hours, especially as it’s not told in chronological order. Despite this, the story remains interesting and engaging thanks to several engaging characters.
The game also features interesting voice acting and features several characters speaking in their native languages, such as Japanese, English, French, German, and Italian. Yet, despite this, in the game’s futuristic setting, every character understands each other thanks to the translation chips in their heads. The setting is unique, the characters are interesting, and while a bit convoluted and demanding of players’ time, the plot is engaging. Another striking element of the game is its 3D, cell-shaded animation style. The game’s narrative is presented in a format that is a mix of visual novel and fully animated segments. The animation, though not flashy or immensely impactful, is incredibly aesthetic and eye-catching, enhancing the game’s overall uniqueness.
Gameplay-wise, Screamer is one of the most unique racing games. While most controls are similar to those of several racing games, the game emphasizes drifting with the analog sticks. Drifting fills up your boost meter quickly, and consecutive smaller boosts lead to a major boost. Then there’s perfect boosting, which provides a longer-lasting boost and enhanced acceleration, but only when timed right. There’s also the SGU system, which triggers when its own bar is filled after successfully triggering boosts and simultaneously drifting. This system increases your default speed, but the moment you hit something or drive sloppily in regular races, you lose it and have to rebuild it.
The system is incredibly unique, and while not too mechanic-heavy like in racing sims, it offers ways to make it skillful and engaging. However, it’s worth noting that this system is tricky to get used to, especially as Screamer is in no way an easy racing game. Trying to drift consistently while being punished for collisions sometimes feels impossible, especially while racing against the incredibly challenging AI, even on the normal difficulty setting. Opponents are just naturally faster, boost consistently and almost infinitely, and are always on your tail, making races anxiety-inducing. However, it also makes winning a race incredibly satisfying. It’s also worth noting that Milestone eventually released an update to address the AI and claim there will be more difficulty adjustment options with the release version.
AI racers aside, some tracks have poor lighting as they’re either too dim or are too bright, making racing on them for the first time more challenging, at least until you get used to them. However, the game features several great-looking tracks, from those that run through neon-soaked cyberpunk cities to rough off-road tracks. While they’re not the most creative, as they’re all pretty limited design-wise, they all still look good and sport decent art direction.
Outside the story mode, players can enjoy the Arcade, which offers several great modes, including Time Trial, Time Attack, Checkpoint mode, and Team Racing. There’s also an online mode, but this couldn’t be tested before release. Playing the story mode allows players to unlock characters, their cars, colour palettes, and bonus items such as backgrounds, cutscenes, concept art, and more to use in the Arcade.
Final Thoughts?
Screamer also has an amazing soundtrack with several exciting tracks that enhance the high-octane racing. Overall, Screamer is a great game and while not without flaws, has several engaging elements that make it stand out from other racing games of this era.
About the Author
Abdul Saad Abdul Saad is an avid gamer and computer geek. He's been writing for four years on news, reviews, previews, and more on multiple gaming sites. When he isn't writing or playing the latest JRPG, he can be found coding games of his own or tinkering with something electrical.
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