The latest Screamer has little in common with the previous titles sharing its name. However, that’s not necessarily a negative aspect. After all, exhilarating arcade racing is always enjoyable!
“We sought something that could liberate us from the constraints of reality!” expressed Federico Cardini, the Game Director, at the opening of the gamescom presentation for Screamer. It resembles one of those rehearsed phrases commonly heard at gaming expos, often coupled with vague terms like “thrilling,” “mind-blowing,” or “upon completion.”
Yet, in this instance, the individual isn’t mistaken. According to the creators, the new Screamer is neither a remake nor a remaster, but rather a “reimagining.” And the elements that defy reality can be discovered within the vibrant universe of anime.
Anime? For real?
The anime influence permeates the entire game: it kicks off with the design of the six racers, showcasing extravagant hairstyles and vivid colors. It culminates with their respective vehicles, which, although they draw inspiration from authentic sports cars and supercars (similar to the original Bleifuss, as the Screamer series was titled in Germany), do not possess true names. Instead, they’ve been modified to be astonishingly cool beyond all limits.
Each vehicle embodies the character of its driver: Akane, one of the three racers from the “Strike Force Romanda” team, is the most user-friendly (and was recommended by the developers as the ideal choice for novices to experiment with). Her car is as steady as an ironing board on the road, though offers merely average performance in all aspects.
Róisín, her rival from the “Green Reapers,” is considerably more erratic in contrast, but can unleash multiple brief turbo bursts in rapid succession.
Brave new realm of drifting The distinctions become strikingly apparent when the team leaders enter the fray. They pilot notably powerful vehicles, akin to the “Bullet” from the original game: incredibly swift and hyper-responsive – but once you master Hiroshi or Ritsuko’s spoiler beasts, the already rapid Screamer transforms into a speed demon that would make The Flash envious.
A standout trait of the game is its unconventional controls: the left stick naturally steers the car. However, unlike in Ridge Racer or the original Bleifuss, initiating drifts isn’t accomplished by pressing a button or engaging the brake.
Instead, the right stick on the controller (or the mouse) orchestrates the drift. This grants you complete control over the drift’s intensity, while also permitting you to integrate it with actions like braking or turbo boosts. “This isn’t just a gimmick. We intentionally designed it this way to ensure you always maintain full control,” states Federico Cardini.
More energy for everyone!
Another distinctive aspect of Screamer is its energy mechanism. At gamescom, it was somewhat overwhelming: Echo? Sync? Entropy? Active Shift Station? During the trade fair, everything was available for testing, but in the actual game, you don’t access these features right away.
You accumulate energy through “Sync,” for instance, by executing successful drifts, which you can then utilize to activate boosts. These turbos subsequently fill the “Entropy” gauge, which is necessary to combat your adversaries. A fully charged Entropy meter allows you to launch a “Strike,” which not only provides a brief speed surge but also turns every opponent you collide with into a fireball – Burnout aficionados will understand what we mean.
Similar to Gears of War experts when they hear the term “Active Shift.” Just as Marcus Fenix enjoys a boost from an “Active Reload,” perfectly timed upshifts in Screamer yield brief bursts of speed and extra sync energy.
Tekken on wheels
The various drivers possess not only distinct vehicles but also unique personalities. This is reflected in their driving styles on one side and in the narrative surrounding the races on the other. According to the developers, this aims to deliver more than the standard “Hey, you’re new here. Let me quickly provide you with a few cars!” chatter found in competitors’ titles.
This is also attributable to Milestone drawing inspiration not only from other racing games but also from numerous fighting games.
With all the continuous back and forth, the energy meters, and the countless skirmishes on the road, you might genuinely feel like you’re playing Tekken on wheels. After all, you don’t select cars, but