Screamer hands-on preview
Blog Andrew Joseph 28 Aug , 2025 0
Like the pizza cabin I love, affordable concert tickets and the secret world of Alex Mack, the screaming was something I enjoyed in the 1990s, but it disappeared from our lives decades ago. The original Scream, which was originally released in 1995, was one of three games developed by Italian studio Graffiti, until a year later, it quickly renamed itself a milestone. It is a top arcade racing game dedicated to PCs, and it quickly reaches the slides of pioneer 3D racers like Speed, Ridge Racer and Destruction Derby (sequel to a sequel and two single spin-offs), but has since faded to relatively obscure. However, since the milestone’s final scream game, the series has stunned the slam, shift and even steering with a wild new look and fun nuanced controls and power package.
According to game director Federico Cardini, Screamer is a game milestone and has long wanted to resurrect, but you should know that's more Name That was brought back here. That said, there really isn't any significant point in the new screamer except for the title, it reminds me of the original one. The dramatic changes in identity are usually sequels and reboots kryptonite, especially belated ones, but I actually don't think this is a problem in the case of the Screamer. The original game was an impressive race, but certainly a typical feature of arcade racing competitions of that era. The new story is a little different.
You can't describe screams in a single sentence like many arcade racing games do. A large number of arcade racers can usually make you count the number of relevant instructions on your nipples. That is, there are only two: acceleration and steering. After an hour of hands-on driving and drifting with screams, it was obvious that there was more to do, and that made it very interesting.
Screamer is a double-stick racing game, and in this sense it immediately reminds me of the inertial drift of 2020. When the left rod is used for conventional steering, the right rod is used to increase the drift angle. In short, the left stick controls the front of the car and the right stick basically controls the rear. It's easier to master than it sounds, but it does require a certain sensitivity on both sticks to make the necessary adjustments to your angle.
However, this is much more than that, as the screamer also packs a strong range of power, which are extracted based on two separate instruments filled based on certain actions. Inspired by fighting games, Screamer calls it the “Echo” system – using one side of the meter affects the other. If you play Scream yourself, I'll come across shotgun spray customization, a term in the game, but I'll avoid most of it here because I think it will only make the scream sound a little indestructible. On the right track – and in its thickness – are all quite intuitive, so I'll try to describe it like this.
Essentially, the left side of the meter will be filled passively and with certain moves (such as perfect movement) throughout the game. Screamer's vehicles have semi-automatic transmissions, so if you're overwhelmed (or you forget), they move automatically, but if you pin Upshift, the left meter will be filled faster. This is not a racing-related comparison, but it reminds me of the active reloading system of the tank.
Left specifications are used to provide boosts and shields against offensive opponents. Even with the icons on the screen, you need to use the news and release mechanism to handle different boosters. Get the distribution and you will get a longer and more effective improvement than the standard.
So what is the gauge on the right? OK, you fill it on the meter on the right use The power provided by the gauge on the left. The gauges on the right allow you to use the screaming offensive capabilities called “strike” and “speeding”. “Strike” is a temporary increase in speed, during which any other car you smash will explode, while “Speed” is an enhancement indefinitely until it crashes. Speeding is difficult to use on the most twisted parts of the track. After a certain time locked in speeding, you will reach a critical state that even if the wall brushes you will see you blow up. However, it's very fast, and it's the power I've observed that AI is always willing to deploy in every opportunity.
Like the original from 1995, the Screamer also has a range of unlicensed cars. But while the original game's cars are obviously just 90s sports cars and Exotics versions with a common name, the upcoming screaming cars are wild, anime-style cars covered in aggressive time-attacked Aero. Anime inspiration goes beyond cars. Indeed, Milestone collaborated with Japanese animation studio Polygon Pictures to write the Screamer story. We didn’t prefer these cutscenes during the preview, but I did play in a variety of different characters – each with different abilities that could change the way they fill the meter and how the car was handled. There is indeed a big difference in the car feel across characters, so even if the processing is easy to pick up, it is not a note.
Milestone unleashed the impossible in 2021 by Hot Wheels, creating a gorgeous and approachable Arcade Racing Banger that far exceeds expectations for games based on licensed toys. It's a completely different racing experience from the series released by Hot Wheels, but after an hour, I don't want Screamer to come and go quietly when 2026 arrives.
Luke is a senior editor of the IGN Review Team. You can follow him on Bluesky @mrlukereilly and ask him about things.