Platform(s): Xbox Series (version reviewed), PS5, PC
Genre: Racing, Anime

When you think racing games this generation, the only few series that come to mind are the Asseto Corsa, Forza Horizon, and Gran Turismo series. That, and a few indie fares like Parking Garage Rally Circuit and Victory Heat Rally. Driving sims on one scale, small-time arcade racer on the other; no in-between or even a syncing of sorts.

Well, developer and publisher Milestone S.r.l saw this discrepancy and answers the age-old question: “When is someone going to make a big-budget arcade racing game with a fleshed-out story mode and a bunch of multiplayer offerings?” The answer: “now”, with a title called Screamer.

Fast And Furious But For Weaboos

A new version of the 1995 PC racing game that is literally “Ridge Racer at home for computer users”, the 2026 version of Screamer channels the spirit of 90s arcade racing just like its peer and Namco inspiration back in the day. The kicker? The game has a single-player story mode and a narrative involving 5 different teams entering a high-profile and illegal street racing tournament featuring new technology that resurrects a user and their car when they crash and burn-slash-explode. You have the ex-private military group Green Reapers who are out for revenge while coping with internal power struggle, scientists Jupiter Stormers who are interested in the current Screamer tournament tech, pop stars Strike Force Romanda out promoting their new album while hiding their true agenda, classic corp bad guys Anaconda Corp, and former Screamer top dogs Kagawa Kai.

The story is a mix of gameplay featuring each team and their racer’s bits and strengths while also being a part-time tutorial on the game’s mechanics, 3D anime cutscenes, and visual novel talking heads that are fully voiced with different dialects (with English subtitles). The story itself is highly entertaining if you’re into a good mix of melodrama and comedy a cute corgi shoved in-between some moments of levity, but what’s refreshing is the international cast of VOs talking in English, German, Japanese, Dutch, French, and Hindu. The last game that featured international sound bites that didn’t feel forced was Strider, and that was back in 1989!

At the very least, Screamer’s plot and anime art style commit to its bit really hard, with some surprisingly impactful anime moments here and there. Think Fast & Furious meets Speed Racer but for this generation of anime, and you’re on the right track, so to speak.

Rideback

All this would be for naught if the actual arcade racing game doesn’t live up to its production. Thankfully, it does. For one, you control the car’s steering with the left analog stick and the drifting with the right stick. This being a racing game where you can cause rivals to crash and burn, there’s also a fighting game element to it.

Through the Echo system, you can use the Sync meter to Boost and prop up a Shield. To gain Sync meter, you have to keep a consistent level of speed when driving, drift a lot, and even press the left bumper/L1 to do an Active Shift (which speeds you up a bit plus get you Sync meter). When you use Sync, it converts to Entropy, which you use to do Strikes and Overdrive. Strikes boosts your speed and makes anyone you collide with explode. Overdrive is the extreme version; every vehicle you collide with explode, but so do you if you touch any track barrier.

Long story short: this is basically an arcade racer’s dream, where you can either play for speed and just try not to collide into anything or anyone, or just go aggro if the road in front of you is filled with loads of front-runners and pace chasers. Plus, each racer has their own quirks and skills that can complement all types of racing styles. Green Reaper Irish hothead Roisin can continuously perform Strikes as they cost less for her to use, while the serious pop star Ritsuko can gain her team-specific resource Hype through position changes. When Hype is full, she can regenerate Sync over time, which means consistent boosts and Active Shifts, and even Shield.

It’s clear as day that the developers are influenced by fighting games with the aggressive nature and various play styles with Screamer and its cast, which makes Screamer potentially overwhelming if you’re jumping straight into the racing options. This racer does have a decent learning curve that you’ll gradually understand, but the jist is you have to treat it as an arcade racer with boosts and collisions, not a driving sim. True, you still have to be careful of touching track boundaries as it can slow down your overall speed, and you do need to drift a lot at some of the trickier curvy tracks, but at least the controls and vehicle handling are done well.

If you need more help with the controls, there are options for assisted neutral braking and other speed-maintaining options, but Screamer does need you to learn its ropes and mechanics moreso than your Forza Horizons. The game’s AI can get pretty tough and merciless, even on the easiest settings, especially if you aren’t that adjusted to arcade racers. Mario Kart this ain’t.

Redline

This year’s iteration of Screamer is indeed a surprise, dishing out solid racing action for those who miss the good old days of arcade racing that favour some element of twitch like the Burnout series, Blur, and Split Second back in the day. It’s not easy even with the driving assists available, but it is definitely catering towards players who just want quick racing without the frills of realism. Plus, there are a lot of game modes past the Story mode, with Race, Team Race, Time Attack, Overdrive Challenges, and more, with even four-player split screen to boot!

While the anime aesthetics might feel very tryhard and forced to some, I feel that it adds a lot of character to the current racing game scene, especially if everything else around it plays great for its niche concept. Just be prepared to get wrecked a lot getting the hang of its mechanics and aggressive approach to driving.

Final Score: 80/100

Early review copy provided by publisher.