Screamer: Anime Racer's Wild Ride! You Won't Believe What Happens Next!

In the sprawling universe of racing games, it often takes mere laps to understand a title's core essence. The exceptional games – think *Forza Horizon*, *Mario Kart*, or *Burnout* – those are the ones that transcend the usual Racing game audience. Milestone, a studio intimately familiar with both conventional and unconventional racing through their work on *MotoGP*, *Ride*, *Supercross*, *Monster Jam*, and *Hot Wheels Unleashed*, is pushing boundaries again. Their upcoming title, *Screamer*, might just be their most daring yet, and I recently had the chance to get my hands on this anime-inspired narrative racer.

Screamer: Anime Racer's Wild Ride! You Won't Belie...

*Screamer* places players in the middle of a story about a team of three racers seemingly fueled by revenge against a rival. From what I played, the protagonist seems to be Hiroshi, accompanied by Róisín and Frederic. Frederic is an interesting character, a Frenchman who speaks only in his native tongue, yet his teammates understand him perfectly. A later cutscene reveals that in this futuristic setting, everyone has auto-translators implanted in their heads; one character even has a translator for their dog! It's a quirky detail that adds to the game's unique charm.

The circumstances surrounding the death of Quinn, who appears to be the fourth member of the crew, remain shrouded in mystery, but the person responsible is clear: Gabriel. The team, known as The Banshees, enters a high-stakes tournament driven by vengeance. But here's the twist: players don't just control The Banshees (who later adopt the alias Green Reapers to conceal their identities from Gabriel). The story shifts perspectives, putting players behind the wheels of multiple characters, offering different angles on the unfolding drama. Milestone promises that players will uncover the tournament's dark secrets as they progress through the narrative, and honestly, I'm intrigued. The dialogue is witty and often genuinely entertaining, although it remains to be seen if the story can deliver a satisfying payoff. In my demo, though, the focus was primarily on the racing itself.

And thankfully, speeding around the tracks is a blast. Milestone's goal was to capture the exhilarating feeling of old-school arcade racers, and they've largely succeeded. The cars don't feel rigidly stuck to the road around corners, and the drifting mechanic, mapped to the right stick, is a real highlight. Steering is handled with the left stick, but instead of relying on the E-brake, players intuitively use the right stick to initiate drifts. It takes a little getting used to at first, I'll admit, but after a few races, cornering becomes second nature. Pulling off a perfect drift around a long corner is a genuinely blissful experience. I found myself grinning like an idiot every time I nailed one.

Beyond the core driving mechanics, Milestone has implemented arcade-focused elements, such as a quick-time-event style boost and a unique offensive/defensive system that uses the same energy for a compelling risk/reward dynamic. Attacking opponents consumes Entropy, the in-game energy, granting a temporary speed boost that causes any collided opponent to explode. This boost is fleeting, demanding skill to successfully take down rivals. Conversely, energy can activate a Shield to counter incoming Strikes. It's challenging to pull off, but success refunds the spent Entropy, adding a layer of strategic depth to the racing. *Screamer* is scheduled for release on March 26, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. I'm eagerly anticipating the full release to see if the narrative can match the excitement of the gameplay.