Review: Screamer (Xbox) - So Good I Can't Stop Racing

Screamer is a lot like listening to a good audiobook whilst sitting trackside at Le Mans. Its blend of twin-stick driving and narrative storytelling makes it one of the most distinctive action arcade racers I’ve played in quite some time.

That’s even before getting to the combat, parrying, and special abilities. There’s not much about this experience that could be described as traditional, which is good news in a genre that’s largely settled into an all too familiar groove.

What makes Screamer stand out is how it shifts expectations, offering an unconventional mash-up of two genres that I’d consider to be on opposite ends of the speedometer. On one side, you have high-octane arcade racing with unique dual-stick controls, and on the other, a visual novel that leans heavily into introspection. Should it work? Probably not - but it does. 

Part of that success comes down to just how weird it’s willing to be. Early on, I found myself rooting for Fermi, a sunglasses-wearing corgi who obviously became my favourite driver in the game. Impressively, said driving dog doesn’t even crack the top five weirdest things in Screamer.

That said, the goodest-boy racer doesn’t exactly face stiff competition - half the cast are complete and utter prats. Still, they all serve a purpose. Screamer’s cyberpunk narrative is one of revenge, ambition, and a great big dollop of family drama, culminating in the kind of unexpected absurdity only a good anime plotline can pull off. 

Although the story can drag its feet in places, repeating points or lingering too long on conversations, it’s genuinely refreshing to see a driving game spend this much time building its characters and exploring their individuality and motives for entering the deadliest racing competition on the planet.

The Tournament acts as both a Career Mode and a sort of tutorial, spanning 70+ chapters and featuring a fully voice-acted international cast. A convenient in-world implant explains how everyone understands each other - even dog speak - but if you’re not bilingual or a fan of visual novels, the pacing here might struggle to keep you fully engaged.

Across its 10-15 hour career, you’ll hop between drivers and teams, experiencing the story from multiple perspectives. You’ll follow the potty-mouthed Green Reapers as they plot revenge against the ruthless heir to Anaconda Corp, confront PTSD alongside Kagawa Kai, and witness a feud shaped by love and loss between idol group Space Force Romanda and the engineers of Jupiter Stormers.

By the time the credits rolled, I was fully invested. Questions about Mr A’s mysterious Echo technology, the nature of death and revival, and the ultimate winner of the Tournament kept me hooked throughout. It’s really good stuff, with several top-class animated moments to keep things running.

Funnily enough, actually getting behind the wheel to make loud cars go fast is where Screamer shines brightest, and what makes it a modern masterpiece in arcade racing.

The twin-stick handling takes some getting used to, and I’ll admit I had a real time unlearning everything I thought I knew about racing games. Whippin’ around tight bends is achieved using both analogue sticks, with the left controlling steering and the right responsible for spectacular skiddies, creating a system that initially feels like tying your brain in knots. Early races saw my front fender repeatedly smash into guardrails and walls. But once it started to click, everything fell into place.

Very soon, I found myself drifting through city streets, dusty deserts, and rain-soaked forest tracks, like slicing through butter with a hot knife. Driving in Screamer becomes seriously smooth, aggressively moreish, and fundamentally exceptional.

Layered on top of this is a smart team system. Each team consists of a leader and two members, each with their own unique car and abilities. Leaders pilot faster, beefier vehicles with stronger abilities, whilst members offer more accessible handling. It encourages experimentation before settling on the right fit for competing in a decent variety of game modes and race types.

Then there’s the echo system, which ties everything together. As you blast around the track, you passively charge the echo device with Sync. This builds faster through clean racing, reaching top speeds, and hitting LB/L1 to active shift through gears, ironically like “active reloading” your engine to keep a blistering pace.

Sync can be spent on boosts and converted into Entropy, which can be spent on Strike attacks to murderise your rivals. If you successfully slam into another racer with a Strike, the Echo kicks in, rewinding the explosion of blood, guts, and car parts you’ve just reduced them to. And if you spot someone lining you up in your rear-view mirror, preparing to Strike your butt, having enough Sync lets you activate a shield that protects you from your own explosion of flesh and steel.

Max out Entropy, and you can activate Overdrive: a high-risk, high-reward boost to speed, handling, and attack power. It’s a bit like a bloodthirsty Bullet Bill, though it is far from a free pass to the front. Every vehicle you collide with will explode, sure, but after a short time, you become vulnerable, meaning if you are not careful and bump into a track barrier, you’ll explode too.

Mastering these systems and having faith in your skill adds a tactical layer that elevates every race. Overdrive becomes a powerful tool to snatch a dub. I’m not exactly proud I settled on Noboru Sato, Screamer’s self-proclaimed “greatest Screamer” in the game - aka the easiest - but once I did, I genuinely found the game hard to put down. His ‘Former Glory’ ability to generate Entropy quickly made achieving Overdrive much easier - Turns out Noboru really is the best.

Screamer is phenomenally good fun on its own, with The Tournament, Race!, and Team Race core game modes to choose from. Personally, Score Challenge became my go-to mode, a series of races and challenges that culminate in a final score uploaded to a global leaderboard. For what it’s worth, I’m currently number two-ranked Screamer globally, though I fully expect that to change once you get your hands on the game!

To round things off, a quick word on performance and presentation. Across my 24 hours of playtime, Screamer holds up really well on Xbox Series X, though it did run the console a little hot at times. Burning all that rubber had me slightly concerned, but nothing serious.

Visually, Screamer stands apart from other racers. The courses are beautiful, the anime cutscenes and illustrations are gorgeous, and the soundtrack is an absolute banger. I can easily see myself throwing the OST on during my next Sunday drive to the shops.

It's worth mentioning I haven’t had the chance to go head-to-head and race folks online, as I couldn’t find any other reviewers to compete against pre-launch.

Conclusion

Screamer is an absolute masterclass in arcade racing, an unconventional blend of high-speed thrills and slow, anime-fuelled storytelling that simply works. The Tournament can drag its feet at times, but once you’re invested, that extra context only serves to enhance what is already brilliant twin-stick racing. 

It’s weird, wonderful, and bursting with originality, and personality, making it almost impossible to put down. I cannot recommend Screamer enough. Bravo, Milestone!

Are you excited for Screamer? And what platform will you be picking it up? Let us know in the comments.

Reviewed on Xbox Series X

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