Screamer
- August 31, 2017
- Graffiti
- 5h median play time
Get on SteamScreamer is a traditional arcade racing game. The player can drive many different cars such as a Corvette, a Porsche 911, and others. The game has varied tracks, all of which are available in backwards mode. Players can take on the Bullet car for the ultimate championship race.
Reviews
- Screamer offers a fun, lighthearted arcade racing experience that captures the charm of 90's gaming.
- The graphics, while dated, have an endearing quality that adds to the nostalgic appeal of the game.
- The gameplay is addictively entertaining, making it perfect for casual racing sessions without the complexity of modern titles.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes, making it frustrating to play and hindering the overall experience.
- The handling model and collision physics are considered subpar, leading to unrealistic racing scenarios.
- Content is limited, with only a few tracks and cars, which may leave players wanting more after a short playtime.
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The graphics are considered somewhat dated but possess a charming quality that appeals to players. The colorful visuals contribute to the game's fun, arcade-like atmosphere, despite the gameplay relying heavily on trial and error. Overall, the software-rendered graphics evoke nostalgia while maintaining a vibrant aesthetic.
“The game is flashy with colorful graphics, and while it requires a lot of trial and error to win races, the visuals are engaging.”
“Fun little arcade racer with nicely rendered graphics.”
“The graphics might feel a tad dated, but they come with an endearing charm that's hard to resist.”
“Played a demo of this game back in 1998 at a friend's house; the graphics and the colors are not impressive.”
“The game has flashy, colorful graphics, but it feels like there's a lot of trial and error involved in winning races due to the dated gameplay.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as addictively entertaining, characterized by its pure mechanics despite being somewhat dated. While the colorful graphics enhance the experience, players may encounter a significant amount of trial and error while trying to win races.
“Yet, there's something pure about the gameplay that makes it addictively entertaining.”
“The game features flashy, colorful graphics, but the gameplay is dated and requires a lot of trial and error to win races.”
“The controls feel unresponsive and make it difficult to enjoy the racing experience.”
“The AI opponents are frustratingly predictable, which takes away from the challenge of the gameplay.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised as one of the best in racing titles, rivaled only by Moto Racer, but is marred by a loud and repetitive announcer, generic rock tracks, and subpar sound effects for engines and impacts.
“The music is probably the best I've heard in a racing game (with Moto Racer as a close contender).”
“The loud, repetitive announcer keeps spewing the same few lines every few seconds, while the music is just generic rock-type. The engine noise is also completely unoriginal, and the impact sounds are pretty awful.”
“The music is forgettable and lacks any real creativity, making the overall experience feel bland.”
“The sound design is disappointing, with a mix of generic tracks and annoying sound effects that detract from the gameplay.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is primarily aimed at achieving performance on weaker PCs, which results in noticeable visual flaws, making it a significant drawback compared to other racing titles of its time.
“The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing it to run smoothly even on lower-end PCs without sacrificing too much visual quality.”
“I appreciate how the developers focused on optimization, ensuring that the game performs well across a variety of hardware setups.”
“The game's optimization is commendable, as it strikes a balance between performance and graphics, making it accessible to a wider audience.”
“I'm sure this was necessary to hit required performance targets on weaker PCs, and most other racers of this era - even 3Dfx accelerated ones, including Screamer 2 - exhibited the same limitation to some degree, but it's extremely noticeable here and constitutes the biggest visual flaw in the game.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability due to its small selection of tracks and cars, with only six unique tracks and a total of twelve when including mirrored versions. Players can quickly exhaust the content, potentially finishing it within a few hours, which diminishes long-term engagement.
“The variety of challenges and unlockable content keeps me coming back for more, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple difficulty levels and different character builds to explore, the game offers endless possibilities for replayability.”
“The dynamic events and random elements ensure that no two playthroughs are ever the same, providing a unique experience every time.”
“With only six tracks (twelve if you count the mirrored versions), 12 cars (6 automatic, 6 manual), and 1 special car that you can only drive if you beat the championship on the hardest difficulty, there's not much replay value here. You could pretty easily exhaust the content in a few hours.”
“The limited number of tracks and cars makes it hard to find reasons to come back after the initial playthrough.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to replay it, as the content feels too sparse.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a quirky announcer whose commentary strikes a balance between being amusing and irritating, contributing to the overall fun of the arcade-style racing experience, despite its dated visuals.
“I dread to think how many hours I spent playing this as a kid, and while it does look terribly dated now, it still provides a fun, arcade-style racing experience, with the announcer walking the fine line between funny and annoying.”
“The humor in this game is top-notch, with witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions that keep you laughing throughout the gameplay.”
“I love how the game incorporates silly puns and jokes that make even the most challenging levels enjoyable and light-hearted.”
