Screamer

About

Screamer 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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 37 reviews

music2 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

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 feel of the game.
The gameplay is addictively entertaining, making it perfect for casual racing sessions without the need for hyper-realism.

The game suffers from frequent crashes, making it difficult to enjoy for extended periods.
Limited content, with only a few tracks and cars, can lead to a lack of replay value.
The handling model and collision physics are considered subpar, detracting from the overall racing experience.

graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The graphics are described as somewhat dated yet possess a charming quality that appeals to players. The colorful visuals contribute to the game's fun, arcade-like atmosphere, although the overall gameplay experience may require a fair amount of trial and error.
- “The game is flashy with colorful graphics, and while it requires loads of trial and error to win races, the visuals are captivating.”
- “Fun little arcade racer with nice software-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 were memorable.”
- “The game has flashy, colorful graphics, but it requires a lot of trial and error to win races, as the gameplay feels dated.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The gameplay is characterized by its addictive and entertaining nature, despite being somewhat dated and reliant on trial and error to succeed in races. The colorful graphics enhance the experience, making it visually appealing.
- “Yet, there's something pure about the gameplay that makes it addictively entertaining.”
- “The game features flashy, colorful graphics, but the gameplay is bogged down by excessive trial and error required to win races, making it feel dated.”
- “The gameplay is frustratingly reliant on trial and error, which detracts from the overall experience and makes it feel outdated.”
- “While the graphics are vibrant and appealing, the gameplay suffers from a lack of innovation and is marred by repetitive trial and error.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
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 music, 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).”
- “Loud, repetitive announcer spewing the same couple of lines every few seconds, completely generic rock-type music, completely generic engine noise, and some pretty awful impact sounds.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization is primarily aimed at achieving performance on weaker PCs, which results in noticeable visual flaws that detract from the overall experience. This limitation is particularly evident compared to other racing games of the same era, making it the most significant issue in terms of graphics.
- “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.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers limited replayability due to its small selection of tracks and cars, with only six unique tracks (twelve including mirrored versions) and a total of 12 cars. Players may find themselves exhausting the content within just a few hours, as the challenge of unlocking a special car does not significantly enhance long-term engagement.
- “With only six tracks (twelve if you count the mirrored versions), 12 cars (6 auto, 6 manual), and 1 special car you can only drive if you beat the championship on the hardest difficulty, there's not much replay value here, and you could pretty easily exhaust the content in a few hours.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by an announcer whose commentary strikes a balance between being amusing and irritating, contributing to the overall fun of the arcade-style racing experience, despite the game's dated appearance.
- “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.”