Screamer

Recently there has been a large influx of driving games on the PC. Games such as Demolition Derby, Need for Speed and Indycar 2 have given people a taste of driving on the edge. Screamer is probably the most arcade-like of all these games. While playing it I was strongly reminded of the old racing classic OutRun.

In a race, no one can hear you scream

Screamer has several options for what kind of racing you want to do.There is a single race mode, which lets you test out individual tracks. There is a Championship mode, in which you get points depending on how you finish a race. Get a certain number of points, and you can go on to the next championship level. My personal favorites are the added "Special Races".These races consist of a "beat the clock" race, a "cone carnage" race where you have to knock over cones in order to gain valuable seconds, and a "slalom" race where you must pass between strategically placed markers. In addition to all of these single player races, there are network and modem options that allow you to play with up to 8 of your driving buddies.

Loud, I wanna hear it loud

Of course with a name like "Screamer" you would expect some impressive sound effects and a thumping soundtrack. The sound effects are quite well done on the most part. My only complaint is about the voice who shouts out such "useful" comments like "Hey! You're in the lead!" and otherwise thoughts. One great feature with the music is that if you tire of the included soundtrack you can pop your own music CDs in and play them. I really think more games should have a feature like this. As good as some game music can be, it still can never compare to listening to your favorite CDs while blasting around a track.

Screamer has some of the best graphics in a driving game this side of the arcade. It can be played in however, is a device that low (320x200) or high (640x480) resolution. Both look great, and the SVGA mode is incredible. While driving around the track, you can see trucks driving on overpasses, cranes unloading ships and even a plane or two coming in for a landing. The cars themselves look great, especially how they seem to simulate the car's suspension. You can view the action from views behind the car (close and not so close) or in the actual driver's seat. All the graphics in this game are well done and polished, including the setup screen and main menu. Be warned, however, that the SVGA mode requires considerable horsepower to run at full speed. The VGA mode will probably be smooth enough for most players on a DX2/66.

Black cars look better in the shade

The cars in screamer all have their own unique characteristics. The car designs are all based on well known high performance cars but I would guess the game designers decided it would be easier to not include any actual names. My personal favorite is the "Hammer" which combines excellent acceleration and handling. Each car is available in both automatic and standard, if you feel the need for realism. The driving of the cars probably isn't the most realistic in any driving game, but who cares? Nothing can beat the feeling of coming into a corner, slamming the control over to one side, fishtailing the end out and powersteering out without even bumping the sides. Tapping the brakes and steering will always get the car's rear end to swing out, which I find excellent for tight cornering.

Screamer is a game that will keep you coming back. Racing around the track at 300 mph while dodging the other cars is a real blast. The network play option makes this a must buy for anyone with a LAN with 8 connections. Just try not to play it *TOO* much at work! This is actually the game that kept me from running out to buy a Sony Playstation to play Ridge Racer. The SVGA graphics are just as crisp and its even more fun to play. Virgin Interactive has a real hit in this game.

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