The Game Awards 2024 has been a talking point both for good and bad reasons. One of the highlights was a surprise announcement of Screamer, a reimagining of its 1995 arcade racing classic. The new take on the racing game is set to bring arcade gameplay along with sci-fi elements inspired by anime and manga.
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The surprising news came in the form of a cinematic trailer clocked at just over one minute. Although short, it was enough to show the neon-soaked city and the overall sci-fi setting a backdrop for plot themes of human will, revenge, love, and greed. The trailer then goes deep into the action of the game, with sequences of drifting and racing at insane speeds, all that adorned the original.
The entire trailer is narrated by one of the most recognizable voices in the gaming industry, Troy Baker, who most recently voiced Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Joel Miller in The Last of Us II, and more, which only adds another dimension to the entire game.
According to the press release, Screamer is about a street racing tournament organized by a mysterious figure. The tournament itself will feature a different cast of characters, promising a unique racing experience.
In addition to Milestone, Polygon Pictures, a renowned Japanese animation studio and industry veteran, is giving its expertise to Screamer. The studio will be responsible for cutscenes. It is known for work on projects such as Netflix’s Godzilla trilogy; Love, Death & Robots; Star Wars: The Clone Wars; and Granblue Fantasy: Relink, among many other titles in entertainment. Their previous work and experience with anime-inspired aesthetics will clearly help cutscenes achieve the modern look that Milestone is heading for.
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Hearing the first time about Screamer is not something to hold against individuals. The original game came out in 1995 for MS-DOS. Milestone was then known as Grafitti, and Screamer was only their third game. Nevertheless, it was far ahead of its time in terms of gameplay and hardware, as it was one of the first titles that needed a Pentium processor to run. This made it unavailable for many in the era. However, it remains a cult classic, and those who are interested can play it through GOG, as the platform holds an emulated version for PC and Mac OS.
The Screamer reboot is expected to be released sometime in 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
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