《Screamer》是由義大利開發商Milestone S.r.l.重啟打造的街機風格賽車動作遊戲，預定於2026年3月26日登陸PlayStation 5、Xbox Series X|S與PC（Steam）。本作並非單純復刻90年代經典賽車IP，而是以全新世界觀與敘事野心，將高速競速、近乎格鬥般的對抗機制，以及濃厚的日系動畫風格，融合成帶有強烈戲劇性與個人情感張力的未來競速作品。

在劇情層面，設定於一個充滿霓虹光影與反烏托邦氣息的未來世界。一場名為「Screamer 錦標賽」的非法街頭競速賽，成為五支隊伍命運交會的核心舞台。參賽者來自截然不同的背景，包括士兵、科學家、罪犯、超級巨星與冷酷無情的商業鉅子，每個人都有不惜一切代價參賽的理由，有人為了榮耀，有人追逐權力，有人只為復仇。這場賽事由一名神祕人物在幕後操控，競速不只是勝負之爭，更是一場操弄人心、欲望與命運的殘酷試煉。遊戲採用群像敘事結構，玩家將隨著劇情推進，操作不同角色，逐步拼湊出五支隊伍之間彼此糾纏的過去與真相。動畫過場由日本知名動畫公司Polygon Pictures製作，加上Troy Baker等一線配音演員參與，使整體敘事呈現高度電影化，帶有強烈80、90 年代科幻動畫與漫畫的情緒張力。

在操作與玩法上，主打高速街機競速，卻徹底顛覆「只比速度」的傳統設計。關鍵系統是名為「ECHO」的神祕科技，它讓賽車不只是交通工具，而是能主動進行攻防的武器。在比賽中必須在Boost、Strike與Shield之間靈活切換，一邊維持極限速度，一邊找準時機撞擊對手、破壞其節奏，甚至直接將其擊出賽道。當Overdrive啟動後，賽事會進入近乎失控的狀態，速度全面解放，操作風險與報酬同步拉高，呈現出一種介於賽車與動作遊戲之間的狂暴體驗。每名車手都有對應的專屬車輛，車體造型、性能取向與能力設計都緊扣角色性格與背景，讓操作手感與敘事產生連動，而非單純換皮。除了個人競速，遊戲也包含團隊競速等模式，擊倒對手與衝線同樣重要，使戰術選擇與場上判斷成為勝負關鍵。

在視覺與風格上，極力強調日系動畫美學。未來城市、荒廢高速公路與充滿工業感的賽道，被霓虹燈與高速殘影包裹，營造出既復古又前衛的視覺氛圍。Milestone 將超過30年的賽車遊戲開發經驗，投注在操控手感與節奏打磨上，試圖讓玩家在高速中仍能感受到明確的重量感與攻防回饋，而不是單純失控狂飆。

從市場評價與期待來看，在The Game Awards 2025公開後，迅速引起老玩家與動作賽車愛好者的高度關注。一方面，原版《Screamer》在90年代本就具備象徵意義；另一方面，本作明確走向「敘事導向街機競速」，在同類型作品中顯得相當少見。玩家與媒體普遍看好其風格辨識度、美術呈現與ECHO系統帶來的差異化體驗，但也關注它能否在高速競速與戰鬥干擾之間取得平衡，避免操作門檻過高或節奏失衡。目前尚未正式發售，實際操控深度與線上對戰穩定度仍是市場觀望的重點。

整體而言，《Screamer》不是追求寫實模擬的賽車遊戲，而是將速度、暴力、美學與角色命運揉合在一起的極限競速秀。它試圖用動畫風格包裝街機競速，用戰鬥機制放大競爭張力，再以多角色敘事賦予比賽情感重量。若最終成品能成功兌現其敘事企圖與操作手感，本作有潛力成為新世代街機賽車中，最具個性與話題性的代表作品之一。

Screamer is an arcade-style racing action game reimagined by Italian developer Milestone S.r.l., scheduled to launch on March 26, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Rather than simply reviving a classic 1990s racing IP, the game presents an entirely new world and narrative ambition, blending high-speed racing, near-fighting-game-style combat mechanics, and a strong Japanese anime aesthetic into a futuristic racing experience filled with intense drama and emotional weight.

Narratively, the game is set in a neon-drenched, dystopian future. An illegal street racing event known as the “Screamer Tournament” becomes the focal point where the destinies of five rival teams collide. The competitors come from vastly different backgrounds—soldiers, scientists, criminals, superstars, and ruthless business tycoons—and each enters the tournament with a reason they are willing to risk everything for. Some race for glory, others for power, and some purely for revenge. The tournament is secretly orchestrated by a mysterious figure, turning racing into more than a contest of speed—it becomes a cruel trial that manipulates human desire, ambition, and fate. The game adopts an ensemble narrative structure, allowing players to control different characters as the story unfolds, gradually piecing together the tangled pasts and hidden truths connecting the five teams. Animated cutscenes produced by renowned Japanese studio Polygon Pictures, combined with performances from top-tier voice actors such as Troy Baker, give the story a highly cinematic presentation infused with the emotional intensity of 1980s and 1990s sci-fi anime and manga.

In terms of gameplay and controls, Screamer emphasizes high-speed arcade racing while completely overturning the traditional idea that racing is only about speed. At the heart of the gameplay lies a mysterious technology known as “ECHO,” which transforms cars from mere vehicles into offensive and defensive weapons. During races, players must dynamically switch between Boost, Strike, and Shield, maintaining extreme speed while carefully timing impacts to disrupt rivals, break their momentum, or even knock them off the track entirely. When Overdrive is activated, races descend into near-total chaos: speed limits are shattered, control becomes more demanding, and risk and reward escalate together, creating a ferocious experience that sits somewhere between a racing game and an action brawler. Each driver has a unique, character-specific vehicle whose design, performance traits, and abilities reflect the driver’s personality and backstory, ensuring that handling and narrative are tightly interconnected rather than cosmetic variations. Beyond solo racing, the game also features modes such as team races, where defeating opponents is just as important as crossing the finish line, making tactical decision-making and situational awareness central to victory.

Visually and stylistically, Screamer leans heavily into Japanese anime-inspired aesthetics. Futuristic cities, abandoned highways, and industrial racetracks are bathed in neon lights and streaked with motion blur, creating a look that feels both retro and cutting-edge. Milestone brings over 30 years of racing game development experience to the table, focusing on refining handling feel and pacing so that even at extreme speeds, players retain a strong sense of weight, impact, and offensive-defensive feedback rather than pure, uncontrollable chaos.

From a market perspective, the game drew significant attention following its reveal at The Game Awards 2025. On one hand, the original Screamer holds symbolic status among 1990s racing fans; on the other, this reboot’s clear focus on narrative-driven arcade racing sets it apart in a genre where such an approach is rare. Players and media alike are optimistic about the game’s strong visual identity, distinctive art direction, and the differentiating potential of the ECHO system. At the same time, there is cautious curiosity over whether the game can maintain a healthy balance between extreme speed and combat interference without creating an excessively high skill barrier or uneven pacing. As the game has yet to be released, the depth of its handling systems and the stability of its online play remain key points of anticipation.

Overall, Screamer is not a racing game that aims for realistic simulation. Instead, it is an extreme racing spectacle that fuses speed, violence, visual style, and character-driven storytelling into a single experience. By wrapping arcade racing in anime-inspired aesthetics, amplifying competition through combat mechanics, and giving emotional weight to races through multi-character narratives, Screamer positions itself as a bold and distinctive entry in the genre. If the final release successfully delivers on its narrative vision and gameplay feel, it has the potential to become one of the most unique and talked-about arcade racing titles of the new generation.