I’m still mourning the likely continued absence of Split/Second. The arcade racer was one of my favorites, and I’ve been chasing that high ever since. I may have found the replacement in SCREAMER, an anime-styled arcade racer that looks like there’s more than meets the eye.

i hope ‘screamer’ takes off when it launches

Honestly, I can’t believe we don’t get more anime-style racers. There’s something incredible about the way plot interacts with action in anime. It’s damn near seamless and enhances everything. Even Speed Racer still goes hard to this day. So, I’m excited to see just how much of that influence, if any, has crept into SCREAMER.

“Longing, ambition, vengeance. Everyone has a reason to enter the Screamer tournament, and no one’s backing down. Join the competition and race side by side with fearless drivers, ready to risk everything to chase what they believe in. Follow their intertwining stories as they fight for their lives in a brutal showdown led by a mysterious master.”

This sounds like Twisted Metal without the weapons. And if that’s what the developers are going for with an anime twist? Sign me up yesterday. The most interesting part of SCREAMER is, somehow, there are fighting mechanics involved in the racing. From the gameplay reveal trailer, I can’t tell if it’s meant to be in the takedown system or if there’s something more that hasn’t been shown yet. But based on the Steam description, there’s a slight clue:

“Break speed limits with every burst of Boost and hit your rivals with the Strike to knock them off track at the right time. And once Overdrive kicks in, it’s full-throttle chaos: no mercy, no brakes, and no room for anyone in your path.”

Sounds more like a takedown system, but I’m sure it’s deeper than that. SCREAMER comes out in 2026, and you can wishlist it now on Steam and consoles.