Screamride Review - Mad Engineer

It’s been a while since we last saw a major roller coaster video game release, and even longer since we’ve seen a good one. Well, the creators of RollerCoaster Tycoon (Frontier Developments) have decided that enough is enough, and have crafted a game called Screamride that, truthfully, is one of a kind. It’s wacky, fun, and might just be what you’re looking for.

A Unique Format

Screamride is unlike any other roller coaster game you’ve ever played. Instead of focusing on the park management side of things, it is entirely focused on coasters, whether it be riding them, building them, or even launching riders out of them.

The game is broken down into three game modes: ScreamRider, Engineer, and Demolition. ScreamRider places you on a coaster and tasks you with finishing a circuit as quickly as possible. Though, it isn’t as easy as just sitting back and watching a coaster run around a track. You’ll need to apply breaking, acceleration, and lean methodically, especially on the more complex tracks where the coaster hangs onto the rails for dear life. Speaking of which, you’ll earn bonus points for nearly tipping the coaster off the track, so pushing the limits is the name of the game. In addition, you’ll need to acquire turbo through timely button presses to keep your lap times down. This mode is fun in short spurts, but loses its excitement factor rapidly since it functions as an extremely simple on-rails racing game.

Engineer is the most standard fare of the bunch, tasking you with crafting coasters. Though simple, Screamride boasts a very intuitive and powerful editor for creating tracks allowing you to craft exciting works of imagination. Building tracks and then testing them to see the results is a ton of fun, especially in the game’s Editor mode where you can alter the landscape your track is built upon. There are a ton of tools at your disposal, in some ways bordering on the level of potential of Minecraft as you can make custom structures such as chess boards, logos, and even mazes. As a matter of fact, all single-player levels were made using the Editor (think LittleBigPlanet), so rest assured you can build some great content. Sadly, there is only one track and coaster type, so you’re limited in that regard. The standard steel rail style is here in full force.

Lastly, Demolition allows you to launch coasters and pods from a violently spinning trebuchet-like device as you attempt to destroy structures and hit targets. It’s peculiar as it really has absolutely nothing to do with roller coasters, but the physics make it a lot of fun to score well-placed hits that send buildings crashing into one another. You’ll choose from varying pod types before adjust your aim and power in order to conquer objectives. If you don’t find yourself spending a lot of time building coasters, Demolition is likely to be the star of the show.

Looking Pretty on a Budget

Screamride doesn’t take itself very seriously. Its world’s cartoon-like inhabitants and colorful visuals give you the right impression: this is a wacky game. Instead of trying to make realistic coasters, you’ll find yourself being tasked with launching riders high into the air, and pushing enough g-forces that riders may just fall off the track, if not puke.

And ultimately, that’s the thing that makes Screamride stand out. There isn’t another game on the market where you’re rewarded for building hazardous coasters that can exist only in a virtual setting. This incentivized ‘mad engineer’ style of play is perfect for Roller Coaster Tycoon fans who enjoyed testing the limits of roller coasters, and/or making death parks.

Where Screamride‘s presentation falters is in its short cutscenes that often play before and after missions. While they attempt to give the game some personality, you’ll see them replayed more than once, and they don’t serve any meaningful purpose. They just get in the way between you and gameplay.

Also See: 8 Things You Might Not Know About Screamride

The game’s menus are easy to navigate, and its score has several fitting drum and bass tracks. So, you might just be surprised by what you get for $40 or less.

One Admission Fits All

Screamride‘s campaign spans six locations totaling at over 18 missions per game mode. That alone should last you over five hours. The main problem is that the game doesn’t have any big picture gameplay elements. While you can design coasters and landscapes to share them with friends, satisfaction is reliant on your imagination and willingness to try new things and see the results. There is no feeling of fulfillment that comes from building up a park and seeing visitors enjoy themselves. You also can only build so much on one level, crushing any dreams of metropolis-style levels.

While there is no direct form of multiplayer, there is a leaderboard which can be more enticing to participate in than you may think, especially in Demolition mode where small factors have huge impact on the results. You can also share your Editor creations with other players around the world. Though, the community is sure to be over-saturated in short order, so if you want to make something popular you’ll need to put in the work necessary to stand out.

Conclusion

Screamride is an exciting option for roller coaster fans. While limited to only one track and coaster type, its editing tools and willingness to reward you for pushing boundaries makes it a premier destination for creative types.

As fun as Screamride can be, it can lean too heavily on its ‘test bench’ vibe since the game doesn’t integrate any park management elements, and its environments are devoid of energy. If you don’t find satisfaction in engineering creations, there’s some value to be found in riding coasters and launching them at structures, but it isn’t lasting. So, this is a game specifically for those who want to exercise creativity and build radical coasters. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option.