Review: ScreamRide

Two-thirds of ScreamRide is pretty damn awesome.

Okay, okay… all of it is. I’m just absolutely useless at building roller coaster tracks.

Developed by Frontier, the guys and gals behind the recent Zoo Tycoon and the not-so-recent RollerCoaster Tycoon, ScreamRide is 100% a spiritual successor to the latter.

It’s got three distinct modes: ScreamRider, Engineer and Demolition Expert. Engineer is a straight-up RollerCoaster Tycoon-style build mode. Demolition Expert tasks you to bust things up using rollercoaster cars or sling-shotted capsules. Finally, ScreamRider is a mode that lets you use show off your driving skills by taking a cart around tracks as fast as possible. Think Trials, but way less… well, trial and error.

I keep changing my mind on the mode I like best. Excluding the build mode, that is.

It’s not that the Engineer sections are awful, it’s just that I’m the worst at them. You’ve got all the tools at your disposal to create awesome tracks… as long as you can think in three dimensions. I cannot. Despite my complete lack of originality, I can appreciate the mode by downloading tracks created by Xbox Live pro-stars, of which there are many. If you’re like me, be aware that creations can only be shared and downloaded in the Xbox One version.

In the end, ScreamRider rocketed down the track to become my favourite mode. It’s rewarding as hell to fly through tracks without fear, but moreover is great fun because you can muck around, purposefully launching yourself off the rails to break stuff as in Destruction Expert.

Said Destruction Expert is every little-kid-in-a-big-man’s-body’s dream, encouraging you to destroy everything in sight. You can aim at breakable screens, hit bullseyes or go through hoops… or, you can simply launch yourself at the bottom of a building to watch it crumble. Or, at a speedboat sailing by. Or a blimp. Or helicopter. Or tons of other stuff. It’s fantastic in its chaos.

ScreamRide’s various levels ease you into each skill move, no matter the mode. ScreamRider’s perhaps the most technically minded, easing you into the notion of turbo boosts, two-wheel leans and jumps. In each mode, you’re encouraged to master said skills in order to level up, unlocking additional levels for the game type you’re in.

I didn’t do too badly in ScreamRider at any point, but as I reached player level 5, everything just seemed to click. I wasn’t flying off the rails on corners any longer, or too scared to get my cart up on two wheels. With my newfound confidence, I went back and replayed previous levels and completely owned them. The entire time, I had a giddy smile plastered on my face.

As you master how the game works, its real challenge – apart from indulging in community-made mayhem – is to go back to one of the game’s many levels and beat its optional objectives. They’re not too varied – get through a full boost meter without flying off the track, beat a certain time, shoot your capsule through a hoop before destroying stuff – but they’re fun and challenging, in the right mix.

The beauty of ScreamRide is that it’s a damn simple game, when you boil it all down, but its mechanics are always fun. Yeah, that old adage of ‘easy to learn, hard to master’ applies, but pleasantly, I was never frustrated upon level failures.

Yes, even in Engineer mode.

Sounds pretty damn amazing, right? Almost. The game is overpriced, coming in at $40 USD or $50 AUD. While I’ve really enjoyed my time playing — including the community-generated content present in this pre-release period — I found I’m in ‘been there, done that mode’ after only four short days. In that time, I’ve mastered most of the levels and cleared all of the objectives I think I’ll be able to, knowing the limits of my skill and patience. I can’t really make any levels myself, and I’ve sampled enough community wares already to come back for more. It was fun while it lasted, but it’s over now.

This is a must-have for those who dedicate themselves to fully mastering a game like Trials, or for those who’ve got that Minecraft-style creative streak. For everyone else, it’s a pricey flash in the pan. Check out the game’s demo before you lay down your hard-earned.

ScreamRide was reviewed using a promotional code on Xbox One, as provided by the publisher.