PC CD-ROM minimum system requirements: Pentium 60mhz; 8MB RAM; 25MB hard disk space; Windows 95 or DOS 6.0; Quad-speed CD-ROM drive; SVGA. £24.99
CHEAP games usually mean cheap thrills and when Screamer, this race-game's predecessor, was released late last year at just £19.99 it led people to believe the contents were a little dodgy. But this was not the case and Screamer proved to be a real winner. Screamer 2 will set you back a little more but it's still a bargain buy.
If it's fast, furious, arcade-style car racing you're after, then look no further than Screamer 2.
There are seven tracks - England, Egypt, Finland, Switzerland, California, Colombia - and a mystery track you can only race on when you have won the fourth championship league with each team. To achieve this is no mean feat. Even on rookie level and the easiest track, with automatic gears and the car that handles best, it takes a while to match your three opponents.
More often than not the only time you will see those guys is at the start line. After the lights turn green they speed off into the distance, never to be seen again. But practice does bring its rewards.
There are initially four cars to choose from - two four-wheel drive, one rear-wheel drive and one front-wheel drive. The handling characteristics of these vary enormously and to keep the rear-wheel drive on course in icy Finland, for instance, is a feat in itself. While you can take to the road without making any mechanical adjustments, there is an option whereby you can customise the handling, brakes, tyres and suspension to squeeze that extra few m.p.h. from your racer.
To really see how your car is performing, enter Time Attack mode. Here, you have no opponents and can explore every angle of the track without fear of crashing. When you have set a time, you can then see how well or badly you are performing by racing against a ghostly image of yourself. This image is a recording of your last attempt.
While most games today support modem and network play, few cater for the many who don't have access to either. Screamer 2, while including the aforementioned, thankfully has a split-screen mode for two players.
While the graphics are stunning, only the very best PCs will be able to run the game in 65k high-resolution mode. But it still looks very good in lower resolution.
Graphics: 89%, Sound: 88%, Gameplay: 91%