ScreamRide: Riding Tips – Crash with Style

ScreamRide, which debuts this week for Xbox One and Xbox 360, offers players a variety of thrills centered on three components: building a dream roller coaster, riding pre-made coasters and causing havoc as they go flying off the tracks, and destroying buildings by launching canisters filled with human passengers. 

Today we’re covering the game’s Ride mode, where you sit inside a virtual roller coaster with some test subjects and take part in every twist, turn and loop-de-loop. That might sound basic at first, but this portion of the game contains a wealth of strategy, especially when it comes to causing destruction. Yes, there are some scenarios where it’s best to derail your roller coaster.

Taking a Ride 

There are general controls when it comes to riding a roller coaster. You accelerate by holding the right trigger, and brake by holding the left one – although you’ll rarely use the brake. In addition, you can lean your roller coaster car left or right with the analog stick, which you’ll want to do when it comes to mastering tight turns. Otherwise you’ll go flying off the track. 

By leaning your car and popping side wheelies, you’ll earn additional points for your ride, which can help unlock rewards based on challenges. Just make sure you save them for the straightaways most of the time – trying to pop a wheelie while going around a sharp turn will result in derailment. 

In addition, you’ll earn turbo boosts for your ride. Keep an eye open for blue portions of the track that signify turbo power. The X button will appear on-screen, with a circular meter slowly filling up inside of it. Wait until it gets to the outer rim, then hit the X button. This’ll store the most turbo available on that portion of the track, which you can use anytime during the ride. 

One more thing – when you first begin a roller coaster ride, you’ll see a countdown meter going from red to green. Don’t be so quick to gun the accelerator. Timing your gas to when the meter turns green will give you an extra turbo boost – which you’ll need when it comes to meeting certain time criteria on the track. 

Flying off the Rails 

There are some coaster rides that require you to go flying off the tracks, hitting buildings and whatever else you can with a skillful derail. In this case, you’ll want to combine the use of both turbo and side wheelies in order to successfully go flying. 

With this, combine the two tactics around turns. Try and wait until you’re in a highly populated area with buildings, then lean towards the opposite direction of the turn (left for right, right for left) to begin leaning over. Use the turbo to gain speed and continue your wheelie, and in a matter of seconds, you’ll watch your coaster smash into buildings and rack up the points. 

Some targets can be tough to aim for – like signs or certain buildings that appear out of reach. However, practice makes perfect with these rides, so look for good opportunities for the chance to derail when these challenges pop up. Don’t be afraid to retry and eventually figure out the hot spots where you can do the most damage.

Finally, make sure you conserve your turbos for when they count most. You can use them anytime they get added to your meter, but you can also store them up and build your energy upon completing new sections of the track. This is a great tactic, as you receive an incredible speed burst that should guarantee crossing the finish line in a better time frame – or flying off the tracks even further if the situation calls for it. 

Racking up the Points

Last but not least, building up points in the game can make all the difference, especially when competing on leaderboards or trying to meet all the pre-set challenges. When you first start a ride, try to pop wheelies as much as possible. This will result in serious points. Don’t be afraid to lean over a bit more than usual, unless you’re headed into a turn, in which case you’ll want to get back on the track with all four wheels so you don’t go flying off (with the exception of causing damage, of course). 

Nailing turbo sections will net you points, as well as getting that first boost when you begin the race. Speed can make all the difference in getting a better overall score by completing the track, so collect these whenever you can.

Of course, the biggest scoring factor, in some situations, is the destruction you can cause. Derailing into open space won’t earn you anything, so try to wait and make your cars fly off in an overloaded section of buildings or other stuff you can destroy. Flying right through the center of a building is most effective, as your car drops down and create more damage, thus giving you more points.

This can take a few tries to really nail down the basics, but it’s definitely worth it – especially when your riders cheer and demand that you do it again. 

ScreamRide is available now for Xbox One and Xbox 360.