The British version of Supermarket Sweep is making a return this year, with Rylan Clark-Neal as host
Supermarket Shriek
JUST KIDDING AROUND ALEX SPENCER
PUBLISHER BILLY GOAT ENTERTAINMENT / DEVELOPER BILLY GOAT ENTERTAINMENT / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £14.99/$17.99
hircine pair between two controllers.
Played this way, it becomes a co-op
game akin to Overcooked, relying on
efficient communication with your
partner, except with much more
emphasis on precise timing. Which,
with the control scheme, is practically
impossible. A sample conversation:
“Okay, you scream... now I scream...
are you pressing... now stop... no, both
stop... oh... oh no.”
Finally, if you really want to cry
havoc and let slip the goats of war,
you can plug in two microphones and
steer by actually screaming aloud. We
recommend this mode only if you’re
blessed with forgiving neighbours and
incredibly robust vocal chords.Talking shop
The game really soars in co-op mode- as ever, there’s little funnier than
watching a friend fall flat on their
face, even if they do drag you down
with them. It’s also a lot harder than
playing solo, due to the inherent lag
We’re not quite sure
how the humble
goat became
gaming’s official
comedy animal, but
Supermarket Shriek
certainly secures its position at the
top of the mountain. The game stars
a man and a goat, trapped by fate or
circumstance in the same shopping
trolley. They face a world filled with
obstacles, which they can only
navigate by screaming really hard. It’s
an apt metaphor for life in 2019.
There are a few ways to play. The
simplest involves you controlling
man and goat alike, with their yelps
assigned to one trigger apiece. The
goat sends the trolley careening left,
the man to the right. Or is it the other
way round? Much like in the classic
browser game QWOP, the intentionally
obstinate and counterintuitive
controls are a clear source of laughter.
If you’re feeling brave, you can get
a friend involved, splitting the human/
of verbal communication. We tried
inventing our own language of single-
syllable words, but were left wishing
for a direct Ethernet connection to our
partner’s brain.
As the game ramps up in difficulty
this can actually become a barrier to
enjoyment. Later tracks require snap
reflexes, or at least a lot of practice,
and your partnership’s mileage may
vary. With the right companion, it’s an
absolute blast, but we recommend
making sure that both parties won’t
take the inevitable accusations and
infighting to heart before you link up
that second controller.
The good news is that Supermarket
Shriek is surprisingly compelling
when played alone – when your
ex-teammate has stormed off to
bed – because, when you’ve got
control of both man and goat, it
actually becomes possible to master
the control scheme. Well, we say
‘master’... it’s not so much finessed
racing lines as doing donuts in theshort
cutWHAT IS IT?
The classic ‘boy
meets goat’ story.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
Dale Winton’s
daytime-telly classic,
with added farmyard
animals.
WHO’S IT FOR?
Pretty much anyone
capable of squeezing
a trigger on a joypad
and laughing.EDITOR’S
CHOICE076 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE
REVIEW