Supermarket Shriek is a kart racer video game released on 9th June 2019. It is currently available to play on Xbox One and PC and is currently in development to release for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. The game was both developed and published by Billy Goat Entertainment. It is also currently free-to-play through Xbox Game Pass. Billy Goat Entertainment specialise in crafting lighthearted and comedic experiences, which shows that they don’t take themselves too seriously.
Man’s Best Friend
Typically, man’s best friend is usually a dog. In Supermarket Shriek, however, man’s best friend is a goat. Supermarket Shriek offers players the experience of completing different races from the comfort of a shopping trolley where you play as both a man and a goat. To move the shopping trolley and to turn it around corners, the characters need to scream. Both characters scream to make the trolley go, and one character screams to make the trolley turn. This is done by using the triggers on the Xbox One controller.
When you first start playing Supermarket Shriek, there is an option for Driving School, which is a training area. It will take you through the basics on how to play the game and how to control the shopping trolley. After you have completed the training, you can dive into the Story mode.
This mode can be played either solo or in co-op. The races in the Story mode have various obstacles, including racing against the clock, collecting items throughout the store, or winning against an opponent. If you play in co-op mode, each player will control one of the two characters inside the trolley. There is also a Party mode that allows up to eight players, and this mode is unlocked by playing the Story mode through co-op and gaining hearts.
Hilariously Addictive
Supermarket Shriek has some great qualities, the main one being that it is absolutely hilarious. There are so many ways that you can die. While dying can be frustrating, it will also most likely make you laugh. You can also unlock a lot of achievements by dying in different ways, and most of these achievements come with extremely funny titles, so when you get them, they will probably give you a bit of a laugh too.
Another great thing about Supermarket Shriek is how addictive it is. Some of the races and tracks are quite difficult, so you find yourself becoming determined to complete them. You may get to a point where you don’t care about how well you complete it. The main thing is that you actually get to the finish line. The first street of shops that you enter is quite easy and simple, think of it as an introductory street. Once you are past that, they gradually get more difficult.
To unlock certain races, you will need a certain number of stars that you earn by performing well in other races well. When you are low on stars, I would recommend to try beating your current scores to gain more. Supermarket Shriek offers players a challenging experience with creative and frustrating obstacles. There are also hidden but kind of obvious special tracks that you can complete that appear similar to something you would find in Sonic the Hedgehog and Superhot that will leave you in awe of how crazy they are.
Practice Makes Perfect
Supermarket Shriek, as I have mentioned, can be quite frustrating and takes a bit of getting used to, but the more you play, the more you will get a handle on things. The Driving School training mode is surprisingly helpful, and as they say, practice makes perfect. The biggest issue with Supermarket Shriek is the co-op mode. It’s all fun and games when playing solo, but trying to play the co-op mode is insane! Controlling one side of a shopping trolley is absolute chaos, so the key to succeeding in the co-op mode is communication between players.
The Party mode is ridiculous to unlock. I believe it would have been much more fun if, instead of a co-op or Party mode, the game would have had a multiplayer mode. It would be great if players could each choose a preset style of characters and race against each other or work as a team to collect items or knock down stacks of items to gain points. These are already existing tracks, so it would be simple to just add extra players and make the game a real couch co-op game with split-screen.
A Guy and His Goat
The strangest thing about Supermarket Shriek, along with the screaming, is that fact that it is a guy and a goat in a shopping trolley. Why a guy and a goat? Why a shopping trolley? These are the big questions. You can stop the trolley at any point, so why doesn’t the guy take the goat to a shelter or something and then go home? The answer to these questions is: Why the hell not? The game makes no sense, but that is what makes it genius!
Supermarket Shriek offers players the opportunity to also personalise the characters with a variety of accessories. The more you play, the more gear you will unlock. What I would like to see, from a female point of view, would be the ability to choose a female character instead of a male character. A female character with a overly dramatic high-pitched scream would have been great to have as an option.
Supermarket Shriek Overall
Supermarket Shriek has some awesome aspects, but it isn’t without its issues. The multiplayer part of the game leaves much to be desired. The game is absolutely hilarious and offers players a strange but charming experience. If you have Xbox Game Pass, I would definitely say to give the game a go as it is a great addition.
The game is mainly advertised as a kart racer; however, it is also advertised as a couch co-op game. I feel like the game doesn’t really present players with true couch co-op. If some small changes were made, I think it could be a great game to have in your back pocket on a game night with friends. With all that being said, Supermarket Shriek is creative, frustrating, addictive, hilarious and above all, weird.
Developer: Billy Goat Entertainment
Publisher: Billy Goat Entertainment
Platform: Xbox One, PC
Release Date: 9th June 2019
