Star Wars: Galactic Racer Review – Maximum Velocity

Star Wars: Galactic Racer Review

In 1999, George Lucas introduced the world to the thrilling world of podracing in The Phantom Menace. Episode I: Racer faithfully captured the breakneck speed and adrenaline-pumping competition, and it quickly became a cult classic. Since its sequel in 2002, the landscape has remained still. Going straight into full throttle, Star Wars: Galactic Racer zooms through the dust cloud to claim the vacant spot on the podium. Will this manage to infuse the high-octane races and blistering speed of its predecessor with enough innovation to leave its mark on the galaxy?

Galactic Racer takes a different route with its campaign. In the roguelike racer, you play as Shade, a pilot determined to compete in and win the Galactic League. As you make your way through competitions, you start to learn about the supporting cast. Dialogue is woven into the races, with you and your rivals trading quips as you tear around each course. Kestar Book, renowned for his aggressive piloting skills, soon recognises you as a threat and begins to target you. This rivalry gives the campaign a greater sense of progression, as each competition brings you closer to claiming the top spot and becoming champion. While the story sits firmly in the background, Fuse Games cleverly intertwines it into the races, allowing the characters and their ships to develop through their exchanges on the track.

The Force Is Fast With This One

The roguelike structure is what truly sets the campaign apart from the competition. Each act is a run with several courses that you must tackle in order to progress. You can select between multiple routes in order to reach the final. As events differ, you must navigate your path with each run to find the optimum route to your destination. While certain routes can be more challenging, these often come with larger rewards that improve your vehicle’s performance. However, failing the criteria in certain races or crashing too many times can result in failing the run and heading back to the beginning.

The tour consists of different challenging events. In addition to a standard race, you also have the Eliminator. This tense battle pushes you to stay ahead of the pack as those at the back are eliminated when the clock reaches zero. This continues up to a certain position, keeping you on edge throughout the race. Field Tests are objective-focused tasks, challenging to take part in a Time Trial or other activities. Rounding this off are Mystery Encounters, which are randomized events that can present rewards and more.

Each race rewards you with items, allowing you to tweak the attributes of your vehicle to create a machine that can leave the competition in your dust. The better you do, the better the rewards. Between races, you can also purchase new abilities and passive buffs to create a unique build for your run. If you do crash out, the meta-progression allows you to come back stronger. You can add permanent attribute upgrades, unlock new vehicles and also purchase customizable items. This leads to an incredible campaign that encourages multiple playthroughs at different difficulty levels and vehicles.

Engines at the Ready

On the track, the game revs to life. Before you set off, you activate your abilities and engines with button prompts that mimic turning on switches in your vehicle before the race. The sense of speed immediately washes over you as you zoom through courses to claim the top spot.

Activating your Afterburner gives you a boost, but it drains your battery, forcing you to wait for it to recharge before you can use the ability again. The Ramjet is a high-risk mega boost which you can use to knock vehicles into walls and catch up to those ahead of you. This generates heat, causing you to explode if you hold it for too long. Cleverly, the environment intertwines with these abilities. In freezing zones, the engine takes longer to overheat, allowing you to push the boost for longer durations, whereas areas with lava will raise the temperature even faster. Due to this, you have to learn the track and use the boosts at key points to get the most out of them without pushing your engine beyond its limits.

Each vehicle controls differently, clearly communicating the ship’s weight and size. Landspeeders are heavy vehicles, providing stability, whereas Speeder Bikes are extremely fast and nimble. Skim Speeders have a slower acceleration but build momentum for high speed, and finally Podracers, which are the fastest out of the lot. Each handles differently, with some having the ability to drift and others performing knife-edge turns. The variety gives you the ability to race in a way that suits your preferred style, whether you favour speed, stability or precision.

Personalised Pod

You can add offensive and defensive abilities to help give you an edge in races. From Shields to protect you from collisions to mines that can take out those on your track, you can use these abilities to gain an advantage or disrupt your rivals. This adds another layer to your building, allowing you to create a machine that drives the way you want and has the abilities that suit your preference.

Each planet is a perfect rendition of the worlds we’ve come to love. From Tatooine to Jakku, tracks are wonderfully designed to accentuate the quirks of the environment, showcasing the environment while ensuring the route is varied. The courses feature shortcuts throughout, adding a risk/reward element to each race. While these skip parts of the track, the tight tunnels and difficult terrain mean one wrong move could cause you to crash and lose your place, adding an adrenaline rush as you take on these challenging routes. More than most racers, this truly feels like a battle to the end. You can smash into opponents with your Ramjet to take them down. This triggers a Burnout-style slow-motion shot as your opponent’s vehicle blasts into smithereens. It’s exhilarating, keeping you on the edge of your seat right up to the finish line.

More Under the Hood

In addition to the campaign, there are scenarios that are character-specific runs. Shorter and fleshing out the lore, this is a great way to try out the vehicles and learn about the cast. Arcade Mode is packed with challenges to tackle. Each one is tied to a medal rating, incentivising you to beat your time and earn the next medal. Rounding off the package is Online Multiplayer. While I didn’t get the opportunity to try this during the review window, there are plenty of race types and the high-octane gameplay perfectly lends itself to online, competitive play. Unfortunately, the omission of local multiplayer is a missed opportunity, especially for a game that feels well suited to split-screen racing.

Fuse Games perfectly captures the iconic presentation of the franchise. Everything from the characters, vehicles and world feels authentic. Visually, it’s beautiful, with a rich blend of colours and tones that link to the diverse worlds that you race across. Destroyed ships litter the sand, forcing you to weave through the wreckage as you race towards the finish line. The use of interiors and exteriors is wonderful, adding a narrative to each race. Its stunning sound design further elevates the experience, bringing each environment to life with unmistakable Star Wars audio.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is the best racing game in the franchise’s history. Each contest is a tense ride to the finish, requiring you to use everything in your arsenal to overcome your competitors. The sense of speed is exhilarating, especially as you navigate the tight environments and race across the stunning landscapes. While it can be challenging, reaching the top spot feels earned. With its excellent campaign mode, this is a thrilling return to the world of podracing that delivers an exhilarating racing experience from start to finish.

***A PS5 code was provided by the publisher***