The Phantom Menace and the Star Wars prequels have a mixed legacy. On one hand, the film introduced podracing to the world. On the other hand, it introduced Jar Jar Binks to our nightmares. The good ultimately outlasts the bad, which is why I’m glad that we now have a gorgeous-looking racing game called Star Wars: Galactic Racer available on consoles and PC rather than a triple-A Jar Jar video game.
Developed by Fuse Games, Galactic Racer focuses on the Outer Rim and the dangers of racing in the Star Wars universe. It makes an incredible first impression, as the game is a visual marvel delivering electric racing across beautiful planets. The first time you boost in the game will have you white-knuckling your controller, as the sense of speed is quite impressive and the actual racing feels fantastic. It’s not a one-trick pony, however, as mastering the different types of ships and installable abilities means there’s plenty of depth to appreciate, and the actual racing always shines.
While there are a lot of ways to enjoy straightforward racing, the main campaign in Star Wars: Galactic Racer is actually a roguelike mode. Players will have to perform well on the track and avoid crashing too many times if they wish to continue their run. It’s not just about stakes, though; what’s really cool is that your choices really matter, as you determine your ship’s build and create rivalries across races. Upgrades improve your vehicle’s core stats (ranging from cornering to ship-specific ones), and you can install different parts over time to find a build that really works for your strategy. It’s a really impressive mode with a lot of depth to it, and a surprisingly good story to boot.
There’s a nice mixture of other solo content in Galactic Racer as well. The arcade mode has everything from time trials to curated events that will really test your skills. There’s also a really cool scenarios mode that dives into the story’s characters (each with a different racing style). These fun events make you care more about the game’s cast of characters and give you different ideas for how you can build your ships and play.
Meanwhile, the multiplayer modes will allow you to race in whatever manner you desire. Quick races let you simply select a landspeeder and go head-to-head with speeder bikes straight away, for example. However, those that love the campaign’s mix of roguelike decision-making will want to check out the multiplayer tour mode, which is a six-planet tour that allows you to unlock abilities quickly and then duke it out in an intense final race. Multiplayer races can go up to 12 players (although the tour only goes up to eight), so racing is even more thrilling against other humans.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer Review: Final Verdict
Utterly thrilling during its best moments, Galactic Racer is the racing game that Star Wars fans have been waiting decades for. With top-notch production value and plenty of polish, it’s one of the best arcade racing games released in years and a ton of fun to play solo or with others. Star Wars fans won’t want to miss it.
SCORE: 9/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 9 equates to “Excellent.” Entertainment that reaches this level is at the top of its type. The gold standard that every creator aims to reach.
Disclosure: ComingSoon received a PlayStation 5 code from the publisher for its Star Wars: Galactic Racer review.
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