Star Wars: Galactic Racer might be the most intense racing game I’ve played since 2004’s Burnout 3: Takedown.
Races full of chaos with the speed you’d expect from podracing and a feeling that one simple mistake will be the difference between finishing first and not finishing at all.
I was able to spend an hour with the game at Summer Game Fest this year and had time to play both the campaign and some of the standalone podracing. By the time I was finished, I couldn’t wait to get more time with the game.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer Preview
The campaign is nothing too crazy story-wise. You’re a skilled driver, Shade, who’s being recruited to join the racing circuit, but you have no interest in it. That is until the guy at the top, Kester Bool, tells you that you don’t belong, giving you the motivation to make a go of it. You’re also there to help a friend keep the Galactic League under control.
Again, nothing too crazy.
From what I played of it, the campaign is run-based, which has you choosing your path of events on different planets. You’ll progress by taking part in races, eliminators, field tests, and even mystery encounters. How you finish an event determines your rewards and how you can upgrade your vehicle. As you upgrade, you’ll decide how you want your podracer to be constructed. Want a fast yet fragile vehicle? You can. What about a durable tank that’s a little on the slower side? Go for it.
There are also cutscenes to bring the story together, and, boy, do they look incredible. Every detail from the grains of sand to the metal of your racer, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a stunning piece. And that visual fidelity continues during the races.
Vehicles With Variety
There are three types of speeders in Galactic Racer.
The Landspeeder is the straightforward racer that’s built to hit top speed and drift around corners. The Speeder Bike isn’t the most stable, but it can move anywhere in the blink of an eye and squeeze into tight spaces and between other racers. Finally, the Skim Speeder is the most maneuverable vehicle that can go completely sideways to make tight corners and through narrow passages.
How you race depends on the vehicle you have. As I said, one mistake is the difference between getting to the finish line and crashing out. And when you crash, you do so in spectacular fashion.
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Because of the high speeds you’re driving at, a crash will leave your vehicle in ruins. Because of the frequency of crashes, you have three lives, of sorts, with your speeder. Wreck more than that, and your race is over.
But it’s not just about keeping your vehicle intact. There’s also the advantage that comes from taking out your opponents. Wrecking an opposing racer fills your boost immediately. You also have the ability to watch their destroyed racers fly through the air via a takedown camera.
I did have a problem with the camera coming at inopportune moments, however. If you happen to take out an opponent on a turn or in a tight space, you can find yourself crashing the second the camera flips back to you. It’s something I asked the developers about, including whether it was toggleable.
They told me that it was an always-on feature, but that they would be fine-tuning it before the game’s October release to have AI control the racer for a few seconds after turning back to allow players to regain their bearings.
You have complete control over your racer. In the hour I had, I never felt like my vehicle didn’t do exactly what I wanted it to. And, unlike some racing titles, you feel the speed difference between racers. It’s a thrill to fly and avoid hitting the wall, crashing into obstacles, or being run off by other races.
I said it at the beginning, and I stand by it. Star Wars: Galactic Racer is the most intense racing game I’ve played since Burnout 3: Takedown. The real test of the game will be whether there’s enough from its multiplayer to keep me after making it through the campaign and various scenarios.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches on October 6 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
In other news, read about how the Steam Machine was planned to be a lot cheaper than it was.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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