There are few thrills in gaming that can compare to the mad dash down a traffic-filled street in a Burnout title. At breakneck speeds, one slight hit can be the difference between winning and losing. To see this process transferred to the Star Wars universe in Star Wars: Galactic Racer by people that worked on Burnout and Need for Speed is like the classic combination of bread and butter: it just works. Yet instead of traffic, here we have natural obstacles and tight tunnels to truly test our reflexes like Anakin Skywalker’s death-defying podracing in 1999. Using a roguelite system, a cannon story and familiar locations, Galactic Racer has appeal for a wide range of fans – be they racers, Star Wars lovers or build-based sickos searching for the meta. I’ve been playing the game for a week, and here are my thoughts.
Galactic Racer has both multiplayer and single-player, but for this review I am focusing on the single-player mode as this is where the game finds its own footing in the genre. I am not always the biggest fan of roguelites in many settings as repeated runs of the same content can get tiresome, even with upgrades and location changes. Yet when done right in applying storytelling, such as Returnal, the mode has a place in the process and therefore elevates the gameplay rather than becoming repetition. Galactic Racer thankfully aligns, having a narrative purpose in its repeated tours against scum and villainy. Of course, it can be frustrating if you find yourself starting again due to one too many crashes – but there are enough tweaks and carry-overs to keep you energised.
We begin the journey with our hero Shade. He can be tweaked slightly in appearance and colour, though he wears a helmet and therefore is not dissimilar to bounty hunters such as the Fetts. Shade initially does not want to engage in the high-speed races of the outer rim, though is pulled in by the league’s commissioner and also a rivalry with a wealthy champion named Kestar Bool who has a history with our protagonist. As a slaver, Kestar Bool has no remorse and sees all other lifeforms as inferior. This is enough to spark Shade into action and race in the tour to prove Kestar wrong. Alongside a monkey-like creature named Hibi, the story is plotted to see growth in capabilities and connections to others who want to see Shade succeed. The purpose of the roguelite nature is that failure simply means try again, though the runs are factored in to the plot and the improvement. Reaching a new planet or passing qualification then continues the narrative as we see the stakes increase across three acts. While nothing hugely innovative, I found myself wanting to see the next step of Shade’s story (especially as Kestar is a piece of work) while also keeping an eye on both lore and returning characters.
We’re all here for the gameplay. The fast-paced, electric, takedown-infested gameplay. I struggle to recall a game that moves at this speed without feeling impossible to succeed. The first few drives across Jakku will be full of crashes, wrong turns and speed juggling. Outside of some lights erected on turns, much of the navigation is based on a keen eye and muscle memory. You’ll essentially use accelerate, a boosted speed and drifts before adding special abilities. The actual driving is simple, though hitting that rawjet boost really does feel like flicking a switch on a vehicle as your head snaps back. The races take place on a handful of planets from the sandy wreckages of Jakku, to the forests and lava of Lantaana, to the frozen peaks of Ando Prime and even the salt seas of Crait. While you basically want to ensure you’re finishing first, you’ll also want to ram opponents into walls and play quite aggressively as they jest in your ear.
Now for the progression. Each ‘run’ starts with picking a branching lane that includes general 12-person races, solo time trials with objectives, mystery opponents and knockouts. Your goal is to finish as strongly as possible across those races to secure upgrades in anything from battery, to acceleration, to shields, to drifting and then win the knockout tour to face a final battle for qualification. You’re looking at approximately 10-12 races across three planets before this final battle, and that’s really just the beginning. How do you fail, you ask? Crash three times on any single race or lose the knockout tour, and you’re sent back to race 1 on Jakku. Often, it doesn’t take too much for a wipeout. You may start grinding against a barrier and go boom. An opponent may cut you off and cause a distraction. Or you may just struggle with the speed around a sharp turn. Despite having a small number of planets overall, the actual races on these planets are varied and there are also reverse courses. Some races are point to point, others may be 5 laps. Then you have different vehicles types, essentially choosing between a skim speeder, a bike and a landspeeder (plus the ultimate podracer, though that is largely absent from the campaign). The bike is smaller and has a great ability to weave through races. The skim speeder goes vertical around bends. Trial and error, alongside your dedicated build, will teach you how best to play the game.
Performance is spectacular. Buttery smooth, high frames, excellent lighting and blaring engine sounds. I encountered no bugs across my 10+ hours, though I did struggle to take photos during races as you really need to be locked in (and the dizzying speed does not always provide the ideal capture). Luckily, there is also a calmer pace with the land-based segments. As Shade, you’ll walk around and talk to mechanics, friends and foes. The environments here are a highlight, while walking around is an aspect I did not think would play so well into narrative. The haptics also fire on all cylinders, shaking your whole body as you ignite the engine and roar off into the sunset. Perhaps the only area I found slightly lacking was the soundtrack. Star Wars has some of the best themes in film history. Many games, such as the recent Zero Company, tap into this. Galactic Racer instead relies on the power of the vehicles to really do the heavy lifting – which is understandable. The sound design otherwise is highly entertaining.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is the second Star Wars game in a matter of months yet has its own lane in gameplay, narrative and roguelite nature. The frenetic pace is wild at first, yet settles into a rhythm that lines it up against the best arcade races of this generation. While longevity is hard to test on release, the team has an excellent base to work with in adding new vehicles, planets and customisation options. Just remember to take those turns carefully, because crashing sends you straight back home.
Pros
Simply stunning performance
Carves its own path in Star Wars lore
Exciting races, every time
Cons
Soundtrack needs more
Longevity may be in question
