Star Wars: Galactic Racer review - An addictively rich adventure

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is not only one of the best racing games I have played all year, but after playing the campaign the full way through, it just might be one of my favourite racing games of all time.

When we spoke to the developers, Fuse Games, back in August during a preview event, one of the things they spoke about was putting the feeling of consequence back into racing. And in Star Wars: Galactic Racer, this works incredibly well.

With system malfunctions, different weather conditions, and even faulty parts you pick up, the Galactic League has countless challenges in store. These challenges, however, achieve that perfect balance of forcing you to adapt to your new environment whilst still being an absolute blast to play with. Your strategy, of not only what vehicle you pick and what stats you choose to invest in (whether that be your cornering, acceleration, etc), but how tightly you take corners and when you choose to use your ramjet on the track, all matters.

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Don’t get me wrong, I love the randomisation of racing games like Mario Kart, and we’ve all suffered a blue shell in first place just before the finish line. But in Galactic Racer, your choices and playstyle feel like they matter more. There is more customisation with how exactly you want your vehicle to fly past your opponents, and testing out different playstyles across the acts of the campaign is an absolute joy.

Beyond how the racing itself feels, in our preview piece we discussed how amazing the audio design of this game is, and it still remains true after playing through the whole campaign. It’s a key part in what makes the world feel so visceral, both on and off the track.

In the preview we only accessed Act I, the arcade and multiplayer modes of the game, and from my initial impressions I thought the story did the job but was perhaps a bit simple. However, now that I’ve finished the full campaign, which is comprised of three acts, I’m pleased to say that the story, as well as the characters, are developed and genuinely interesting.

Antagonist Kestar Bool is a villainous, spoilt brat, and piloting Shade in their quest to beat him is incredibly satisfying. Over the course of the three acts, we learn that Shade knows Kestar as a member of the prominent Bool family. The family run Shade’s home planet, Gathleon, essentially enslaving all humans on the planet to work for the Bool’s corporation. We also learn that at one point Kestar even had Shade thrown into an imperial prison, and yet, he doesn’t recognise Shade at all.

Each time Shade loses all their league tokens, by either failing race requirements or wrecking their vehicle, you're taken back to the beginning of the act and the story unravels further as we hear little titbits of information from conversations both private and eavesdropped. It is here that the game actively encourages you to fail and not fly through each act at lightspeed, as each time you return to the start you'll pick up more narrative nuggets that make the world feel that much richer.

Tying itself nicely into the films, Sebulba, the iconic podracer who appears in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, also rears his ugly head. In Act II, Sebulba is just another one of Kestar Bool’s puppets, paid to beat Shade. However, after you beat Sebulba in a race, a furious Kestar steals Sebulba’s podracer, and you work with him to get it back.

Throughout Act III, you can play as a younger Sebulba by talking to him on the hub of each planet, reliving his glory days as the galaxy’s most formidable racer. Sebulba also starts to train you with various podracing tests to give you a better chance of defeating Kestar. However, the racing champion is not to be messed with, as if you fail he’ll strip you of your league tokens, forcing you to repeat the act all over again.

Kestar is often trying to manipulate Shade into getting what he wants, attempting to pay him for information about other racers, or hiring other racers to come after Shade. Refuse his bribes, and you'll be greatly rewarded or helped out by fellow racers when you need it most. This sense of comradery was a pleasant surprise, making you feel as if you were part of some sort of petrol-headed Rebel Alliance.

In terms of the maps, each planet comes with its own set of requirements, whether that be blazing heat, frozen conditions or even poisonous waters, providing a fun test of strategy with each environment. The maps even include iconic Star Wars planets, from the deserts of Tatooine to the frozen wastelands of Ando Prime — franchise fanatics should be pleased with the variety on offer.

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After mastering the art of podracing and fighting your way to the top through various planets, a final match with Kestar remains, with this finale exposing him as the petulant youngling that he is.

Once you're done with the main campaign, the game still has much more to offer, including different arcade modes where you can play as the other racers in the Galactic League and alongside podracing challenges that allow you to test your skills.

Encouraging you to go further and approach each race differently, Galactic Racer is a truly unique game that thrills and surprises. Its vibrant cast of characters that race alongside you throughout the league are a great accompaniment to Shade’s journey, and I would highly recommend giving this intergalactic adventure a go.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is out 6 October across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. We reviewed on PlayStation 5.

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