The newest Star Wars racer has landed on PS5, and it stands as the most compulsive Star Wars game to come along in years. Its premise is simple: podracing, the wild, fast spectacle that defined the Boonta Eve Classic on Tatooine, deserves a fresh take. It succeeds.
The Campaign Sets Up the Competition
Fuse Games built the game, and it takes place after the fall of the Empire. Players become Shade, a pilot who gets pulled into a rivalry with reigning champion Kestar Bool. The story centers on the Galactic League, an underground racing circuit, where pilots fight for reputation and glory. The founder of the League, Darius Pax, requires assistance in maintaining control over the competition, and the campaign develops that rivalry through a series of branching runs.
Players pick their path through a series of events, gathering rewards while altering their vehicles on the go. Among these are races, elimination events, field tests, and mystery encounters, each handing out its own set of prizes. Giving up League Entry Tokens costs you progress, and giving up all of them ends the run. Some advancement stays with the player, including resources that open up vehicles and boost their base stats.
Drifting Makes the Race Worth Watching
Tearing through a track is enjoyable to watch, but the real draw is the handling itself. Steering, drifting, and boosting all work together beautifully, and the act of controlling a vehicle is as much fun as the spectacle of it. The landspeeder drifts smoothly, while the skim speeder’s Knife Edge maneuver allows it to squeeze into tighter spaces. Podracers compete on their own terms, since they are an entirely different beast altogether.
The boost systems carry genuine danger with them. One option gives a chargeable push, while the other opens up once a vehicle hits its working pace. Push either too hard and the engine grows too hot, with an explosion waiting should things go too far. The author confesses setting off an explosion more than once, simply because of pure excitement.
Environmental Conditions Shape the Risk
Planets matter here. Races take place across several worlds, including Jakku, Ando Prime, and Crait, where the latter stands out for its striking visual appeal. Lantaana and Sentinel One complete the list. When not racing, planetary paddocks serve as gathering spots for meeting characters, buying parts, and working on vehicles.
“The handling is the improvement I appreciated most when thinking back to the arcade game.”
A Worthy Return to Star Wars Racing
The writer entered this Star Wars racing game hoping for a worthy return to the genre and left with what they called their favorite racing game ever. The campaign’s branching structure offers players much to consider, but the real draw is what unfolds once the race begins.
The pace is thrilling, the control is outstanding, and even the crashes had the writer laughing. It’s a title that grasps what draws people to racing at great velocity, and delivers on that promise across every course.
Galactic Racer earns its place at the top of the genre.
Source material: “This Is Officially the Most Addictive Star Wars Game in Years and It's Not Even Close | Review,” Collider.
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