This is a real treat for all Star Wars and video game fans. For years, the community of fans of George Lucas’s work had been clamoring for a spiritual successor to Star Wars Racer, an excellent WipEout-style racing game (featuring futuristic ships) released on Windows PC, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast. Their wish has just come true with Star Wars: Galactic Racer, a title that pays homage to its predecessor. Back in the day, Star Wars Racer was a marketing stroke of genius: the movie Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace was released almost simultaneously with the game Star Wars Racer (developed by LucasArts) and was an instant hit. It must be said that the sensation of speed was exhilarating and that the graphics, particularly on the Dreamcast and PC, were quite impressive.
It was while reflecting on the chariot race in Ben-Hur that George Lucas decided to use it as inspiration for the most spectacular sequence in his feature film. In this scene, a young Anakin Skywalker battles the cunning Sebulba, piloting a pod that has two jet engines. This sequence has become a cult classic for an entire generation, and aside from its 2002 sequel, Racer Revenge, Star Wars Racer remained the only game to truly capture the spectacular nature of those wild pod races. By enlisting the help of Fuse Games—a studio founded by former Criterion employees—Lucasfilm Games bet on the right horse. The sense of speed, the staging, and the crashes immediately bring to mind the Burnout saga, an unforgettable racing series. It’s a real feast for the eyes (especially since the production values are fabulous), but the boldest gamble lies in the very structure of the progression.
To keep players glued to their seats, the designers of Star Wars: Galactic Racer chose to blend two contrasting genres: racing games and roguelites. In the former, the goal is usually to repeat the same routes to shave off a few tenths of a second on each lap. The latter, on the other hand, is more prone to the unexpected and the loss of equipment. It’s not the first game to take this approach (Road Redemption, a modernized Road Rash, comes to mind), but the result is absolutely brilliant.
The heart of Star Wars: Galactic Racer rests on a simple concept: the League token. At the start of the tour, Darius Pax, the founder of the Galactic League, hands the player this precious token, which grants them the right to compete. As long as they keep it, they can race from planet to planet and gradually upgrade their vehicle. But if they lose it during a race, it’s back to square one: they have to start from scratch and try their luck again. That’s where the multiple paths come in. Players are presented with several forks in the road and can choose between taking risks (elimination races with generous rewards) and playing it safe.
Why Should I Download Star Wars: Galactic Racer?
True to the spirit of Star Wars Racer, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a futuristic arcade racing game. The story takes place in the early years of the New Republic, following the fall of the Empire. Against the backdrop of a thriving black market, speeder races are organized, and the best pilots compete for glory, fame, and prestige. Darius Pax, founder of the Galactic League, invites Shade—played by the player—to take part in one of the races. After being lectured and threatened by the champion, Kestar Bool, he finally decides to put the rich kid in his place by agreeing to take part in the competition. It is against this backdrop, in the heart of the Outer Rim region, that the player is thrust into high-octane, hair-raising races.
After completing a tutorial that teaches you how to control the various vehicles (landspeeder, motojet, and skim speeder), you can start the single-player campaign. The first pleasant surprise: instead of mindlessly stringing together races, Shade (in other words, the player) can move freely around the paddock before each new championship. This gives you the chance to explore a place teeming with aliens, droids, and humans, with the horizon stretching as far as the eye can see. Between planets, this space lets you chat with other pilots, enjoy numerous nods to the Star Wars universe, and buy parts for your race car. Admittedly, the storyline isn’t groundbreaking, but this setting is a genuinely welcome addition.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is based on a well-designed system. To win, the player has two boosts at their disposal, and the real challenge lies in managing the heat from the engines. Afterburner is a classic boost that poses no danger, but its gauge must recharge. The ramjet, on the other hand, provides a much more dramatic boost but causes the engines to overheat. Using it too aggressively will cause your vehicle to explode outright. You must therefore constantly balance your use of both boosts, or you’ll end up as a pile of twisted metal and gears.
Environmental and climatic conditions also play a role. On Jakku, the desert heat affects the engine, while on Ando Prime, the freezing cold forces the player to travel through heated tunnels to prevent frost from freezing the steering mechanism. On Lantaana, driving through the volcano means you have to be careful not to get too close to the lava, while on Sentinel One, acid poses a constant danger. The system is smart and forces you to play “smart” to win. You also have to watch out for collisions: the veterans behind Burnout have revived the classic concept, and it’s entirely possible to crash into the scenery or send your competitors flying. Combined with blistering speed and stunning graphics, all of this adds up to a fantastic experience in Star Wars: Galactic Racer. And that, of course, is all thanks to its roguelite system.
Rather than a traditional series of championships, progression is based on branching paths that combine races, elimination rounds, trials, and encounters with characters. The idea is to advance gradually by upgrading each part of your vehicle. The branching system helps avoid the feeling of repetition, and the story continues even if you lose. In addition to the single-player campaign, Arcade mode offers challenges such as beating a time limit or completing a specific objective with a designated vehicle. The longer Scenarios provide comprehensive challenges with specific rules and characters. Online, up to twelve players can compete in speeder races, and eight in podracer races. The multiplayer tours follow the same format as the campaign: five races to upgrade your vehicle, leading up to a grand finale. Cross-play is supported, allowing everyone to compete against each other, whether they’re on PC or console.
Is Star Wars: Galactic Racer Free?
No, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a paid game, whether you download it on Windows PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or Xbox Series S.
However, here’s a surprise: the game’s single-player campaign and Arcade mode are available for free to all Prime members on Amazon Luna. Only the multiplayer mode is missing, so there’s plenty to keep you busy before you decide to buy the full game. This is great news, especially since there’s a 30-day free Prime trial to try out the service.
What Operating Systems Are Compatible with Star Wars: Galactic Racer?
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a downloadable game for Windows PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. The game from Fuse Games is also available on Amazon Luna.
What Are the Alternatives to Star Wars: Galactic Racer?
As previously mentioned, Star Wars Racer is the predecessor to Galactic Racer. Released in the wake of the movie Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, it’s an arcade racing game that puts you at the controls of modules. The game features vehicles driven by Anakin and his rival, Sebulba. The tracks, meanwhile, are inspired by the franchise’s iconic planets. Back then, to progress, you already had to buy equipment to upgrade your pod and repair damage. Simpler than its successor, it remains an essential classic for fans of pod racing. It was remastered a few years ago and is available today at an attractive price.
A tribute to the futuristic racing games that took the 1990s by storm—such as F-Zero and WipEout—Redout 2 is one of the genre’s finest examples. The story is set in the distant future, where antigravity ship races have become commonplace. Numerous pilots compete in spectacular races that evoke the early technological thrills of the PlayStation, featuring the ramps, tunnels, and tight turns of WipEout. There are 36 tracks available, and the gameplay is exhilarating, thanks in large part to a killer soundtrack.
We wrap up with BallisticNG, a love letter from the independent studio Neognosis to the original WipEout trilogy, as well as to Rollcage and Jet Moto. In 2159, the player competes in the Antigravity League and races at breakneck speed on futuristic tracks, armed to the teeth to take out their rivals. The graphics were designed with the technical limitations of ’90s hardware in mind, resulting in a retro look that’s surprisingly authentic. In addition to its game modes (classic racing, survival, elimination, time trials, and more), BallisticNG is also a fantastic sandbox game, as it lets you create your own tracks and vehicles.
