Game Review: STAR WARS: Galactic Racer (PS5)

Released last week, Star Wars: Galactic Racer has impressed gamers and game journalists alike with its fast-paced, arcade-style racing. So I figured I’d purchase a copy through the PlayStation Store and find out what all the fuss was about.

The Story

Star Wars: Galactic Racer takes place after the fall of the Empire, as the New Republic struggles to rebuild and underground racing flourishes in the Outer Rim. Players take on the role of Shade, a mysterious racer who enters the dangerous Galactic League seeking revenge against the Bool family. Standing in Shade’s way is Kestar Bool, the corrupt reigning champion, who uses his status to intimidate rivals and expand his influence. With help from skilled mechanic Hibi—and the legendary Sebulba, whose respect must first be earned—Shade sets out to rise through the ranks and dethrone Bool.

Playability

As far as playability goes, you can pretty much hit the tracks right away. There are several options, including arcade races, multiplayer games and seasons, as well as the main story campaign, in which you take on the role of Shade.

You can race in several vehicle types, from landspeeders—similar to the one Luke Skywalker drove in Star Wars: A New Hope—to speeder bikes, skim speeders and, finally, podracers. Each vehicle handles differently, bringing its own challenges and requiring you to pick up new skills as you race. It’s quite addictive and rewards persistence.

Aside from learning to pilot the various racers, you also have to learn the courses and navigate different environments across seven planets, some of which hardcore Star Wars fans will recognise.

Each world brings its own challenges. On Crait, for example, salt kicked up by other speeders can clog your ramjet, preventing you from using either the standard boost or the ramjet’s longer bursts of speed. In the caves, you need to learn the safest routes and try not to crash. That’s a common problem across all the planets, as rocks and crystal stalagmites can sneak up on you when you’re racing at high speeds.

Of all the worlds, I’ve found Sentinel I the easiest to race on, although you still have to avoid the acid or your ride will go bye-bye.

What makes the game fun is that you start each season with a single entry token, which carries you through the races. However, lose an elimination race or wreck your ride too many times, and your run is over. You then have to begin a new season and work your way through the races again.

Graphics

The graphics are fairly strong. The varied landscapes and vehicles do a fantastic job of capturing the look and aesthetic of Star Wars. The characters you meet along the way also look good, ranging from humans to various alien species from across the galaxy.

The vehicle models are wonderfully detailed and have that lived-in Star Wars look we’ve all grown to love over the years.

Sound & Soundtrack

Gordy Haab does a solid job with the game’s soundtrack, while the sound department brilliantly captures the atmosphere of the races. Engines scream as you overtake other racers or they speed past you. The explosions sound particularly good, although they do get annoying when you’re having such a terrible run that you hear rather too many of them.

Voice Acting

The actors do a solid job. Shade has four voice options—two male and two female—provided by Will de Renzy-Martin, Afolabi Alli, Rebecca Hanssen and Eva Savage.

Lucy Montgomery does a great job of voicing Hibi, Shade’s cute, four-armed, monkey-like mechanic. Kris Laudrum is solid casting as the wealthy, self-centred and entitled Kestar Bool, who you’ll want to punch within moments of meeting him. He comes across as the typical bratty rich kid you’d find in pretty much any teen TV series or movie.

Some Final Thoughts

I’ve been playing this game on and off for over 15 hours, and it still hasn’t gotten old. Between Arcade Mode, Story Mode and multiplayer, there’s plenty to keep you grinding away, learning new racing techniques and finding better routes.

Developed by Fuse Games, whose team includes former Criterion developers who worked on the Burnout series, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is fast-paced and addictive, just as any good arcade racing game should be.

It also puts me in mind of the old MotorStorm games, with their off-road racing, buggies, motorcycles and courses that feel quite similar to those found here. Suffice to say, this offers hours of fun for both racing game enthusiasts and Star Wars fans.

As far as I’m concerned, this is £49.99 well spent. The story campaign and multiplayer offer a long-term challenge, but it’s also a game you can pick up and play for ten minutes while waiting for a phone call or something.