As someone who considers themself a fan of Star Wars™ but not too fond of where podracing originated I was still looking forward to climbing into the cockpit for my first race. The concept of podracing was always bigger than the movies it was confined to. What I wasn’t expecting was Star Wars: Galactic Racer to wind up being on my list of favorite games I played while out in Los Angeles for Summer Game Fest. That’s without even being able to fully experience everything that was available for us to play as well.
Yes, unfortunately due to some last minute scheduling changes my time racing across the galaxy was cut short so I wasn’t able to experience first hand the runs-based campaign mode. Although, the fervor and jaw-trembling excitement from friends and peers salivating through their recollection was certainly a welcome sign of what I could hope to expect. The high risk, high reward game mode focuses on players completing races while choosing between branching paths that allow you to progress as well as build out your vehicle. The level of customization, challenge, and nuance to the campaign mode has the potential to elevate the single player experience in meaningful and unique ways that I could see myself pouring hours into. A true highlight of what Star Wars: Galactic Racer is hoping to deliver on.
The biggest takeaway for me was just how good it felt to race across the beautifully dangerous planets of Star Wars: Galactic Racer. Adrenaline fuels high speed races that I only barely got to whet my appetite on. Tight corners, pushy opponents, and a euphoric eruption of nerves when expertly hitting a corner, evading an explosive collision, and boosting off of a cliff made each race memorable and thrilling. The cinematic slowdown of your vehicle being ripped apart by a poorly judged turn was heart flattening and for a moment makes you feel like a spectator of your own folly. These moments kept the stakes high and me fully locked in while on the galaxy’s edge of my seat.
Aside from the game feeling so intrinsically Star Wars and looking incredibly gorgeous in the process, as a race enters its final leg the music begins to swell and in turn kept pulling me deeper and deeper into that world. Feeling immersed in a crowded Play Days HQ was a feat in and of itself and I can’t wait to find myself speeding through the varied planets soon. Discovering secret paths, finding vehicle customizations that work best for me, and submerging myself in the palpable Star Wars sauce that’s so brimming around every edge of what I played.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer takes the iconic podracing of the prequels and translates them so seemingly effortlessly onto the screen with us in control. I’ve been looking forward to being able to gush about how fun this game was to get my hands on and I can’t wait until I can fully explore what it has to offer. Oh, and finally play the campaign mode for myself and stop living through the shared experiences of my friends. I remain hopeful for a galaxy’s worth of podracing goodness when Star Wars: Galactic Racer on October 6th, 2026.
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