Star Wars: Galactic Racer is shaping up to be the definitive Star Wars racing game, offering high-speed vehicles, a deep roguelike campaign, and stunning visuals. After roughly two hours of playtime, the debut title from Fuse Games is exceeding expectations.
Authentic Star Wars Experience
The game features three distinct Speeder types: Land Speeder, Speeder Bike, and the all-new Skim Speeder class. Developer Fuse Games, with experience from Burnout and Need for Speed, pays meticulous attention to detail. Land Speeder engines judder with a low thump, while Speeder Bikes whizz by at a satisfyingly high pitch. The visuals are amazing, even on a base PS5, with few hitches.
Roguelike Campaign and Race Types
The campaign casts players as Shade, a mysterious character dragged into an underground racing tournament. The story is not an afterthought; it's designed to be replayed in roguelike fashion. Players can lightly customise Shade and choose how to race on pre-determined planets. Race types include standard races against 11 other racers, Eliminator (inspired by Mario Kart World's Knockout Tour), time trial sprints, and story-driven interactive moments. Losing an event bumps you out of the league, forcing a restart with improved vehicle upgrades.
Engaging Racing Mechanics
Accelerating with R2 is standard, but the key is priming and deploying a ramjet boost with R3 and braking while turning to drift. The game implements an involved racing style that had the player gripping the PS5 DualSense tightly. However, readability can suffer on first-time tracks due to no minimap, barriers, or road markings, requiring memory of specific tracks.
Podracing and Fan Service
Podracing appears in the campaign at a specific point, but the player was able to play the iconic Mos Espa race on Tatooine as Sebulba via the Arcade mode. The track, obstacles, and layout are recreated almost exactly from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, providing a cool fan-service moment.
Conclusion and Release Date
After two hours of racing across ice, desert, forest, and lava, Star Wars: Galactic Racer delivers a rush of excitement for fans. The unique roguelike campaign structure adds replayability, while the sounds and sights feel authentic. How vehicle upgrades balance and multiplayer modes will offer remains to be seen, but the game brings hope for a return of vehicle-based Star Wars games. Star Wars: Galactic Racer is scheduled to release on PS5, Xbox, and PC on October 6, 2026.
