Star Wars: Galactic Racer is the best sci-fi racer of the generation, according to a new review. Developed by Fuse Games, a studio composed of Burnout and Need For Speed veterans, the game applies their racing expertise to the Star Wars universe, delivering a breakneck experience that nails the high-speed fantasy.
The game arrives during a new golden era of Star Wars video games, following titles like Zero Company, Outlaws, and Jedi: Survivor. This comes at a time when enthusiasm around the franchise as a whole has never been lower, with the last film, The Mandalorian and Grogu, being the lowest-grossing live action film in the franchise.
Racing Mechanics and Vehicle Variety
While podracing is a key attraction, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is largely focused around three other vehicle types: landspeeders, speeder bikes, and skim speeders. A slick tutorial introduces the quirks of each. Landspeeders are all-rounders with high durability, speeder bikes are fragile but get a small boost after drifting, and skim speeders – a new creation for this game – can breeze around tight corners by pivoting 90 degrees with their ‘knife edge’ ability.
Beyond each vehicle’s individual perks, the crux of the racing comes down to juggling two boost bars: the afterburner and ramjet. They are tied to cooldown meters, but the ramjet will destroy your vehicle if you push it beyond the ‘redline’ warning zone – so within races, you’re constantly oscillating between the two to maximise your speed. The game’s extra juice comes from abilities and upgrades, ranging from an extra surging boost, electrical explosions to paralyse nearby racers, deployable mines, a temporary autopilot function, and venting to maintain your ramjet for longer periods.
There’s a surprising level of versatility in how you can alter your playstyle, whether you prioritise pushing your engines to the limit, being an aggressor with attacks and high defense, or trying to straddle them both in specific ways – like giving your Afterburner an instant recharge if you send a rival screeching into the walls.
Campaign and Roguelike Structure
Galactic Racer’s campaign is structured like a roguelike, where you complete events on a grid of branching pathways across various planets. As human pilot Shade, your goal, in the first act, is to advance to a head-to-head confrontation with Sebulba, who has been put forward to represent the corrupt Galactic League champion Kestar Bool. If you lose all your league tokens (aka lives) or fail to beat Sebulba in the final race you’re sent back to the beginning of the grid.
The mixture of events staves off repetition. Stages vary between standard races, field tests where you complete a set trial in a specific vehicle, and riskier eliminator races where you have to finish in the top three if you want to advance without losing a life. There are random elements as well, via mystery encounters. In one example, Kestar Bool doubled the amount of eliminator races on the grid. A separate encounter with rival Biddy Blas presented the choice of accepting an unknown rare part, which despite offering short term gains, led to a myriad of errors several races later.
When you throw in contracts which offer credits if you complete certain tasks within a run, a series of playable podracing memories with Sebulba, and in-race betting systems which can lead to separate head-to-head showdowns, Galactic Racer’s campaign is far more robust – and thoughtful – in its execution than you’d perhaps be expecting.
Online Multiplayer and Verdict
The online multiplayer might be Galactic Racer’s secret ace. You can jump into quick races – whether podracers or otherwise – or try out the multiplayer tour, which translates the roguelike campaign loop into a series of five races for up to 12 players, complete with upgrades in between. There are incentives beyond the pure thrills too, with new characters and customisation unlocks tied to your online rank.
Galactic Racer could have been a cheap nostalgia play, targeted at millennials who have hazy memories of the podracing game on the Nintendo 64. Instead, Fuse Games has over delivered on almost every front. The racing is electric, the surprises consistent, and it’s wrapped in a smartly designed run-based structure which has rarely worked before in the genre. The bar isn’t high when it comes to the best Star Wars racing game, but with Galactic Racer, it’s cleared a generational peak for sci-fi racers at large.
In Short: The best Star Wars racing game ever made, which nails the high-speed fantasy while delivering depth, flexibility, and a surprisingly great campaign. Pros: The racing is a propulsive, thrilling spectacle, with lots of versatility in its upgrade system and abilities. The campaign makes great use of the Star Wars licence and its roguelike run-based structure. Great online multiplayer. Sebulba is given the spotlight he deserves. Cons: No local multiplayer options. The lack of any standard time trial or practise mode means you, bizarrely, can’t just set up a race yourself on any track. Could do with some extra planets and vehicles.
Score: 9/10. Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Price: £49.99. Publisher: Secret Mode. Developer: Fuse Games. Release Date: 6th October 2026. Age Rating: 16.
