“Galactic Racer is a fresh and accomplished blend of Lucas lore with the destructive spirit of arcade racing icons like Burnout and MotorStorm.”

The game’s vehicle roster includes landspeeders, speeder bikes, and the new skim speeders. Each class offers unique characteristics: bikes are swift but fragile, skim speeders can bank vertically for sharp turns, and landspeeders provide predictable handling and durability. Players assume the role of Shade, a mysterious racer aiming to defeat the arrogant Kestar Bool in the Galactic Racing League. To succeed, players must upgrade their vehicles with performance parts and perks, such as the invaluable autopilot gadget. These upgrades are introduced through a clever pre-race sequence of button presses, enhancing the sense of anticipation as players rev their engines at the starting line.

However, the game’s roguelite mechanics require players to rebuild their speeders between tours, which may hinder a sense of ownership over their vehicles. While players can recreate similar-looking speeders, specific upgrades are lost, making each new run feel like a fresh challenge. This aspect of the game may not appeal to everyone, but it adds a layer of unpredictability that sets it apart from traditional racing games.

The campaign unfolds across three acts, with each tour spanning several planets before culminating in a final knockout event. Failing at any stage requires starting the tour over, but the game cleverly integrates this into its narrative. The racing paddock at each event can be explored in third-person, creating an immersive world where characters acknowledge previous failures. This approach ensures time moves forward, even as players retry specific acts, preventing frustration from starting entirely over.

Despite its strengths, *Galactic Racer* suffers from a limited selection of planets, leading to a repetitive experience over extended play sessions. While the game includes reverse track layouts and shuffled event orders, the backdrops remain constant. A few additional planets could have significantly reduced fatigue from repeated runs through the same environments. Nevertheless, the game excels in its detailed track environments, each planet offering unique challenges and aesthetics. From Jakku’s war wreckage to Crait’s salt flats and Lantaana’s dense forests, each location requires strategic racing and careful consideration of vehicle upgrades.

“Galactic Racer’s core weakness is that it unfortunately doesn’t feature enough planets to avoid feeling overly repetitive.”

A highlight of the game is its Burnout-inspired takedowns, where players are encouraged to slam opponents into obstacles, causing spectacular crashes. These takedowns are rewarded with a slow-motion camera and can be integrated into the upgrade system, offering strategic benefits like battery replenishment. The game’s connection to Burnout is evident, given the roots of Fuse Games’ founders in Criterion Games, but it also evokes the spirit of *MotorStorm* with its wide tracks, natural obstacles, and multi-class races.

While the absence of splitscreen multiplayer is disappointing, *Galactic Racer* supports 12-player online racing with a championship structure similar to the single-player tours. This feature caters to a different audience, but the game remains a visually stunning and exhilarating experience. By blending Star Wars lore with the excitement of arcade racing, *Galactic Racer* successfully reignites a long-dormant segment of the Star Wars gaming universe, offering both nostalgia and innovation in equal measure.

Article Source: www.ign.com

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