Round Up: The Previews Are In For Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Now this is *checks notes* PODRACING!

by Craig Reid
Wed, 10:30am

Round Up: The Previews Are In For Star Wars: Galactic Racer 1 — *Image: Fuse Games / Secret Mode*

In a galaxy not too far from where we're based in the UK, multiple outlets were treated to an exclusive first preview of Star Wars: Galactic Racer.

For those unaware of the upcoming podracer from Fuse Games, it's described as a "high-stakes reinvention of racing" featuring a story-driven campaign and PvP multiplayer modes.

Here's what the first previews are saying about Star Wars: Galactic Racer so far:

IGN

All in all, not only were my fears of the roguelite loop unfounded, but the Burnout roots baked into developer Fuse Games’s DNA was joyously evident in every moment I spent on the track with Star Wars: Galactic Racer. And the times I wasn’t going hundreds of miles per hour when I was on foot did a great job of further Star Wars-ifying my experience. I’m incredibly optimistic about what I’ve seen from this long overdue spiritual successor to Episode 1: Pod Racer, and I can’t wait to play more of it.

Push Square

We’re experiencing a bit of a renaissance of arcade racers of late, and I’m hopeful Star Wars: Galactic Racer is going to contribute to that. It’s clear Fuse Games has thought deeply about how it can drive the genre forward here, and based on what I’ve played, I think it’s going to be successful.

Polygon

The races are exciting, the tracks are terrific, and there are plenty of Star Wars touches that fans of the series can nerd out over. It’s a strong statement from Fuse Games, a studio founded by former Criterion Games developers. If it can land both a killer Star Wars game and an influential racing game on its first lap, it could be running the road in no time.

Metro

Customisation is where Galactic Racer starts to look quietly absurd. You can modify six base stats, equip active abilities, install passive parts, and unlock 14 distinct racer styles. Parts interact with environmental conditions, abilities, and vehicle classes, creating a staggering number of combinations. Supposedly, the possible combinations reach into 'the trillions.'

Digital Foundry

Ultimately, Galactic Racer makes a strong first impression. By combining the destructive, high-speed DNA of the team's previous work with the modern rendering capabilities of Unreal Engine 5, Fuse Games has created a title that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking. While there is still balancing work to be done before the October 6th release, the technical foundations and the focus on physics-driven racing in the Star Wars universe sure sounds like a winning formula.

There you have it, folks. It looks like there's a lot of positivity from the outlets that have taken Star Wars: Galactic Racer for a spin.

Fuse Games has set October 6th as the game's release date, and it will be available on Xbox Series X|S.

Interested in Star Wars: Galactic Racer? Let us know your thoughts below!

Craig was a Video Producer at Pure Xbox, where he covered the biggest games in the world of Xbox.

1
SodaPop6548
Wed, 10:42am

Craig-o! Thanks for posting! This game looks great. Looking forward to launch!

2
shiny-enzo
Wed, 10:52am

It looks very well made, but personally it’s the kind of game I get bored of after about 10 minutes. I’m not ready to pay full price for it, but I’d be happy to play a few sessions from time to time if it’s available on Game Pass.

3
themightyant
Wed, 10:59am

@shiny-enzo Same looks quite cool, and probably some fun to be had, but not at full price for me either. Deep sale or Game Pass for me.

4
Skinny-Pete
Wed, 11:38am

Definitely one to get on sale not full price not enough meat on the bones for that in my opinion but should be a fun game.

5
Fishmasterflex96
Wed, 1:10pm

I do wonder if the expansive and unique single player mode could end up giving this game the edge over Forza Horizon 6, at least in terms of awards season. Playground is without question one of the best studios working today but it’s very fair to say that their single player offerings with 6 is easily its worst part. Not bad but it is its weak aspect. Either way new games in genres that do well is always good and Playgorund can definitely use some more competition in the arcade side of racing.

6
ilyn
Wed, 1:24pm

I utterly loved the arcade version of pod racing where the only controls where two throttle sticks, one for each engine. It was incredible and we used to play it loads when we went bowling. Unfortunately it has forever ruined any other version of pod racing because the controls on a pad just don't cut it the same.

7
simondud1
Wed, 3:48pm

My excitement for this dropped a little when we learnt that pod racing was limited to an arcade stage and a flash back race

8
Llamageddon
Wed, 4:20pm

The more I read, the more I'm looking forward to this and I couldn't care less about star wars.
Burnout 3/4 are my favourite racing games ever and I've got my fingers crossed that this can capture some of that magic.

9
PhileasFragg
Thu, 1:51pm

Nice! While it's a successor to Racer from back in the day it's something different to what you see on consoles now. I'll keep an eye out.

10
OutlawX
Fri, 12:42pm

This looks great, I love sci-fi and anything Star Wars lately so this is perfect timing as my racing games have all but dried up apart from working my way through Forza Horizon 6. I miss these fast fun arcade racers like wipeout, burnout etc. I used to play PGR4, Blur and Pure (ATV) Disney Blackrock Studios game on my Xbox 360 and they were great fun which I miss.

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