Abstract
- We go hands-on with the upcoming Star Wars: Galactic Racer and discover a difficult racing expertise with deep customization and replayability.
- The only-player marketing campaign mode provides a basic Star Wars cinematic storytelling expertise that we are able to’t wait to play extra of.
- Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches October 6, 2026, for XBOX Collection X|S and is offered for pre-order immediately on the XBOX Retailer.
I used to be about midway by my hands-on time with Star Wars: Galactic Racer once I realized I’m in all probability not that nice at this – however boy was I having enjoyable. What helped me look previous my lack of racing skill was partially that I bleed Star Wars, and I’ve been trying ahead to piloting these hyper speedy craft ever because the recreation’s announcement final 12 months. Actually, I ought to have anticipated this stage of problem getting in – in spite of everything this is the Galactic League the place solely the best and bravest racers within the galaxy dare to compete. I had my work minimize out for me.
Throughout my latest hands-on time with Galactic Racer at this previous Summer season Recreation Fest: Play Days, I used to be in a position to take pleasure in about an hour of gameplay throughout each the marketing campaign and arcade modes and located not solely an extremely competent, enjoyable, and difficult racer, but in addition one with large depth and replayability that might give this title some actual endurance.
Beginning with the single-player marketing campaign, I stepped into the footwear of the mysterious Shade, a seasoned racer who has some beef with one of many league’s present champions, Kestar Bool, and is trying to settle issues on the observe. It’s a basic narrative setup with some Star Wars panache, however I wasn’t anticipating this – most racing video games hardly carry a finger to place a face to a reputation, a lot much less provide you with cinematic storytelling like what’s on show right here. The builders at Fuse Video games understood the task to not solely get you racing however drop you into the Star Wars universe even additional and make you care about what’s occurring each on and off observe – now I perceive the distinction between an Ardennian and a Besalisk and I’m the higher for it.
If you’re able to get racing, you’ll have the selection of three chassis that affect your playstyle: landspeeder, speeder bike, and skim speeder and every feels distinct and extremely enjoyable to race in every their very own method – the landspeeder has an actual weight to it and makes a speciality of drifting round corners; the speeder bike delivers nice straight-line pace however tougher to manage round corners; and the skim speeder is actually the TIE Fighter equal of a speeder, made for arduous banking turns and one of many tougher frames to manage.
For many of my time with the sport I used to be behind the controls of the landspeeder, electing to commerce off topline pace for endurance as I might shortly discover that racing additionally consists of bumping your competitors off the observe – and it is a tactic that’s actively inspired to extend your probabilities to win.
See, every speeder comes geared up with an Afterburner, providing you with a short enhance that recharges in the course of the race so that you can use a number of instances, but in addition comes geared up with a Ramjet – a particular high-risk/high-reward element that offers you an unbelievable enhance that helps with knocking your opponent off the observe, but it surely comes at the price of overheating. One time I pushed this so far as it may go simply to see what would occur and the outcomes had been… catastrophic.
The marketing campaign construction is constructed round a Galactic Tour spanning three acts which is randomized every time you begin a tour; every tour takes you thru a collection of occasions throughout a variety of planets, with development secured by finishing an escalating collection of races. Galactic Racer categorizes this as a “runs-based solo marketing campaign” which means that you just’ll have branching paths to contemplate in the course of the tour – every route can yield completely different rewards that you could apply to your speeder. This selection is nice, providing you with a number of choices every time you resolve to undertake a Galactic Tour.
In between races, you possibly can enhance the bottom stats in your speeder to make use of in subsequent races in the course of the Tour – the upper you end, the extra Upgrades you possibly can apply. These impression components like Afterburner, Battery, Cornering, and Ramjet, in addition to the distinctive traits for every of the speeders – Drift (landspeeder), Kinetic Burst (speeder bike), and Knife Edge (skim speeder). I actually like this number of customization that may change race to race; do you decide to extend your Afterburner? Or do you have to put money into improved Cornering? It’s as much as you.
This additionally touches on the problem of the sport. You want a League Entry Token to compete on a tour. Crash too many instances or fail to put within the high 3 in a specific occasion, the Token is revoked and your journey is over, forcing you to start anew to race qualifiers to earn a Token as soon as once more. Some gadgets are retained, like Galactic Credit, but it surely’s a punch within the intestine once you get knocked out. Particularly in my case once I was so near the tip of the tour, solely to get somewhat cocky (ought to’ve listened to Han) and was eradicated, pressured to begin over. This doesn’t have an effect on the general narrative so far as I may inform – you’re nonetheless out to get Kestar Bool, finally. That is merely a setback.
Among the many actual stars of the present are the tracks themselves, that are all huge and intricately detailed, dotted with Star Wars bits that lend them each a sense of acquainted but alien, just like the battle scared panorama of Jakku, the tropical forests of Lantaana, or the frozen Ando Prime which make up a few of the six distinct worlds you possibly can race throughout. Couple that with quite a lot of tracks to race on every planet and also you’ll shortly see there’s an unbelievable depth right here to grasp do you have to need to come out on high towards a few of the galaxies’ best racers. Past the observe, I additionally appreciated the down time between races within the paddocks, areas the place you can freely stroll round and discuss to different racers, improve your craft, and decide up distinctive elements from distributors, utilizing Galactic Credit earned out of your races.
On high of this, we additionally tried out the arcade mode that has curated occasions that includes speeders and areas throughout the league, placing you within the seat of some racers you may acknowledge, just like the legendary Sebulba. For our one race on this mode, we sped throughout the well-known Tatooine observe featured in “Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.” So far as we may inform, this felt like a 1:1 recreation with unbelievable audio and visible constancy. That deep buzzing tick-tick-tick-tick sound of Sebubla’s split-x engines introduced me again to watching him pace throughout the display within the movie show. Did I do nicely? Heck no. However I’m trying ahead to my subsequent go across the observe.
There’s seemingly rather a lot to grasp underneath the hood of every of those distinctive speeders and recreation modes. And that’s to not point out the varied upgrades you possibly can apply that may give you an edge between races, the distinct tracks on every planet, and the competitors from the number of racers; with all that, you have got an infinitely replayable and fulfilling racer in your palms. I’m not gonna say it… nope… okay, tremendous. Now this is podracing!
Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches October 6, 2026, for XBOX Collection X|S and is offered for pre-order immediately on the XBOX Retailer.
STAR WARS: Galactic Racer™ Deluxe Version
Secret Mode
$79.99
Pre-Order now to get the next digital content material:
• Unique Pre-Order Bonus Livery in your repulsorcraft
• Unique Pre-Order Bonus Participant Banner for multiplayer modes
Be aware: Pre-Order Bonus content material could also be made obtainable for buy at a later date.
The STAR WARS: Galactic Racer™ Deluxe Version incorporates three unique autos, a novel Livery, three Arcade Occasions, a deluxe Participant Banner, and a Digital Artwork Guide.
• Three unique autos: Grow to be the envy of the paddock and pilot the Kor Sarun: Ciza T speeder bike, the Kor Sarun: Darc X landspeeder, and the Kor Sarun: Rak S skim speeder
• Distinctive Livery for pilots who have to race in type. Coat any of your speeders with an unique Livery impressed by the Naboo N-1 starfighter
• Three Arcade Occasions for the fearless racers. The Galactic League challenges you to a few unique Arcade trials designed particularly in your Kor Sarun repulsorcraft
• Deluxe Participant Banner containing an unique Insignia and Background for multiplayer modes
• Digital Artwork Guide showcasing never-before-seen character, car, and site paintings from the event of STAR WARS: Galactic Racer™
STAR WARS: Galactic Racer™ is a high-stakes reinvention of racing born within the lawless Outer Rim of the STAR WARS™ galaxy.
The Empire’s grip on the galaxy has lastly damaged, and with its fall comes a brand new obsession: pace. Because the New Republic struggles to rebuild, playing, leisure, and glory gas a booming underground.
Out of this chaos, the Galactic League is born: an unsanctioned racing circuit the place syndicates sponsor pilots, fortunes are gained and misplaced in seconds, and solely the daring survive.
No Drive. No prophecy. Simply ability, technique, and the desire to rise.
COMPETE IN HIGH-STAKES RACES
Slam, shunt, and takedown rivals throughout different circuits as you pilot landspeeders, speeder bikes, skim speeders, and podracers. The better the chance, the better the reward.
SURVIVE A DANGEROUS UNDERGROUND SPORT
Be part of The Galactic League – an unsanctioned racing circuit born within the lawless Outer Rim. Grow to be Shade, a lone racer chasing revenge and glory.
BUILD AND CUSTOMIZE YOUR CRAFT
Pilot completely different lessons of repulsorcraft every with distinct physics and playstyles. Construct a experience that showcases your type and offers you a aggressive edge.
BATTLE RIVALS IN MULTIPLE GAME MODES
Journey solo by a story-driven marketing campaign of shifting alliances or courageous strategic PvP grudge matches the place fame rides with you.
CLIMB THE RANKS AND EARN REWARDS
Show your self by intense rivalries and escalating challenges. Each alternative shapes your prospects as you construct your standing in The Galactic League.
STAR WARS: Galactic Racer™
Secret Mode
$59.99
Pre-Order now to get the next digital content material:
• Unique Pre-Order Bonus Livery in your repulsorcraft
• Unique Pre-Order Bonus Participant Banner for multiplayer modes
Be aware: Pre-Order Bonus content material could also be made obtainable for buy at a later date.
STAR WARS: Galactic Racer™ is a high-stakes reinvention of racing born within the lawless Outer Rim of the STAR WARS™ galaxy.
The Empire’s grip on the galaxy has lastly damaged, and with its fall comes a brand new obsession: pace. Because the New Republic struggles to rebuild, playing, leisure, and glory gas a booming underground.
Out of this chaos, the Galactic League is born: an unsanctioned racing circuit the place syndicates sponsor pilots, fortunes are gained and misplaced in seconds, and solely the daring survive.
No Drive. No prophecy. Simply ability, technique, and the desire to rise.
COMPETE IN HIGH-STAKES RACES
Slam, shunt, and takedown rivals throughout different circuits as you pilot landspeeders, speeder bikes, skim speeders, and podracers. The better the chance, the better the reward.
SURVIVE A DANGEROUS UNDERGROUND SPORT
Be part of The Galactic League – an unsanctioned racing circuit born within the lawless Outer Rim. Grow to be Shade, a lone racer chasing revenge and glory.
BUILD AND CUSTOMIZE YOUR CRAFT
Pilot completely different lessons of repulsorcraft every with distinct physics and playstyles. Construct a experience that showcases your type and offers you a aggressive edge.
BATTLE RIVALS IN MULTIPLE GAME MODES
Journey solo by a story-driven marketing campaign of shifting alliances or courageous strategic PvP grudge matches the place fame rides with you.
CLIMB THE RANKS AND EARN REWARDS
Show your self by intense rivalries and escalating challenges. Each alternative shapes your prospects as you construct your standing in The Galactic League.
