Reviewed on: PC
Code provided by the publisher.
From the very first moment I saw and played Star Wars: Galactic Racer, I was mesmerized. For a game that really wasn’t even on my radar, I’ve gone from intrigued to surprised to absolutely blown away. Star Wars: Galactic Racer was barely a blip on my radar to be totally honest. I knew it existed, I'd seen a trailer at some point, and I filed it under "licensed racer, probably fine." That was a mistake. Two hours in I'd stopped taking notes because I was just playing, and that almost never happens with a review build.
This is one of those rare cases where a game shows up without much fanfare and immediately makes you reconsider what you thought you knew about it.
The content is the first surprise. There are more modes here than most racers bother with, and surprisingly, none of them feel like filler just to pad a checklist. Single player holds up on its own, multiplayer is genuinely fun rather than an afterthought from the short session I was able to join, and the campaign has real structure and pacing instead of being a bloated tutorial. You could spend your entire time with one mode and come away satisfied, which is not something I can say about most racing games released in the last decade. The roguelike campaign is worth the price of admission for me personally. Having all of the modes mentioned be this good is oh so rare, and as a very casual racer fan, I’m sold.
If this wasn’t enough, the audiovisual presentation is where comes together, and I couldn’t stop capping clips and screenshots. The visuals are beyond sharp; the sound design has the weight and force (see what I did there) you want from engines screaming through tight spaces; the music does its job without overplaying the familiar themes; and the voice acting is far better than licensed games typically bother with. Nothing feels cheap. On PC specifically, performance is where this thing really shines. Ripping through cavern sections at well over 100 FPS is close to unreal, and the sense of speed it creates is exhilarating in a way that very few racers manage.
Walls blur past, your palms sweaty (Mom’s spaghetti), and you come out the other side with your hands tight on the wheel. That's the whole appeal of this genre in a nutshell, and Galactic Racer nails it.
Verdict
It isn't flawless. Some of the level design feels a little flat, but that’s nitpicking. There are a few rough edges and some design decisions that won't land for everyone. But this is comfortably one of the best racing games we've had in years, and without question the best use of the Star Wars license the genre has ever seen. If you like racers, this is an easy recommendation. If you've been waiting for someone to finally build the Star Wars racing game you've had in your head since you were a kid, welcome home.
Verdict
2026 has already been an incredible year for gaming. Continuing an already amazing release streak, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is one of the best surprises of the year.
