STAR WARS: GALACTIC RACER: PODRACING IS BACK AND IT BITES
8.5 of 10 bananas. A blisteringly fast Star Wars racer with a roguelite campaign, four vehicle classes including podracers, and online modes. Critics call it the best Star Wars racing game ever made. Long runs, harsh setbacks, rubberbanding, and no split-screen are the costs.
By the Alpha. Full review. Updated Nov 14 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from critic reviews, player reviews, the store listing, and the official game pages linked below. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, released October 6 2026. Developed by Fuse Games and published by Secret Mode. The Amazon button is the PS5 Standard Edition disc.
Get Star Wars: Galactic Racer for PS5 on AmazonStore check, Nov 14 2026: new copies on offer, sold and shipped by Amazon.com, at 59.80 dollars. Prices and sellers change, so look before you pay.
Sit with me a moment. In 1999 a young silverback rented Episode I Racer for a weekend and did not sleep. Twenty seven years later, someone finally built the follow up that kid wanted. The Verge called it a childhood podracing dream come true, and the critics mostly agree.
What It Wants To Be
An arcade racer set after the fall of the Empire, with a story campaign built like a roguelite. You start a tour, pick a vehicle and perks, race through a branching map across planets like Jakku and Crait, earn parts, and lose lives when you crash too often. Four classes, from landspeeders to podracers, plus online modes from single races to full tours.
What Works
It holds an 88 on Metacritic for PS5 at my check, with 76 of 78 critic reviews positive. Eurogamer gave it full marks for tracks that constantly shift how they challenge you. Metro GameCentral called it the best Star Wars racing game ever made. Cubed3 gave it 9 of 10. Digital Foundry, via Twisted Voxel, found it essentially locked at 60 fps on PS5 and PS5 Pro. PSX Extreme praised Gordy Haab's score and the classic podracer engine sounds.
What Breaks
Listen well. The Verge says late runs can pass two hours, so a late loss stings, and obstacles often appear too late to dodge. Cubed3 notes how brutal the first run is, with very few crashes allowed. Some players report rubberbanding rivals and punishing random events. Respec wanted more back to basics modes and a fuller podracing section. There is no local split-screen, a real loss next to the N64 original. PSX Extreme flags dialogue volume that swings low.
Who Should Play
Play it if you loved Episode I Racer, F-Zero, or WipEout, or you like a roguelite you can learn by failing. Skip it if you want couch multiplayer, or if losing a long run makes you throw the pad.
STRENGTHS
- Blistering sense of speed
- Podracers done right
- Smart roguelite campaign
- Locked 60 fps on PS5
HONEST COSTS
- Long runs, painful losses
- Rubberbanding rivals
- No local split-screen
- Harsh early runs
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