I’ve a confession to make: I nonetheless play Star Wars Episode I: Racer on my Nintendo 64.
Sure, the graphics are blocky, and the controller is bizarre, however the sheer sense of pace in that recreation has not often been matched. For years, I’ve been screaming into the void, asking why—in a world of hyper-realistic graphics—we haven’t had a correct, fashionable podracing recreation.
Effectively, it seems like somebody lastly listened.
After a complicated reveal trailer final 12 months that left many people scratching our heads, Star Wars: Galactic Racer has formally confirmed what all of us hoped for: Podracing is again.
Right here is all the things we all know concerning the recreation that guarantees to be the non secular successor to the arcade classics we beloved, and why I believe this could be the sleeper hit of the 12 months.
The Worry: A Star Wars Racing Sport… With out Pods?
Let’s rewind a bit. When Galactic Racer was first introduced at The Sport Awards, the trailer was visually beautiful. It had the ambiance, the sounds, and even a cameo by the legendary (and villainous) Sebulba.
However there was a obvious drawback. I watched that trailer frame-by-frame, and I couldn’t discover a single podracer.
It felt like saying a FIFA recreation and not using a soccer. The group was fearful. Was this simply going to be speeder bikes? Landspeeders? Generic sci-fi ships? Don’t get me mistaken, I like a very good speeder bike chase on Endor, however the “F1 of the Galaxy” has at all times been Podracing.
The Affirmation: “You Can’t Do It With out Pods”
Fortunately, the nervousness is over. Matt Webster, the CEO of Fuse Video games (the studio behind the venture), put the rumors to relaxation in a current interview.
“Let’s face it, it’s not likely doable to make a Star Wars racing recreation with out podracing,” Webster admitted.
Listening to a developer say that is music to my ears. It confirms that they perceive the supply materials. Webster defined that the core fantasy of the sport is rising via the ranks of the Galactic League. To actually symbolize the “pinnacle of pace and competitors” within the Star Wars universe, you merely can’t ignore the dual-engine beasts of Tatooine.
Why “Fuse Video games” Issues (The Burnout Connection)
In case you are questioning why I’m so hyped about this particular title, it’s not simply the license; it’s the crew constructing it.
Fuse Video games isn’t only a random studio. The crew contains veterans who labored on the Burnout sequence.
In case you performed Burnout, two issues:
They perceive the feeling of harmful, white-knuckle pace higher than anybody.They know how one can make crashing really feel spectacular.
Think about making use of the crash physics of Burnout to a podracer—two large jet engines strapped to a fragile cockpit with free cables, flying at 900 km/h. The potential for destruction and high-octane chaos right here is limitless. I’m anticipating a racing recreation that feels harmful, heavy, and extremely quick.
Extra Than Simply Pods: A Hybrid Racing Expertise
Whereas podracing is the headline for me, Webster made it clear that Galactic Racer isn’t a “one-trick pony.” The sport goals to supply a wide range of piloting experiences.
A number of Car Lessons: We’re going to see a mixture of iconic automobiles we all know and fully new designs created for the sport.Totally different Dealing with Fashions: A modern speeder bike handles in a different way than a heavy podracer. Mastering the sport will doubtless imply mastering all types of galactic transport.Single & Multiplayer: The content material is unfold throughout a story marketing campaign and on-line modes.
I’m significantly concerned with how they stability this. In a race, a podracer ought to theoretically smoke a landspeeder. Will there be totally different lessons? Or is that this an arcade-style “something goes” brawl?
The Sport-Changer: First-Particular person Mode
Right here is the element that sealed the deal for me: First-Particular person Cockpit View is confirmed.
In a racing recreation, particularly one this quick, the digital camera angle modifications all the things. Third-person is nice for situational consciousness, however first-person? That’s the place the worry lives.
Think about sitting within the cockpit, seeing the warmth haze shimmering off your engines, watching the canyon partitions of Tatooine blur previous you in milliseconds. It modifications the expertise from “taking part in a recreation” to “simulating a loss of life want.” For true immersion, this was a compulsory function, and I’m thrilled they included it.
The Ultimate Want: The Boonta Eve Traditional
Now that we all know podracers are in, and we all know the Burnout crew is dealing with the physics, I’ve one closing request for Fuse Video games.
Give us the Boonta Eve Traditional.
You already know the monitor. The large stadium begin, the jagged canyons, the Tusken Raiders taking potshots at you from the cliffs. It’s the Nürburgring of the Star Wars universe. If Galactic Racer can recreate that monitor with fashionable graphics and physics, it gained’t simply be a very good recreation; will probably be a traditional.
Seeing Sebulba within the trailer is a robust trace that we’ll be returning to the sands of Tatooine, however I would like the total expertise.
Why This Issues
We’ve got had a whole lot of Jedi video games these days. swinging lightsabers is enjoyable, and taking pictures blasters is satisfying. However Star Wars can be a universe of grease, gears, and pace. It’s about hot-rodding know-how and pushing machines to their breaking level.
Galactic Racer looks like a return to the period the place Star Wars video games explored each nook of the galaxy, not simply the Skywalker saga.
I’m able to strap in. Are you?
Let me know within the feedback: Which Star Wars car have you ever at all times needed to race? Personally, in the event that they let me drift a Naboo N-1 Starfighter via a canyon, I’d by no means play one other recreation once more.
