Star Wars: Galactic Racer Launches at 88 on Metacritic, Higher Than Jedi: Survivor. The Roguelite Campaign Is the Real Gamble

I haven't played Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and I'd rather say so in the first line than bury it. What I did is the homework a buyer needs on launch morning. I read the reviews, opened the Metacritic page itself, checked what Steam says about Denuvo and system requirements, and priced out every edition. Then I tried to work out what all of it means for whether you should hand over $59.99 today.

Start with the number, since it's why you're here. The game launches today, October 6, and sits at 88 on Metacritic from roughly 60 critics: 58 positive reviews, two mixed and none negative. That's higher than Jedi: Survivor, higher than every Battlefront game, and, in the comparison making the rounds this week, higher than The Empire Strikes Back. I'll tell you why I think that last one is a gimmick. The real story, to me, is a Star Wars racing game with no Jedi in it, built like a roguelite, from a studio making its first game.

Lap 1What an 88 actually tells you

A score only means something next to other scores. So here's Galactic Racer beside the Star Wars games it's being measured against. These are Metacritic numbers as outlets reported them this week. Platform versions differ by a point or two, and the figures move as reviews come in.

Three older games also score above 88: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader and Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, according to Bespin Bulletin and TheGamer. I left them off the table because those outlets didn't print their exact scores.

Here's the number I'd hold on to. By those roundups, 88 makes Galactic Racer the fifth best-reviewed Star Wars game ever, and the best-reviewed since Knights of the Old Republic. That's an impressive thing to say about a debut. Fuse Games is a new studio formed by developers from the Burnout and Need for Speed side of the racing world, according to Inven Global. Nobody was handing it a free pass.

Now the Empire Strikes Back thing. Outlets pointed out that 88 beats the film's 82, and that Return of the Jedi sits at 58. It makes a fun headline, and I get why it's everywhere. But film scores and game scores come from different critics judging different things, so I'd file it under trivia. Nobody should rewatch Empire and feel bad about it because of a racing game.

One more detail I liked. The review embargo lifted Friday, October 2, four days before launch. Publishers don't usually hand critics that much runway on a game they're nervous about. That's my read, not anything Secret Mode has said. Still, it's the kind of move that tells you a team is comfortable with what it's about to show.

Lap 2What reviewers loved, and where the 70 comes from

Read enough of these reviews and the same three things keep surfacing. First, the sense of speed, which some critics put at the best since the early Wipeout games, according to Inven Global. Second, the tracks, which mix tight underground corridors with wide open stretches across places like Jakku and Crait. Third, the run-based campaign. Here are seven reviews from Metacritic's own list, scores exactly as shown, each paraphrased in my own words.

• 100
  EurogamerSingles out the courses. Jakku's dunes and Crait's crystal flats are carved into tracks that swing between tight underground corridors and open ground, where the reviewer once got so turned around they drove backward.
• 90
  GameWatcherCalls the debut thrilling and inventive, a throwback to simpler racers with enough ingredients and execution to become a modern classic.
• 90
  TheGamerPraises the run-based racing, the new characters and a multiplayer mode with staying power, and credits Fuse for taking smart risks with a fanbase that criticizes fast.
• 90
  MonsterVineSays it captures the breakneck speed of the vehicles, with a generous spread of modes and just a few rough edges in how it's presented.
• 85
  GameBlastLoves the speed, the distinct handling and the variety, but says the roguelike framework doesn't keep its magic once the credits roll.
• 80
  Checkpoint GamingFinds surprising depth under the arcade racing, and says the odd characters and dusty planets are what give it its Star Wars charm.
• 70
  RespecEnjoys the vehicles on the track, but wanted more back-to-basics modes and a fuller podracing section, and felt the game sometimes gets between you and the fun.

The spread is where I get interested. A 100 and a 70 look miles apart, but nobody in that list is complaining about the driving. The low scores are about what surrounds it: the missing classic modes, the podracing, how long the fun lasts. Everyone agrees the racing is great. The argument is about the structure built around it.

Lap 3The gamble: a Star Wars racer built like a roguelite

This is the part nobody saw coming. Galactic Racer's story mode isn't a traditional career. You play Shade, a former racer turned cargo pilot, who's pulled back into the sport to take on Kestar Bool, an arrogant champion with a history with them. To get a shot at him, you have to qualify across a series of planets, and rack up too many losses and you're dropped from the tournament, according to Game Informer. The path you take on each planet is up to you, per GameSpot, and decisions in between races have consequences.

GameSpot gives a funny example: a reviewer refused a rival's demand in a scene, and the next race began with their ride blowing up at the starting line, costing them one of their retries. That tells you something about the tone. This isn't a polite racing game. Multiplayer borrows the same upgrade system in quick six-race tournaments with pre-race bets against other drivers, per Game Informer.

Here's my honest take, from outside the cockpit. A roguelite structure is the riskiest choice a Star Wars racer could have made, and I admire that. It's also the most likely reason some reviewers scored it lower. If you've ever bounced off a run-based game, don't let an 88 talk you into this one. If you've loved them, this might be the most fun you'll have with Star Wars all year.

One more note for the nostalgia crowd, because I know you're out there. WayTooManyGames says this isn't a literal sequel to the podracing games, though podracing is in it and the reviewer loves it. Podracers don't unlock in the campaign until a few chapters in, and the arcade mode starts with only a handful of podracing scenarios. Gfinity adds that podracing also has dedicated multiplayer playlists and an arcade section outside the campaign. So it's there, just not on the first lap.

And a caution on multiplayer. GamingBolt said it struggled to find many races during the review period. That's normal before launch, when the lobbies are empty, and it says nothing about next week. It's also exactly why I'd wait for launch-week reports if online is your whole reason for buying.

Lap 4Standard, Deluxe or Collector's, priced

Here's what each edition costs in the US. Standard and Deluxe prices come from the Steam page. The Collector's Edition details come from Virtwave's read of the developer's FAQ, so check the official site for stock.

My math is short. Deluxe costs $20 more than Standard, and the extras are three alternate rides, three events, cosmetics and an art book. Steam also lists the Deluxe content as a separate Deluxe Upgrade, which means you can buy Standard now and add it later if you fall in love. I couldn't confirm what the upgrade will cost, so that's a small risk, but it's not one worth paying $20 up front to avoid.

It's also not on Game Pass or PS Plus. It's a full-price launch everywhere, and on console you'll need a subscription for online play. If you're deciding between platforms, PS5 has the most reviews and the top score, at 88, with Xbox Series X at 86 and PC at 85 on the Metacritic page when I checked.

Lap 5The PC question: Denuvo, specs and a short victory lap

PC players got an emotional roller coaster out of this game, so here's the timeline.

• April 25The Denuvo label disappears from the Steam page, and PC gamers celebrate. DSOGaming noted it was rare for a publisher to drop it before launch.
• Early MaySecret Mode announces the October 6 date, and the Denuvo label is back on the Steam page, according to DSOGaming.
• September 25The developer's Steam FAQ is updated, saying Denuvo doesn't impact performance, as quoted by Virtwave.
• October 6Steam lists Denuvo Anti-Tamper with a five-machine activation limit, which is what I saw on the store page today.

My view: the reversal stung because people believed the first version, which is the kind of goodwill publishers can't buy back. But the practical question isn't whether Denuvo exists. It's whether it hurts the game, and for that you need independent testing on real hardware, not a developer FAQ. For most people with one PC, the five-machine limit will never come up. If you swap parts constantly or play on several machines, it might.

Metacritic's PC score is a few points lower than PS5's, at 85 against 88 on the page I checked. Earlier reports had it lower still, in the low 80s, on fewer reviews. I wouldn't read much into that gap yet, but it's another reason to give PC launch week a look before you buy.

OS

Windows 10

CPU

Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600

Memory

12 GB RAM

Graphics

Nvidia RTX 2060, Intel Arc A580 or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (6 GB)

Storage

50 GB, and an SSD is required

Minimum specs as listed on Steam. Steam publishes no recommended specs.

Two things I'd flag before you buy. Steam lists Windows only. And according to Virtwave's read of the developer's FAQ, racing wheels, HOTAS and VR aren't supported for now, which may surprise a few racing fans. Cross-play runs through Epic Online Services, so Steam players may be asked to install an extra component on first launch.

My verdict: buy, wait or skip

These are my opinions, built from reviews, store pages and prices, not from playing the game.

• If you love arcade racers and takedownsBuy Standard.

  The driving is what critics agree on, and the speed, handling and track design draw the most praise. Skip Deluxe for now.

• If you want pure podracingWait, or start in arcade.

  Podracing is one of four vehicle types, it unlocks later in the campaign, and one critic found it punishing. Read a few more impressions first.

• If online is the reason you're buyingWait a week.

  Lobbies were thin during the review period. Let launch week show you how the matchmaking holds up.

• If you're on PCCheck your specs first.

  You need an RTX 2060-class card, 12 GB of RAM and an SSD. Denuvo and its five-machine limit are in the package.

• If run-based games aren't your thingSkip it, or catch a sale.

  The campaign is a roguelite, and that's the part the lower reviews push back on. An 88 won't change that.

A very loud launch day

Galactic Racer isn't launching quietly. Gears of War: E-Day arrives the same day on Xbox and PC, and our Gears of War: E-Day story covers its own 88 on Metacritic. Two games in the high 80s on one Tuesday is a good problem for anyone with a controller and a free evening. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 follows on October 23, as we explain in our Modern Warfare 4 story.

If your budget only stretches to one this week, my rule is simple. Gears is the bigger, louder, more traditional blockbuster. Galactic Racer is the stranger and riskier bet, and I think it's the one more likely to surprise you.

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