Star Wars games have had a rocky couple of decades, but the franchise's newest racer is changing the narrative. Star Wars: Galactic Racer has earned an 88 on Metacritic, making it the best-reviewed Star Wars game in 23 years.
The anti-gravity racer from Fuse Games currently sits at "Generally Favorable" on the review aggregator, with 50 critic reviews counted: 96 percent positive, a handful mixed, and zero negative. On OpenCritic, where it holds a "Mighty" rating, 98 percent of critics recommend it. That makes it one of the top 25 highest-rated games of 2026 so far.
The scores are remarkable across the board. Giant Bomb awarded the game a perfect 100, calling it everything a podracing fan could hope for. ComicBook and Atomix both gave it 90s, while Game Informer scored it 8.5 out of 10 and IGN an 8 out of 10. GamesRadar gave it 4 out of 5 stars, ComingSoon and The Drive both landed on 9 out of 10, and Overtake.gg rated it 4.5 out of 5.
Galactic Racer is the debut title from Fuse Games, a studio founded in 2023 by former Criterion leads who previously worked on Burnout and Need for Speed. The team partnered with Lucasfilm Games to build what reviewers are calling a spiritual successor to the beloved Episode I: Racer and Racer Revenge games of the late '90s and early 2000s.
Set in the lawless Outer Rim, the game puts players in the boots of Shade, a lone racer chasing revenge and glory in the Galactic League, an unsanctioned underground racing circuit where syndicates bankroll chaos. Players pilot landspeeders, speeder bikes, skim speeders, and podracers, each with distinct physics and handling, across a campaign built around roguelite, run-based progression.
Critics have praised the game's blistering sense of speed, tight controls, deep vehicle customization, and a surprisingly engaging campaign structure. The return of podracing, complete with fan-favorite characters like Sebulba and iconic tracks like Mos Espa, has been a particular highlight for longtime fans of The Phantom Menace era.
The most common criticisms are relatively minor: some reviewers note a limited selection of planets and vehicles, occasional repetitiveness in the race structure, and UI quirks. A few also lamented the lack of local multiplayer. But with zero negative reviews on record, the consensus is clear.
The 23-year milestone is significant for the franchise. Star Wars games have seen enormous highs, from Knights of the Old Republic to Jedi: Fallen Order, but also notorious lows, and licensed games rarely break into the upper tier of Metacritic. An 88 puts Galactic Racer in elite company and signals that the franchise's gaming output may be entering a new golden age.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches October 6, 2026, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. It is available in Standard and Deluxe editions, with the Deluxe Edition adding exclusive vehicles, liveries, arcade events, and a digital art book. Multiplayer supports up to 12 players online with cross-platform play.
