Gaming Critics Massively Praise Star Wars: Galactic Racer – First Reviews Revealed

Star Wars: Galactic Racer, a new game set in the legendary franchise, launches next week. Made by Fuse Games, a studio made up of former Criterion Games developers who previously worked on Need for Speed and Burnout, the game's already picking up its first reviews ahead of release.

Turns out Star Wars: Galactic Racer isn't just one of the year's best arcade racers, it's shaping up to be one of 2026's highest-rated games overall. Critics are praising the engaging gameplay, calling out realistic physics, fast-paced action, and tight controls. The visuals, the setting that captures the franchise's darker side, deep customization options, and varied multiplayer have also drawn particular praise. On the downside, some reviewers mention a repetitive race structure that can get a bit monotonous, along with a single-player campaign that doesn't leave much of a lasting impression. The game currently sits at 89 on Metacritic and matches that on OpenCritic, where a striking 98% of critics recommend it. Some brief reviews are below.

VGC – 100/100:

Star Wars: Galactic Racer absolutely nails what it is trying to do. It is a high-octane racer that's endless fun to play, and it looks fantastic. This would have been a great game with a standard single-player mode, but what is here is inventive and engaging. I'd have loved a few silly classic characters and another planet or two, but this is a game I'll return to for a long time.

GameSpot – 90/100:

Every moment feels joyfully fast. Every decision carries the weight of tension. And every run is a rewarding chance to learn, improve, tinker, and adapt, whether it ends in success or failure. I can't wait to keep playing what's been my favorite racing game in years.

Noisy Pixel – 90/100:

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a thrilling blend of high-speed arcade racing, vehicular combat, and roguelike progression that makes excellent use of the Star Wars universe. Its varied builds, satisfying risk-reward structure, strong presentation, and surprisingly engaging story keep each run exciting, while extensive customization and polished performance round out an impressive debut. Some tracks can become repetitive over time, and the multiplayer experience remains untested, but Galactic Racer still stands out as both a fantastic racing game and a rewarding treat for Star Wars fans.

TheSixthAxis – 90/100:

Star Wars Galactic Racer is the best arcade racer in years. It mixes compelling racing action, an addictive progression system, and excellent world building while stringing a narrative through it all. It’s very fast, and very dangerous. It’s also very, very good.

Game Informer – 85/100:

Galactic Racer is a Star Wars game, and that might be enough for some, but not for me. Fortunately, it’s an even better racing game, one filled to the brim with courses, vehicle builds, and characters that keep me coming back to the track for one more race.

• Giant Bomb – 10/10
• XGN – 9/10
• Metro – 9/10
• DayOne – 9/10
• TechRadar – 9/10
• Press Start – 9/10
• Shacknews – 9/10
• Push Square – 9/10
• IGN – 8/10
• CGM – 8/10
• Slant – 8/10
• GamesRadar – 8/10

This marks the second Star Wars game this year to earn strong ratings. Back in late August, Bit Reactor and Respawn Entertainment released Star Wars: Zero Company, a tactical strategy game in the vein of XCOM 2, sitting at 85 on Metacritic.

Star Wars might not be having its best moment in film and TV right now, but gaming is telling a very different story. There's also fresh word Star Wars Jedi 3 could get announced soon, targeting a 2027 release, shared by well-known insider FivesWalker, who called it an exciting time for Star Wars games. Looking at how these new titles are scoring, that's hard to argue with.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer releases on October 6 for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.