Star Wars: Galactic Racer Multiplayer Impressions – Roguelite Action that Works all too Well with Others

Star Wars: Galactic Racer has already caught the eye with its single-player offerings, but multiplayer is definitely where the title can come into its prime.

Amid a racing genre that has become pretty stagnant and same-ish, Galactic Racer is putting its head above the crowd, and there’s every chance that multiplayer is where the Fuse Games title really makes its mark.

Having been convinced during my single-player preview about the roguelite elements of the game, I was still uncertain about how they would transfer into multiplayer. But boy, does it work, and it makes every race all the more decisive.

Money Where Your Mouth Is

The main multiplayer mode in Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a series, a sequence of back-to-back races against the same opponents, with each player choosing an upgrade after each race to improve their vehicle, much like in the single-player campaign.

Additional features are where things get really spicy, however, as before each race, you can predict where you’ll finish and get rewarded based on your prediction. Play it safe, and you’ll get a basic upgrade, but back yourself for glory and prove it on the track, and the upgrade you’ll get will be even bigger.

You can also mark specific opponents, adding more fuel to the fire. Whether it’s a friend you want to ensure you beat, or a player who took you out in the last race, this adds to the drama and means that, wherever you are on the track, there’s always something to strive for.

At the end of the series, it all comes down to a final winner-takes-all race. Prior to this, rather than betting on your own position, you can bet on who you think will be victorious. Whether you back yourself, the frontrunner, or someone you feel can cause an upset, you’ll get a share of XP rewards if you’re right.

Again, though, it pays to be bold, as choosing the safe option, and one that other players are backing, nets you less XP, while backing an outsider or being the only one predicting that victory will yield more rewards.

No Holds Barred

On the track, Galactic Racer is as brilliant as ever, and while it’s fun as hell smashing into AI-racers in single-player, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as taking someone out online. Equally, there’s nothing quite as infuriating as someone taking you out.

And this is another area where Galactic Racer sets itself apart. In other titles, being an aggressive driver will often get you penalized, but here, it’s celebrated and is a core tactic. You can be clean, if you want, but where’s the fun in that?

The rivalries, alongside betting on your own performance, truly make it feel like every lap counts. There’s no boring end after you make a mistake and drop behind, as you know full well that your rival ahead of you could have met a fiery end, so there really is no rest.

Honestly, it got to the point where I wasn’t too fussed about overall victory; I was just determined to beat my marked rival and cause as much mayhem as possible.

Of course, there are the standard quick-race options, but the multiplayer series is going to be Galactic Racer’s bread and butter. Even a few weeks after getting my hands on it, I’m still thinking about it, and I can’t wait to be back in the driving seat once again.