Hate the sand, love the podracing
Star Wars Episode I: Racer’s force ghost appears
The Phantom Menace may have been as dull as
Jar Jar Binks’ wardrobe, but one good thing did come out of the prequel movie: podracing. Released in 1999 on PC, Dreamcast, and N64, Star Wars Episode I: Racer is the best podracer outside the arcades, and it’s finally being resurrected like Sheev ‘Shifty’ Palpatine himself. The definitive version launches on PS4 this month.
Aspyr (which also brought both classic Star Wars Jedi Knight games to PS4) is doing more than simply porting one of the versions over to PS4. Instead, it’s taken the best elements of all the different releases, and combined and improved them to create this “definitive” release. The visuals have been smoothed out, the cutscenes have been up-rezzed to look great in 4K, and the controls have been remapped to feel natural on a DualShock 4. And don’t overlook the trophy support, either.
Even 20 years on, Episode I: Racer is one of the most blisteringly fast racers around, delivering perfectly on the promise of podracing. Naturally, the first track you go for a spin on is a spot-on recreation of the one Anakin races on in the film, but as you upgrade your racer you travel to new planets with interestingly crafted courses, from icy plains to dicey jumps over lava. At first it’s easy to wreck your super-fast ride, but over time you get used to the speed and find yourself drifting like a pro and hitting some of the (many) shortcuts on offer. Do your younger self a favour and don’t miss out on this one.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer releases 12 May on PS4, so check the PS Store!
DELIVERING PERFECTLY ON THE PROMISE OF PODRACING.