Star Wars: Galactic Racer creative director Kieran Crimmins believes Fuse Games has what it takes to live up to the enormous expectations that come with developing a new Star Wars game.

Galactic Racer is positioned as a spiritual successor to the classic Star Wars racing experience many players remember from the Nintendo 64 era. That alone brings plenty of expectations, but Fuse Games isn’t approaching the franchise without experience.

Speaking during a recent preview event, Crimmins explained that members of the team have previously worked with Lucasfilm, giving them a strong understanding of what it takes to create something that feels authentically Star Wars.

Star Wars Games Come With a Certain “Prestige”

Few entertainment franchises carry the same level of recognition as Star Wars, and Crimmins acknowledges that developing a game within that universe brings additional pressure.

There is also a long history of acclaimed Star Wars games for Galactic Racer to live up to.

“There’s definitely a prestige to Star Wars games that you’ve got to live up to, a pedigree of really, really great games, but we’ve worked on Star Wars games before.”

Crimmins explained that previous experience working alongside Lucasfilm has helped the team deal with those expectations.

“We definitely take seriously making something that we think fans are going to love, that feels authentically Star Wars, but we’ve got pedigree.”

Galactic Racer is also arriving during another busy period for Star Wars gaming, with several projects expanding different corners of the franchise.

However, for Crimmins, Galactic Racer is more than another Star Wars release.

It’s a game he has wanted to create for decades.

Galactic Racer Is a 20-Year Dream Project

Crimmins revealed that the idea behind Galactic Racer has effectively been sitting in the back of his mind for at least 20 years.

The original Star Wars racing game was one of his favorite Nintendo 64 titles, and after spending years developing racing games himself, the opportunity to create a spiritual successor represents something of a dream project.

“From my point of view, this is a game I’ve wanted to make for at least 20 years. I played the first one, it was one of my favorite games on the N64.”

Creating the game also coincided with establishing Fuse Games as a new studio.

“To be able to make this game, starting a whole new studio, is kind of a dream come true. I think about it in those terms, I’m living my best life building a game I’ve always wanted to make.”

While Galactic Racer clearly draws inspiration from classic Star Wars racing games, Fuse isn’t simply trying to recreate something players have already experienced.

One of its biggest differences is an unusual roguelite progression system.

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Galactic Racer Uses Roguelite Progression to Encourage Experimentation

Rather than allowing players to create a single vehicle build and continuously improve it throughout the entire game, Galactic Racer resets vehicle progression at the beginning of each run.

Players start with a fresh vehicle and select new upgrades after completing events.

Those upgrades aren’t permanent, meaning each run provides an opportunity to experiment with different builds and strategies.

According to Crimmins, that’s something traditional racing games don’t always encourage.

“Trying a new build, a new strategy, it’s something you don’t see in loads of racing games.”

Crimmins explained that while he enjoys upgrading vehicles in racing games, progression systems can sometimes discourage experimentation once players discover a setup that works.

Galactic Racer’s roguelite structure is designed to solve that problem.

“With this, we’ve widened the space that you’re able to experiment with, but also giving you a reason to start again every time. I think it makes for a much richer racing experience.”

That approach could make Galactic Racer considerably different from the Star Wars racing games that inspired it while retaining the fantasy of high-speed competition in a galaxy far, far away.

With previous Star Wars experience behind the development team and Crimmins finally getting an opportunity to build a game he has envisioned for two decades, Fuse Games certainly isn’t lacking ambition.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer launches on October 6.

Are you excited for Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and do you like the idea of combining Star Wars racing with roguelite progression? Let us know in the comments below.