Is the Force strong with this racer remaster?
Join Jedi-to-be Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars race of your life. Relive all the thrills and excitement of the Podracer sequence from Star Wars: Episode I. Hang on tight – with afterburners on, Podracers max out at a simulated 600 mph. Race in furious competition against more than 21 opponents! Take on over 21 tracks in 8 unique worlds. Avoid hazards such as methane lakes, meteor showers and Tusken Raiders. Featuring spectacular 3D environments.
I remember playing the N64 version of Star Wars Episode 1 Racer and having fond memories of it, so I was more than pleased to hear it was getting a remaster for the PS4. But have the years been kind, or should it have stayed hidden?
First of all, this hasn’t had a lot of work done to it visually in terms of the remaster. It looks crisp but the graphics itself are very dated and very typical of the games back in the N64 era, especially in terms of character/face models. But graphics aren’t everything, how does it handle?
Surpisingly smooth with a solid framerate, decent handling of the podracers and a nice variety of tracks. The difficulty is definitely up there with the speed, but you definitely feel in control of your podracer and any mistake is usually on you. There’s still multiplayer, but alas no online play which I think would have been amazing. But considering the game is relatively cheap at £12 you definitely get a good amount of content for your money.
The Verdict
While a full 4K remaster would be amazing, Episode 1 Racer is still a superb game and despite the lack of online play, still highly enjoyable and there’s still plenty to do. Essentially, a simple remaster but still an effective one.