The video game history of Star Wars is almost as wide and varied as the film history that started the whole franchise. The property has evolved with the industry like few others can claim to, and in that time, fans have been gifted with dozens of quality titles that tell fascinating stories of the galaxy far, far away. From the revolutionary storytelling of Knights of the Old Republic, to the off-the-wall action of The Force Unleashed, Star Wars has been no stranger to experimenting with video game experiences of every kind.
As exciting as many Star Wars games have been over the years, many fans have noted a bit of tiredness with the ones that have recently been produced under the property. Much of this stems from the exclusivity contract that EA has had with Star Wars for many years now, which more than a few fans have decried due to the handful of games with little variety that have been born from it. Tides are beginning to shift in the Star Wars gaming realm, however, and some uniqueness could be injected into the franchise by visiting a genre that Star Wars hasn't explored in some time: the world of racing games.
Star Wars' History With The Racing Genre
When some gamers think of Star Wars, they may not immediately associate it with the racing genre. The Star Wars galaxy is wide, however, and when the prequel trilogy was just beginning to take shape with The Phantom Menace, the franchise dipped its toes into the waters of arcade racing. With Star Wars Episode I: Racer, fans were able to take control of the speedy podracers that played a pivotal role in the prequel film. The game did a serviceable enough job at creating an experience not too dissimilar from Nintendo's F-Zero franchise, and with the recent release of a remaster, it's clear that it stuck with many fans.
The Potential Of A Next-Gen Star Wars Racing Game
It's been a really long time since Episode I: Racer released, and in that time the racing genre and Star Wars have both dramatically evolved. As such, if the the franchise revisited racing games with today's next-gen innovations, the amount of potential that could be found would be almost limitless.
Not only could a new Star Wars racing game introduce revamped podracing, but it could expand gameplay to interstellar competitions, or races between some of the colorful creatures that have appeared in the films. Players could hop into the Millennium Falcon as Han Solo and tear up an asteroid field, or they could jump on the back of a Varactyl with Obi-Wan Kenobi and sprint through a lush jungle. With how varied games like The Crew 2 and the upcoming Riders Republic are making the racing genre, Star Wars could easily provide an experience that is just as diverse.
Unfortunately, the next couple of years of Star Wars gaming have not pointed towards any new racing game happening any time soon. Rumors of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2 and a Mandalorian game are still circulating in certain corners of the industry, and the reveal of Knights of the Old Republic Remake highlight how there's still a focus on action-heavy releases. Fans have recently been getting a lot of classic Star Wars remasters, however, so hopefully they might serve as a source of inspiration for developers that want to do something fresh with Star Wars in the future.