Back in 2018, I posted an article for Star Wars Month looking at concepts for new Star Wars games that EA could bring to the table. Back then, we’d only seen Battlefront games from them, so it was time for some variety. Which we would soon get with Jedi: Fallen Order and Squadrons. But now, with EA not having exclusive rights to make games any more, that opens things up to allowing more genres to be represented.

So, it’s been four years since that article, and I can expand on all the ideas I presented there. In fact, I had intended this to just be one article. But… there’s a lot here. The concept for the racing game alone I talked about for two Word pages, totalling over 1000 words. And the other two were pretty much the same. So I’m releasing them individually, and not all at once. And what better way to start that then with the racing game?

The last time I had talked about this, I had proposed it being full of various racing disciplines – such as pod, swoop, and speeder bike racing, and I still feel that’s the best course of action. After all, this is a game to explore the various racing disciplines of the galaxy far, far away. Something to understand what people would want from a Star Wars based racing game. Aside from the podracing, as everyone wants a new one of those.

And yes, podracing is here. It’s the main draw, after all. There’s the Boonta Eve Classic on Tatooine, along with those that Qui-Gon mentions that happen on Malastare. These things happen throughout the galaxy, so there’s plenty of planets to use when it comes to creating these courses.

Last time I mentioned how each planet could have multiple tracks, and that would be the case in this game. After all, though a planet might seem like it’d have little to offer in terms of variety, race courses are more than their location. If it flows well and has a good variety of turns and obstacles, it could easily be put on the salt flats of Crait and still be good.

There’d be 20 courses across ten planets, with a world championship mode to bundle them up into cups of four. Three difficulties on offer, with completion of those cups on each difficulty granting access to a new racer to use. Each racer would have different stats that would affect things on the track. Eight racers from the start, with the three unlockables give enough variety for pod designs.

As for how it plays, I said last time that with controllers having two analogue sticks, it means a control scheme closer to that of a real podracer could be used. That would be one control scheme – since some would have problems using such a method of control. A more regular racing scheme would be available for use here, too.

As for those other vehicle races, these would be side attractions. Fewer racers available and fewer courses to run through. But still with the same focus on the mechanics of those vehicles to make sure the feel of them is right. And each with a control scheme that suits them.

Speeder bike racing would involve time trials through dangerous terrain. Thin paths across mountains, ravines, and the like would the order of things here. Precise control is needed, so as well as turning the bike you’d be able to lean it – whether that be to strafe around an obstacle or combine it with turning to take a tighter line into a corner.

Star Wars Resistance showcased starfighter racing, which would utilise rings to show where racers had to go. The controls here would change things up from starfighter control in other Star Wars games by giving direct control of the speed you’re going along with a switch to turn the engines on and off. For certain situations, you’ll need it.

There’s room here to create or show various racing disciplines that have been mentioned but barely shown. Crestracing has been mentioned in one of the comics, but all we know of it is that it’s a form of racing utilising water. And apparently dangerous, but what sport in the Star Wars universe isn’t? A game such as this would be a fantastic opportunity to show it off.

All of these racing disciplines would have one thing in common. The damage of the vehicle would determine the top speed it can reach. Armour, agility, and acceleration would be the three stats that bring the variety to each of the racers, but no one stat determines the others. Rather, the mix of all three would affect the top speed.

By that I mean the better stats a racer has, the lower their top speed. A racer could have a high armour and acceleration rating to make sure it can take a beating and recover fast, but would that be enough if it had a lower top speed? The damage it takes would be lower, so the decay of that top speed would be smaller. While at first you might be at a disadvantage, later in the race could be different. That mix of stats and damage would keep the race undecided throughout.

I said last time that the game would also feature non-vehicle racing events – mentioning the pit races from Rogue Planet as one possible event. Well, while you can’t have such events across the galaxy, gliders are a thing that have a few possibilities when it comes to races.

Each event of this racing discipline would offer something different. The pit race of Coruscant being one such event. A more natural gliding event going from one high place to another would be a second. There’d be a high-speed drop while dodging various obstacles, along with a more collection-based event around a mountain.

For control, much like with the starfighter, you’d have control of the speed. Being a glider, fully out would bring better horizontal speed while fully in would give better vertical speed. Varying the angle of the glider wings while also hitting the thermals to gain height is vital to this form of racing.

Racing can also come in the form of on-foot racing, and rather than just stick to regular sporting events such as marathons I’m going for something a bit more open. Taking place on just one planet with five start and end points each, you can choose which you start and end at as you parkour through the city.

Each starting point will track the times you take to get to each of the end points should you choose one. Yes, you can choose not to partake in a race and just explore the city, which will be full of pedestrians and vehicles moving around. But how would you explore the city? What controls are you using?

The left stick will control movement, but you have two movement modes. Walk and run. Swapping modes is done with Y. While in walk mode, you have full control of the camera on the right stick, with the left being to turn. When in run mode, the camera is locked to behind you so that the right stick can be used for turning. The left stick is then used for sidestepping.

In both modes, you have more precise control of speed with the right trigger. At full press (which is all you’ll get for those controllers without analogue triggers) walk mode will put you into a jog while run mode puts you into a full sprint. Jumping is affected by the speed you’re going. While you can charge the power of a jump by holding the A button, the length of that jump will always be determined by your speed.

Should you be close enough to use it, you can use freeform movement (activated by holding the left trigger in) to grab onto a ledge and pull yourself up. Freeform movement can also be used for things such as climbing, running across vertical surfaces, and swinging off structures that you wouldn’t be able to climb up. Freeform movement will also allow you to weave through crowds of people without slowing too much.

You also have a slide, performed by holding B, which you can use to quickly change direction while keeping speed, dodge underneath objects, or keep a controlled speed when heading down steep slopes. Everything is meant to keep momentum as fluid as possible, so the physics of moving also need to be able to allow that fluid movement.

These events all have differences, which is exactly what you want from a multi-sport game. There’s less events than perhaps there could be, but if you want each event done right, less is better. It allows a greater focus on making those differences matter. A game of multiple vehicle sports where they all control the same would make each vehicle feel bland. And that’s something I wouldn’t want. And I’m sure many others wouldn’t, either.

Expansion of Star Wars Games
Galaxy of Racing / Corrupt Bounty / Furtive Business

Images Taken From:
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: The Clone Wars | S2.22 Lethal Trackdown
Star Wars Resistance | S1.02 The Recruit: Part 2
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Rebels | S1.04 Fighter Flight