doreiwolf's Full Review: Star Wars: Episode I Racer for Windows
Since this was recently re-released here for a budget price, I figured another review wouldn't go astray.
Frankly, the idea of being a Pod Racer, of hurtling a fragile pod towed behind two huge engines, around narrow, obstacle filled tracks seemed a wonderful idea. Having installed the game, and skimmed the manual enough to work out the control method, I started a game. And lost.
A little tweaking of the mouse sensitivity helped a little and soon I was blasting along the tracks, slamming into other racers, and more often, walls. It was great fun. I tried a few different podracers (only a few are available at the start) and found that each handled differently. Soon I settled on two that settled my 'style' (if you can call battling walls a style).
Before each race you have the option of changing your pod racer, buying parts and upgrading your podracer (if you can afford it). Once you're ready, it's into the race. There's a short movie introduction (which you can skip), then you're taken to the track. Another brief (skippable) intro as the camera circles your racer, then there is the countdown. You now have three laps around the circuit in which to place. As you race you have quite a bit of control over your pod, able to speed up, slow down, bank left or right, twist your pod on its side, angle it up for longer jumps and so forth.
As you hit things, your pod takes damage. Take enough damage, or slam into something hard enough and your pod comes apart. It's not the end of the game, however, as a few seconds later you get a new pod, which is indestructible for a few moments. This is all time lost, however.
The graphics are very nice indeed. The podracers are quite detailed and the tracks are more detailed than I expected, given the 'virtual speed' you can travel at. Each world has it's own distinctive look, and much of the side scenery is quite...well...scenic. Not that it's easy to see as you concentrate on not hitting things. The 'heads up' display is good, though mostly only glimpsed by peripheral vision, I've noticed, as it is at the sides, thus not obscuring your view of the track.
The sound is adequate. That isn't to say it's poor, it's not. It's quite good. It's just that it 'does the job'. No more, no less.
The control method is good, once you get used to how the pods handle. I tried joystick, but ended up using mouse and keyboard. There are quite a number of options so I'm sure you can find a method that works for you.
One minor but annoying point I have to bring up is how you navigate menus. For the most part you can use the mouse. However on the main 'race' menu the mouse stops being functional and you have to resort to keys. Quite strange.
All in all, for a while, this is a great, fun racing game. Unfortunately I have to say that after a while the whole thing begins to pall and I've been trying to work out why.
I think I've come up with the answer. It's very hard to get 'involved' with your character and care a great deal if you win or lose. While you can create a 'racer character', all you give that racer is a name. When you race, you race as whichever character owns the pod you're currently racing. Add to that, the fact that you can simply change from one pod to another, with no cash penalty, then all contact with your 'racer' is lost. It becomes simply an abstract concept.
Now certainly there is a certain amount of fun in playing Anakin, or Sebulba, but the fact that you can put these characters on, or take them off like a suit, removes any 'feeling' you have for them.
Instead, it would have been better if you could have created a character, started with a certain amount of money to buy parts and pod with. Then you'd have to earn money from races to upgrade to either new parts, or newer pods. In this way the experience is deepened, the strategy element is enhanced and you would begin to care about your character.
You could even play Anakin, or Sebulba, and still get the same effect, as long as you could get some continuity with your character and keep them, no matter what pod you used.
Why have I spent so much time on this? Because I feel cheated. Episode I Racer is good. But it could have been great. It's fun, but it lacks long term playability and depth, and I fully believe with just a bit more thought it could have been an excellent racing game.
So would I recommend it? I'll say 'yes' but with reservations. Now that it's much cheaper, it's certainly a better buy than it was. If you know you're getting a game that is great fun for a while, but then becomes quite dull, then go for it. Otherwise, steer clear.
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