New Star Wars Game Releases to a Divided Reception

There is a new Star Wars game out that has been released to a divided reception. To this end, it currently has a 54 on Metacritic. This isn’t good by any standards, let alone Star Wars standards. Suffice to say, critics haven’t enjoyed the new release very much; however, it’s seemingly been a different story with consumers because right now it has a 4.2 out of 5 user review score, which is equivalent to an 82 on the Metacritic scale.

The new Star Wars game in question is Star Wars: Beyond Victory, which has been flying under the radar because it is a mixed-reality game, developed by Industrial Light & Magic and Lucasfilm, for Oculus Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S headsets. In other words, it is a Meta Quest 3 exclusive, which means only about one million people have access to the game in the first place. If you haven’t heard about it until now, this is probably why.

About the Game

Star Wars: Beyond Victory is a mixed reality game that offers players three different modes. The first mode is “Adventure Mode,” which has players controlling Volo Bolus, an ambitious pilot who has been taken under the wing of podracing legend Sebulba. What follows is a completely new and original Star Wars story, though not a canon story, of course.

Then there is “Arcade Mode,” which offers “classic” podracing. With this mode, your space transforms into a holotable area, which in turn provides top-down podracing action.

Lastly is “Playset Mode,” which lets players create their own Star Wars stories via a customizable sandbox, complete with digital figures, vehicles, and more.

What’s Good, What’s Bad

Right now, the game is a top seller on the Meta Store, and as noted, it has been earning positive reviews with consumers. To this end, reviews praise the unique mix between AR and VR gameplay, and the variety of gameplay between different modes, which is all brought together with a solid presentation. That said, while there is variety, each mode is a bit shallow in terms of content, with little replayability. Meanwhile, the podracing is far from the best podracing Star Wars fans have seen.

In our own review of the new Star Wars game, we highlighted some of the fan service the game offers, as it does feature familiar characters and settings, despite telling a new story. However, like many others, we also felt that what was there wasn’t enough content with any of the modes.

All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think, or join the conversation over on the ComicBook Forum.