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Review: Star Wars: Beyond Victory
When you imagine Star Wars podracing in Virtual Reality, your thoughts start to race. However, upon the announcement of Star Wars: Beyond Victory, I felt a bit disappointed to learn that it would be a mixed reality experience using a holotable in your play area. Nevertheless, considering Industrial Light and Magic’s (ILM) track record of successfully bringing Star Wars to VR, I was definitely intrigued to explore this and hoped to be pleasantly surprised.
Game Details
Release Date: October 7th 2025
Developer: Industrial Light and Magic
Publisher: Disney Electronic Content, Inc
Price: £15.99 / US $19.99
Reviewed On: Meta Quest 3
* Access Provided For Review *
Can You Save Your Garage?
ILM has introduced a fresh chapter in the Star Wars saga with Beyond Victory, where you step into the shoes of Volo Bolus, a podracer determined to win in order to save his garage. The story picks up after he has wrecked his podracer and lacks the funds to replace the damaged component. This situation drives you to delve into the shadowy underbelly of the podracing world, where you align yourself with and receive guidance from the podracing icon Sebulba. The real question is: will joining forces with Sebulba be enough to rescue your garage?
A Mixed Experience
This narrative unfolds within one of the three game modes available, specifically Adventure mode, which is the ideal starting point. It introduces you to podracing and offers a story-driven experience that unfolds in both MR and VR. You will engage in third-person exploration on the holotable in MR, then switch to VR to tackle straightforward puzzles from a first-person perspective, followed by the previously mentioned podracing segments on the holotable.
I liked the method of combining both mixed and virtual reality, and I believe it was executed effectively in most instances. It was fantastic to view the characters from both perspectives on the holotable (MR), and also making them feel as if they were in the room with you (VR). However, the frequent switching did become somewhat tiresome at times.
Now, addressing the elephant in the room: the podracing. I would have preferred to experience this in virtual reality rather than mixed reality. The field of view exceeded my expectations based on the trailers (though this might be due to the holotable being scaled as wide as my arms could reach). With a more limited view, it felt like the podracing experience relied more on quick reflexes than on genuine skill—especially when a sudden turn appeared, leaving you uncertain about how the track would continue after that turn.
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The next mode is Arcade mode, which eliminates any narrative and presents you with four tracks along with various pilots and podracers, focusing solely on holotable podracing in mixed reality. This naturally brings back the issues mentioned earlier, but it stands as the only substantial gaming content available after finishing Adventure mode. The team has provided players with a reason to come back, as long as they are okay with the limited perspective that third-person podracing offers. These reasons are challenges to unlock the previously mentioned pilots and podracers, as well as online leaderboards where you can set your best times to compete against friends or players worldwide.
The final mode is called Playset; it serves as a sandbox experience in mixed reality, enabling you to position action figures, vehicles, backdrops, and various set pieces within your room. You have the ability to move, resize, and even pose the figures, allowing you to create your own miniature dioramas and action scenes right in your room. Similar to the extras found in Arcade mode, these items are unlocked by playing the other modes and completing challenges. This mode is sure to evoke nostalgic memories for those who enjoyed playing with Star Wars action figures in their childhood; if that resonates with you, it might be worth considering for that reason alone.
Star Wars Brought To Life
One area where ILM has consistently excelled is in creating stunning visuals that bring the Star Wars universe to life in virtual reality. As expected, they have successfully achieved this in mixed reality as well, with both the VR and MR modes appearing visually striking within the headset, especially for a device powered by a mobile processor – which I surmise influenced the field of view choices during the podracing in MR. The main drawback I encountered is in the playset mode, where the objects you place can extend beyond your mapped surface, causing them to shimmer or fade away – but this issue is not exclusive to the MR experience in Star Wars: Beyond Victory.
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The audio soundscape of the game is exactly what you would hope for in a Star Wars title, and once more, the team has demonstrated their expertise from previous Star Wars VR experiences. They have successfully blended the legendary sounds of Star Wars with a unique score, incorporating both the grand orchestral music you anticipate with the Star Wars brand and some hip-hop tunes from the radio in the repair garage – all while maintaining the theme with an alien language.
This is finished off with exceptional voice performances from talents such as Fin Argus (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Bobby Moynihan (Tales of the Galaxy’s Edge), Lewis Macleod (Star Wars Episode I), Lilimar (Inside Out 2), Greg Proops (Star Wars Episode I), and Shelby Young (Persona 3 Reload). Their expertise ensures that they convey each character’s emotions flawlessly, bringing them to life in this immersive experience. From serious dialogue to humor, everything is delivered perfectly.
Comfort
The Verdict
ILM has continued their impressive trend of delivering amazing Star Wars experiences in virtual reality, now incorporating a mixed reality component that works seamlessly, yet raises the question of whether it was necessary and if it might have been better without it. Personally, I enjoyed the exploration in third-person through a holotable (MR) and tackling simple puzzles in first-person (VR), with the narrative sequences in Adventure mode unfolding in both formats. However, I strongly believe they should have included podracing in virtual reality or at least provided that option for more seasoned VR players who seek the excitement and have a lower risk of experiencing motion sickness. Utilising VR would shift the focus to skill rather than relying on reactions and luck when guessing what’s next, given the limited field of view on the holotable. Despite my personal opinions on the execution, one undeniable fact is that if you are a Star Wars fan, they have introduced a new chapter to the saga, featuring talented voice actors who bring the experience to life. Additionally, if you desire the sensation of playing with Star Wars figurines and crafting dioramas of action scenes in your own space, the Playset mode is ideal for this.
Copyright / The VR Realm / 2016 -