If you ever wanted to know what it would be like to sit at the controls of a TIE Fighter or X-Wing, then Star Wars: Squadrons is the game you have been waiting for. Released in October of 2020, Squadrons is a first-person combat game.
Star Wars has had many great themed games, but Squadrons is definitely one that stands out due its unique gameplay as well as replayability. This is why Star Wars: Squadron is so much fun to play.
Gameplay
The most unique and exciting part about this game is how you play it. There is no third-person flying of your favorite Star Wars fighter jets, you sit at the controls like you would if you were an actual pilot.
You take on the role of either a pilot for the Republic, or for the Empire, depending on what part of the story you are in or who you choose for multiplayer. There are also different classes to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
In the fighter class you can choose between a TIE Fighter or an X-Wing, the Interceptor class gives you access to the TIE Interceptor or A-Wing, in the Bomber class you have the TIE Bomber and the Y-Wing, and in the Support class you have the TIE Reaper and the U-Wing
The story will be discussed next, but as mentioned, you change between a pilot from New Republic’s Vanguard Squadron, and a pilot from the Empire’s Titan Squadron depending on which part of the storyline you are in.
Story and Campaign
The game takes place after the destruction of Alderaan, after the battle of Endor and the destruction of the second Death Star. The campaign begins during the events of A New Hope, with the bulk of the story happening before the Return of the Jedi.
You then, as mentioned, take on the role of a Republic or Empire pilot, going on bombing runs, escorting cargo, dogfights with enemies, or simply scanning ships and logging their contents.
What separates Squadrons from other flying games or games that contain a flying element, is how difficult it is to learn and master. Many have agreed that the campaign mode is actually an extended tutorial, teaching you everything you need to know to become the best pilot you can be.
The story also features very few cutscenes, with the majority of them being short and getting you into battle as soon as possible, meaning there isn’t a lot of downtime or waiting for a particular part of the story to end, you go from one mission to the next.
Each ship you control also has a unique set of abilities, meaning once you have learned how to maneuver and use a particular ship effectively, there are more to understand. The game does allow you to use a joystick system, for both console and PC, making movement a bit easier to grasp.
Multiplayer
The campaign and story will keep you entertained and locked to your seat for hours, multiplayer is where the real fun starts. Squadrons has two major multiplayer modes, dogfight and Fleet Battles.
Dogfights are what they say on the can, you and your team must take on and destroy an enemy team, with the experience you gain from that unlocking Fleet Battles. Fleet Battles is definitely a mode that requires cooperation and teamwork.
The point of the mode is first destroy the enemy fighters, then move on to destroying the smaller capital ships, and then finally you move on to destroying the enemies flagship, this is definitely not as easy as it seems.
Unlike the Death Star in the movie, there is no “weak point” on the flagship, meaning you will need a number of coordinated attacks on it to do real damage, destroying its generators and shields before being able to do any damage to the actual ship.
These battles can last long and as mentioned, do require teamwork as no one ship can do all the work and destroy the flagship by themselves.
Reception
The game has received many great reviews and high rankings, with reviewers praising the intricate flying system and how difficult, yet fun the game is to master. There was also praise for the single player and campaign, however there was also some criticism.
Many thought that there wasn’t enough story element or enough character development, which is the downside to having a game with very short cutscenes, they don’t allow themselves much time for story telling.
Overall, the game is very fun and very unique. It isn’t just a straight up arcade-style shooter, and the multiplayer modes being what sets the game apart and keeps players coming back for more.
There is talk of a sequel, as there hasn’t been any DLC for the game and barring a couple of ships being added, nothing new has been added to the game since it was released. This, by all accounts, adds to the idea that a sequel is quite possibly in development. Either way, Squadrons is a very unique and niche game, that is a must-play if you haven’t already.