Star Wars: Squadron is the first game to bear the subtitle since Star Wars Rogue Squadron 3: Rebel Strike in 2003 and it is clear this time that the EA developer motive isn’t shying away from Rogue Squadron’s core motive to capture the sheer unbridled joy of fantasy space combat.
Right out of the stargate, the good news is that the flying and combat in squadrons felt solid. If you like trying to shoot where the other guy is going to be while wiggling your spaceship to shake off the proton torpedo on your tail, you’ll be in Gamorrean heaven. The game’s targeting system is effective and fairly intuitive.
Star Wars: Squadron Review
The retro movie-inspired cut scenes, the detailed sounds of lasers and explosions- which shouldn’t actually be able to hear in space- it all felt right and although I was far from an ace pilot, by the end of the game, the number of additional systems woven into the combat loop promised a depth that advanced players will certainly appreciate.
It was clear that with practice one could become a much more formidable force for good or for evil. Developers included power management optional front and rear shields customizable ship load-outs the ability to drift and a wide variety of guns and gadgets that all provide different tactical options.
The single-player campaign was told in a familiar style from the dual vantage of both the New Republic and Empire pilot. Your appetite for more inhabiting the actual cockpit will double as the player’s HUD also adds immersion and quickly bonds with any pilot. There’s also a wide selection of aesthetic improvements to add to your cockpit that help flesh out the character but as with any EA game, we can only except more microtransactions.
During dogfights, flagships could be taken down in a number of ways- by strategically disabling various systems or with a full force barrage of sheer direct damage.
As the tide of battle shifts, you might also have to hurry back and defend your own cruisers or retreat all the way back to your flagship and swap vessels to better serve your team’s goals. The structure was plenty engaging and anyone will find themself eagerly and easily bouncing from objective to shifting objective
EA has lowered the barrier to entry as much as possible allowing full cross-play and voice chat between consoles pc and VR headsets. If you’re a fan of multiplayer team sports, you could have a lot of fun putting together a squad of fighter pilot friends and taking a run at becoming the scourge of the servers.
