Star Wars: Squadrons

Image Credit: Electronic Arts

If you've ever dreamed of what it would be like to fly through space in an X-wing while dogfighting TIE fighters, Star Wars: Squadrons is a must play. Sitting down in the cockpit of your favorite starfighter is a surreal experience. Not only is the cockpit perfectly recreated, but the actual experience of flying feels faithful to the source material. Familiar characters from Star Wars lore make appearances in the campaign and planets we've seen in films are given new life from the view of a starfighter. The controls feel tight and the combat strategy is surprisingly deep, but given that this is only a $40 title, more content is left to be desired.

Star Wars: Squadrons is comprised of a short campaign, about 8 hours, and two multiplayer modes. Though this isn't a full priced title, the lack of content surprised me. While value is subjective, there is an apparent disparity between the amount of content you get in Squadrons and the breadth of content you can get for $20 more in Star Wars: Battlefront II when comparing the two titles. If you visit any of the forums for this game, it is clear that there is a solid and passionate fan base. After playing Squadrons consistently from launch, I believe that this game was not made for the masses.

The depths that Motive Studios went to when developing Star Wars: Squadrons should be praised, but I do think that it decreases the approachability for most gamers. I am saying this as a seasoned Battlefront II Starfighter Assault player: multiplayer matches are super difficult. There is a hardcore fan base for this game and I feel like I end up against the best players in every match. The Fleet Battles game mode has a ranked system, but I found that this would be more applicable in the Dogfight game mode where there are less random variables like AI fighters and turrets.

The deep mechanics that I didn't expect from Star Wars: Squadrons start with a unique power management system, where the player can divert power to various subsystems to strategically approach scenarios in the best way. Trying to outrun a ship firing on you from behind? Throw the power to the engines and hit the boost to outrun the tailing fighter. Attempting a bombing run on a Star Destroyer, but the turbo lasers are blasting you from the front? Flip the power to your shields and power them up in the front for additional protection. Finally have that A-wing you were chasing for five minutes in your sights? Divert all power to your lasers and let that rebel scum have it. Star Wars: Squadrons excels at providing options for the player in the heat of battle. If a fighter comes out of nowhere and starts blasting you, you always have a sense that there are options for you to escape the predicament at hand. Choosing the right method though is much more difficult than one would expect.

In addition to deep power management mechanics, Motive Studios implemented a starfighter customization system. Players not only select between various starfighter classes, but they are also able to choose the loadout for their ship that best fits their desired play style. I found myself equipping the highly shielded bombers with barrage rockets and homing mines that transformed my starfighter into an X-wing and TIE fighter hunter. The freedom and choice of customization is felt in the midst of battle as well. When an enemy destroys your ship, you can quickly deduce what sort of load out they are using and counter it. Cosmetic customization is also an appreciated feature present in Squadrons. These customizations range from hull color and pilot outfit to in cockpit decorations, like a Baby Yoda bobblehead. Squadrons has plenty of aspects to criticize, but customization depth is not one of them.

The influence of the classic TIE fighter and X-wing series from back in the day is apparent, but there are also clear signs that Star Wars: Squadrons contains the DNA of Star Wars: Battlefront II. If you are familiar with some of the issues and bugs with Battlefront II you will definitely notice similar problems with Squadrons. The recurrence of identical bugs from Battlefront II leads me to believe that Squadrons is using the same technical backbone Battlefront II was built on.

Another unfortunate feature that was preserved from Battlefront II is the clunky matchmaking and experience reward menus. After you complete a multiplayer match you are shown your stats and also your experience reward. If you quickly back out of this final menu, you will not receive any of the experience from the match you just played. Compounding the frustration from the XP menu is the odd choice to force the players back to the main menu after every match. You are still queued up for the next round, but matchmaking can take a while resulting in a loss of momentum from match to match. Star Wars: Squadrons matchmaking system is not conducive for quick and casual play sessions. I generally feel like I have to devote at least 45 minutes to Squadrons to load in, matchmake, wait for my teammates to ready up, play the match, and then sit through the XP menu. In an age where popping into gameplay is almost instant in next-gen, Squadrons feels like a burden to play at times. I love the gameplay and the mechanics are masterfully created, but the infrastructure it was built around is a deterrent.

The campaign does not suffer as much by frustrating waiting periods, but it does highlight a missed opportunity for players to explore the capital ships you are briefed on. When loading into a mission you are met with a massive and beautiful hangar, but you are only left with the option to stand in one location or click to the next. Kind of like a classic point and click adventure game. These small disappointments are lessened once you load into the actual mission and begin flying alongside characters like Wedge Antilles. Squadrons' campaign successfully transports you to the 'far, far away galaxy' and recreates the feeling you had watching your first Star Wars battle on the big screen. It does suffer from the generic 'go here and destroy this' repetitive mission structure, but overall it does not overstay its welcome and I walked away with a positive experience.

Star Wars: Squadrons is another example of Electronic Arts clawing back their trust with the Star Wars fan base. Months before the release of Squadrons, I wrote a blog post discussing the importance of how fans receive this title. After playing Squadrons and reading various reviews, I feel like EA delivered on their commitment to do better with the Star Wars IP. Though this game has it's issues, I highly recommend it for any Star Wars fan or combat flight simulator fan. Busch League Gaming gives Star Wars: Squadrons a 6 out of 10.

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Play this Game if You Enjoy:

• Star Wars

• Star Wars: Battlefront II

• Combat Flight Simulators