Star Wars: Squadrons Reviews - preview/review
(hx) 11:37 PM CEST - Oct,01 2020
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Star Wars: Squadrons includes a single-player campaign that stretches over a prologue and 14 missions in addition to two online modes. The bulk of the story occurs shortly after the Battle of Endor and centers around two fighter squadrons. Players will fly as both the New Republic’s Vanguard Squadron and the Galactic Empire’s Titan Squadron. Both groups are among the best their factions have to offer and are sent on the most challenging and dangerous assignments.
The campaign’s biggest shortcoming is that it’s set between two periods we already know a lot about. The Battle of Endor, which precedes the game, results in the death of Emperor Palpatine and the scattering of Imperial forces. The Battle of Jakku, which happens a year later, marks the final defeat of the core Imperial fleet and the surrender of most of the Imperial remnant.
Star Wars: Squadrons suffers from many issues the franchise has had since the decanonization of the Extended Universe — there’s just not a lot of room to work with. The campaign is enjoyable, and it calls to mind classics like the Rogue Squadron and X-Wing series.
Multiplayer is the central focus of Star Wars: Squadrons, and it features two modes at launch. Dogfight mode is, as the name suggests, a five-on-five team deathmatch-style fight to 30 points. Fleet Battles, which is the game’s real meat, has two teams facing off in a multiphase battle featuring capital ships.
For the most part, the two modes are well balanced but could use some tweaks. Dogfight defaults to 30 points (with one point awarded per kill), which means matches are relatively short. Given that multiplayer lobbies don’t persist between rounds, it can be frustrating to spend nearly as much time matchmaking as you do playing.
On the other hand, Fleet Battles are lengthier and pit a small Imperial and Alliance fleet against each other. The fights are a tug-of-war, as each side struggles to fill a meter at the top of the screen by scoring points. When the meter is full, the frontline will move forward, allowing players to progress farther toward the enemy fleet without being instantly blown to bits. Eventually, the foe’s two cruisers are destroyed and a squadron can take on their flagship. Destroy that flagship, and the match is won.
The arenas, versions of which are shared between the two modes, keep things interesting. Though they’re all set in space, there are varying obstacles that differ between each map. One has a giant space station at the center, which blocks the line of sight between the opposing sides, while another is in a nebula littered with debris.
Star Wars: Squadrons is due out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Origin on October 2.
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Updated:12:37 AM CEST Jun,06
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