Some stories have to be told, some do not. Star Wars: Squadrons, is an example of when some stories are better off not knowing.
In June of earlier this year, Electronic Arts (EA) announced their next video game installment in the Star Wars universe, Star Wars: Squadrons. Rampant speculation and questions flooded the internet when a promo image first leaked on XBOX.com, which preceded the official announcement to the game. Fans and players were curious as to what type of game this would be and what eras from the Star Wars universe it would include.
Since the moment of the announcement, Electronic Arts (EA) made it clear that this game would be a first-person space combat game with a multiplayer focus. However, there would also be a standard length campaign story that players could also play. The gaming company also affirmed that the game would focus on the events that proceeded the movie, Return of the Jedi (1983): The Emperor is dead, and his empire has been struck a fatal blow.
Generally, this specific time period has been explored. Fans of Star Wars Canon were treated to the Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy which was a set of books that explored the crumbling Empire and the aspiring New Republic. This time period is also being unfolded in Disney+’s The Mandalorian.
So now the question is: is Star Wars: Squadrons worth your $40? The answer is a bit muddy.
The game delivers a gratifying experience of flying an X-wing or a TIE fighter. Playing for the first couple of times, felt as if I was in a simulation and I didn’t even play with the recommended VR headset. However that’s the despairing part of the “Squadrons”. If you don’t play the story campaign with a VR headset, you miss out a great deal.
This campaign falls on the more interesting side of things. It’s a dual perspective campaign so you as the player are constantly switching sides of the story. One second you’re flying with the New Republic restoring order to the galaxy and within a flash you’re blasting civilian transports out of the sky. What sounded like a great concept, turned out to be very frustrating.
One takeaway from the campaign was the diverse set of characters. No, they aren’t just different sets of aliens. There was a New Republic pilot that went by “they/them”, a male Imperial pilot who mentions his husband, and a Black man leading the New Republic to victory. There was even an Asian woman leading the Imperials! Star Wars has received some flack for not including more representation in the past so it was fulfilling to see it included here!
Besides the much-appreciated representation, the characters came from totally different backgrounds, some darker than others. That is especially true of the New Republic pilots. Every time the story deviated from the New Republic to the Empire I couldn’t help but to groan. Apart from the villains that they are, the Imperial characters fell flat. Their overall story and missions were just super hollow and there wasn’t much to it. I believe that it was a mistake having dual perspectives. It seemed that EA wanted to please the Original Star Wars Trilogy fans all at the same time.
There is one saving grace of “Squadrons” and that’s the multiplayer side of the game, which is mostly the case for EA Star Wars games. The multiplayer mode of “Fleet Battles” sees to a calculated battle between the New Republic and the Empire. Players must focus on attacking the enemy’s support ships before making a run for their capital ships. It sounds pretty basic but there’s a lot more that goes into account to win. The type of fighter you choose could make all the difference. A victory in “Fleet Battles” is the experience that will leave Star Wars fans feeling like they just made the trench run on the Death Star.
Another factor of the multiplayer side that is actually tons of fun is the customization of your starfighter. Players can customize the outside of their starfighter as well as the inside of their cockpit. Tons of little added detail that will lead to more of an immersed experience.
While the campaign story falls short of success, Star Wars: Squadrons offers fans the chance of what it would be like to take part in a Star Wars space battle.