Review: STAR WARS: SQUADRONS Is Fun But Could Be Bigger

Star Wars: Squadrons released at the beginning of this month, and fans have been enjoying it. The game was developed by Motive Studios and published by EA. EA was kind enough to send me a copy of the game on PC, and it’s been a trip. If you want to play on PC but do not have an Xbox controller, get this game on a platform other than Origin. That being said, it really does feel like a spiritual successor to the old TIE Fighter and X-Wing games. You can play the game on PC, PS4, and Xbox One now.

Overall, the game is fun. You fly around in a Star Wars ship (each side has four options) and blow up enemies. Pretty simple. The story is interesting to follow, and it helps a lot that they show both sides of the story. You’ll play a couple missions with the Resistance and then swap over to the remains of the Empire before they become the First Order. This helps the player get a decent sense of which ships they prefer before jumping into the online multiplayer.

If you’re on PC, you can play using either a controller or a mouse and keyboard setup. While the mouse and keyboard setup is doable, it does feel very stale, and I found that I preferred a controller. This felt a lot better and closer to natural, but it still wasn’t perfect. I’m sure if you go all in with the fancy HOTAS controllers out there that it would feel even better.

The big appeal of Squadrons is the multiplayer aspect. There are two game modes for fans to enjoy: Dogfight and Fleet Battles. Dogfights are very straightforward. It’s a 5v5 Empire versus Resistance PvP match. The winner with the most kills at the end of the timer wins. If you die, you’ll respawn after a bit just to get killed again. It’s fun and a great way to play with friends. Meanwhile, Fleet Battles are 5v5 PvP matches with a bit more to them. The main goals of Fleet Battles are to bring down the opposing flagships. This mode is deeper and has a lot of potential, but I will admit that I’m bummed that it’s capped at only 5v5. I wish there was a bigger fleet battle mode where you have just massive forces going at it. Heck, a team-based battle royale mode could’ve been fantastic with just a ton of players going into a blood bath.

The graphics in Squadrons are really good. The sound and music are top-notch. I don’t really have any complaints about any of those things. I also want to give them props for not doing the micro transaction thing. Everything feels attainable, and no real money is required. The game has a lot going for it. I’m just not that great at these flying games, and I wish the multiplayer could be bigger. What has your experience with Squadrons been?

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