We finally got to see Star Wars: Squadrons in action during today’s EA Play 2020 stream. A gameplay trailer for the upcoming starfighter-centric game showed us some in-engine footage of
The single-player campaign will center around two original characters. Players will take control of Rebel pilot Rao Highmoon and Imperial flyer Case Kassandora, who fight as part of Renegade Squadron and Titan Squadron, respectively. The story takes place just after the Battle of Endor. It depicts some of the last fighting between the burgeoning New Republic and the Galactic Empire prior to the last battle between the two at Jakku.
Players will fly their ships from a first-person perspective, and interestingly there isn’t a traditional HUD. Instead, you’ll have to keep an eye on the control panels in your ship for health, shield, and weapon status indicators. This design is likely due to the game’s VR compatibility. According to the trailer, you can play through the whole game using VR, though this seems like a vomit-inducing nightmare for many.
We also got to see the list of ships and ship types available at launch for Star Wars: Squadrons:
- Fighter: Jack of all trades, generalist ships.
- New Republic: X-Wing
- Empire: TIE Fighter
- Interceptor: Fast, maneuverable, but fragile. Good vs. starfighters.
- New Republic: A-Wing
- Empire: TIE Interceptor
- Support: Can buff and resupply allied fighters. Can disable enemy fighters with ion cannons.
- New Republic: U-Wing
- Empire: TIE Reaper
- Bomber: Slow, but well-armored. Good vs. capital ships.
- New Republic: Y-Wing
- Empire: TIE Bomber
Each of these ships can be customized with both cosmetics and performance upgrades.
The game will launch with two multiplayer modes. Dogfight mode is a 5v5 team deathmatch, while Fleet Battles is a larger scale, multi-stage mode. Depending on your success in the fight, you’ll either move forward in the stage or have to fall back. The ultimate goal in fleet battles is to destroy your opponent’s main capital ship.
Star Wars: Squadrons certainly looks interesting. While it doesn’t seem like a full callback to the beloved TIE Fighter series, it does give some good Rogue Squadron vibes. You can check it out on PC, PS4, and Xbox One when it releases October 2, 2020.
