Sometimes it sucks when your brain and your heart are in conflict over something. After watching the trailer for Star Wars Squadrons (and after having ignored their asinine “teaser” that was a single image the other day), I got all goose-bumpy and want to play this game. It looks like an updated X-Wing vs. TIE, and has elements of the Rogue Squadron games… both among the best Star Wars stuff ever made. My heart longs to play this game, which looks to be set shortly after the war but before the total collapse of the Empire.
My brain, though, is screaming “this is an EA title!” I don’t trust Electronic Arts to do something right, no matter how much I may have ultimately enjoyed Jedi: Fallen Order (though that feeling wasn’t shared with everyone on staff who’s played it). EA is still evil, even if they’ve been quiet lately and letting other companies take up all the available being terrible.
It’s by the same studio that made Battlefront II, a game that was purposefully crippled out of the gate to support micro-transactions, gave us the phrase “Sense of Pride and Accomplishment” to justify it, and generated the most downvoted Reddit post of all time. Yeah, I know, Battlefront II supposedly became a good game after they patched out that stuff, but I don’t believe in applauding a studio for doing what they should have done the first time just because there was outcry over it.
That being said… it’s hard to not get excited for the game, which is launching in October on every major platform not from Nintendo, and it looks like it will have VR support. Striking that it’s not a next-gen title, but I fully imagine there will be a Remastered Edition that hits when the new consoles launch.
The full description from the video is below.
Buckle up, take full control of starfighters such as the X-wing and TIE fighter, and feel the adrenaline of strategic first-person 5v5 multiplayer dogfights alongside your squadron. In a fateful campaign set near the conclusion of the Galactic Civil War, learn what it means to be a pilot in a thrilling STAR WARS™ single-player story.
The New Republic fights for freedom. The Empire demands order. We need you to join the galaxy’s finest. STAR WARS™: Squadrons is available October 2, 2020 on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Origin PC, Steam, Epic Games Store, and Virtual Reality (VR) on PlayStation 4 and PC with cross-play support. Tune in to EA Play on June 18, 4PM PT to watch the gameplay world premiere of STAR WARS™: Squadrons.
About STAR WARS™: Squadrons: ALL WINGS REPORT IN – Plan skirmishes with your squadron in the briefing room before taking off to the evolving battlefields across the galaxy. Compete in intense 5v5 multiplayer dogfights or unite with your squadron to tip the scales in monumental fleet battles. Together, you’re the galaxy’s finest.
MASTER LEGENDARY STARFIGHTERS – Take control of different classes of starfighters from both the New Republic and Imperial fleets – including the agile A-wing and the devastating TIE bomber. Modify your ship, divert the power between its systems, and destroy your opponents in strategic space dogfights.
GET IN THE COCKPIT – The cockpit is your home. Use its dashboards to your advantage and – with just a thin hull of metal and glass between you and the perils of space – feel the intensity of combat from a first-person perspective. Take off in thrilling multiplayer modes and a unique single-player Star Wars story, which covers a key campaign near the conclusion of the Galactic Civil War. Immerse yourself in the pilot’s seat completely with the option to play the entirety of Star Wars: Squadrons in Virtual Reality on PlayStation 4 and PC.
THE MISSION IS CLEAR – Star Wars: Squadrons is a fully self-contained experience from day one, where you earn rewards through play. Climb the ranks and unlock new components like weapons, hulls, engines, shields, and cosmetic items in a clear path for progression that keeps gameplay fresh and engaging.
