Star Wars: Squadrons is a marvelous result of what happens when EA listens.
In its early attempts at handling a franchise from a galaxy far, far away, developers struggled to modernize Star Wars games. This is where the bold entry of Battlefront II became a tipping point for EA. By gradually mending their relationship with fans, the studio finally became worthy of tackling another sacred gem—the Rogue Squadron and X-Wing/TIE Fighter games. Squadrons accomplishes the feat of injecting the thrill of classic cockpit dogfights and pushes it further into a fairly enjoyable, modern experience. While EA plays it safe with content, Star Wars: Squadrons stands as a game that honors the fabled classics while bringing the fun to new players.
Since the Star Wars: X-Wing games were introduced almost 30 years ago, it’s clear EA had a solid starting point for Squadrons. That series was the first fully realized flight sim dedicated to the iconic space battles of the Original Trilogy. EA’s latest game also draws from the cult Rogue Squadron series, which proved fans still loved blowing up Imperial and Rebel ships in a starfighter. Star Wars: Squadrons is a much deeper standalone experience than what players saw in Battlefront II‘s Starfighter Assault mode. It teased the potential for a reboot of space dogfights, which Squadrons delivers in full.
“This is your captain speaking from 1990”
Star Wars: Squadrons‘ flight and combat are eerily similar to the X-Wing games, and that’s a great thing. It also sticks to the first-person perspective for old-school immersion and overall simulation. There’s a respectful amount of detail in all of its cockpits, from the intricate layouts of different ships to a familiar symphony of TIE screeches and X-Wing zaps coming out of it. A claustrophobic feeling of being in space still lingers from the older PC games, while it quickly dissolves with lasers flying across the screen. Of course, players in Star Wars: Squadrons will be fighting from their cockpits at all times.
EA managed to simplify the process of controlling an entire ship with its most accessible controls ever. It’s built off the snappy and satisfying flight controls from Star Wars Battlefront II, with a few additions. I spent almost all of my time playing with an Xbox Wireless Controller, which arguably felt more responsive and tactile compared to the overwhelming keyboard/mouse options. To move, players only ever need to steer, pitch and roll with their fighters.
Surprisingly, these are done so naturally over dual analog sticks and it feels top-notch without remapping. The left stick handles acceleration and spinning the ship. Right thumbsticks control the camera and altitude. After a brief tutorial, it didn’t take too long before I made creative maneuvers with my TIE Fighter and turned my pursuers into prey. Though daunting for newbies to the genre, EA has made controlling every aspect of a ship fun and rewarding for Squadrons‘ entirety.
It’s nice to be stuck with controls that work as smoothly as combat does. Star Wars: Squadrons goes all-in on giving players an authentic starfighter experience and pulls it off with a good direction. Players will find themselves chasing and zapping enemies with tons of maneuverability. EA definitely delivers on good old-fashioned dogfights across its campaign and multiplayer, even if it becomes a repetitive noise later on.
That feeling of spinning around to regain a target feels a bit cumbersome for new players, but is what made games such as X-Wing/Tie Fighter so engaging. There’s much to be said about knowing how to move quickly to outsmart opponents and turning the tables with laser fire. It’s an incredibly rewarding power struggle that shakes the gameplay up with every confrontation. The goal is to keep targets tracked, encouraging players to pick their enemies and stick to them before moving on.
The right calling for pilots
Almost all of the battles in Star Wars: Squadrons happen in space, creating an expansive playground for pilots to run around. I never found myself going out of bounds while maps were big enough for star destroyers and rebel cruisers to sit around while dozens of fighters flew around. For chasing enemy fighters, EA effectively gives players more than enough room to engage over a large battlefield at the edge of a planet. Other maps happen in the skies of new and classic Star Wars planets and feature obstacles for players to use when outmaneuvering opponents. Over multiplayer, it strikes a great balance from tighter self-contained dogfights and grander-scale space assaults inspired by the movies.
But Star Wars: Squadrons makes for addicting action by watching enemy pilots explode in a blaze of glory and endlessly honing one’s skills to be a space baron. Players will do so from their cockpits, which players can customize with a variety of weapons and other upgrades to suit their play style. Star Wars: Squadrons gives a good amount of freedom in how players can pick their loadouts for each ship. An easy-to-follow selection for weapons can give players different laser types (single, burst or gatling), and missiles for that iconic “I have you now!” moment.
These are also well-balanced, featuring perks and deliberate drawbacks to keep the focus of skill. I never felt shortchanged when crafting my own dream loadout, which was heavy in shields and slower with acceleration to keep my enemy in front of me. The best perks, including self-repair are saved for single player while the rest have to be unlocked in multiplayer.
This is where Squadrons respects the ships they were based on and uses a very Star Wars-like power management system. Players use their arrows to “divert” all power for shields, guns or speed and it works strategically well. Its seemed complicated, until realizing they’re just modes for going offensively, defensively or moving incredibly fast. Think of Crysis‘ own mechanic for switching up its powers using a controller’s D-Pad, which is exactly what Squadrons decided to go with for simplicity.
Luckily, it fits to make the Star Wars experience more like its sci-fi roots as I kept my TIE extra protected before switching power to my guns and laying waste to rebel scum. This adds a new layer in surviving Star Wars: Squadrons‘ intense space combat without taking away from the authenticity. Players will need to know how to switch their power accordingly as their hull integrity (health) starts to plummet from pursuers or enemy flagships sending volleys of lasers at them.
A stunning jump to Hyperspace
Squadrons has a really interesting choice for going the first-person route for a star fighting game. Some players might feel like there’s a lot to get used to when they first load into their cockpit and see the world through their windows. X-Wings give extra visibility at the top. Y-Wing Bombers offer a dome for wider peripheral vision. TIE Fighters concentrate on the front lines of sight and TIE Interceptors encourage narrow tracking. Each have their own ups-and downs and are shared by Star Wars‘ love for random flashing buttons on surfaces. But EA has cleverly put the game’s entire HUD into each cockpit, showing off the acceleration, tracking target, ship info, shields, ammo and power meters.
These felt a bit obscuring at first, until I found my eyes darting from panels to the outside every second. Star Wars: Squadrons encouraged me to think like a star pilot would by closely keeping track of the ship’s state and condition. Its HUD features distinctive colours to separate each ship’s features, making it an authentic experience next to Microsoft Flight Simulator. A nice reference comes from the films and particularly The Last Jedi as holograms light up to deliver messages from characters mid-flight.
It’s still beautiful to see Star Wars: Squadrons from the inside of a cockpit. Thanks to EA’s signature photorealistic graphic engine from Battlefront and Jedi Fallen Order, it’s hard to separate Squadrons from the CGI-driven space sequences in modern Star Wars media. Giant planets loom over the horizon as massive star destroyers and supermassive cruisers look puny in scale. Scurrying like flies around them are the swarm of fighters buzzing and blasting with a bright exchange of green and red laser bolts. The scale of it all makes it feel like you’re a part of a big battle in every campaign, multiplayer and AI match.
Immersion without buying Death Sticks
Surprisingly, the best feature in Star Wars: Squadrons comes from a simple toggle in the settings—VR. The game transforms almost completely in virtual reality. EA has thoughtfully added support for PC headsets, allowing players to experience the entire game from a new perspective. Inspired by Star Wars Battlefront‘s Rogue One VR level, EA has taken the platform seriously and scaled the galaxy in a massive way for VR users. It’s hard to describe how awe-inspiring it was when I first woke up in the seat of a full-scale TIE Fighter.
Like a kid in a Star Wars dream, I got to look around the galaxy and pilot an X-Wing to my heart’s content. The ships feel enormous, and as I looked at the wings of my craft, I felt completely immersed in the cockpit and controls. VR actually gives players an unfair advantage, as they can see more by moving their head.
Ships like X-Wings and other dome-based fighters have blind spots that VR players can peek at to spot pursuers and details outside the cockpit. VR pilots can even barrel-roll and look up to track enemies during dogfights. In both campaign and multiplayer, this could pose a challenge in crossplay, as VR players can more easily plan out maneuvers by looking around freely.
VR is arguably the best way to experience Star Wars: Squadrons from start to finish. However, EA’s inexperience with the platform makes the feature slightly disappointing. The 1:1 scale is perfect, but the lack of direct optimizations makes the game look muddy compared to standard VR titles. I noticed that characters lacked depth when they spoke to me, and in-game artifacts appeared less detailed. On PC, the strain of running Squadrons in VR took a toll on my RTX 2060 8GB card, leading to crashes at least once or twice per session, often during key moments in both the campaign and multiplayer.
First-time VR pilots may not have developed their “VR legs” and could experience motion sickness when rolling around in their fighters. Fortunately, the game’s seamless options allowed me to take a break and switch back to the traditional on-screen experience. Despite its flaws, spending half of my time in Squadrons in VR was worth it. I didn’t have much trouble using an Xbox controller, but I can only imagine the heightened realism of using a HOTAS flight stick, which the game also supports.
Smaller game, even smaller content
The review’s emphasis on gameplay reflects Star Wars: Squadrons‘ lack of content as a lower-priced package. Yes, it features a solid campaign that can be worth buying for its replayability. But in typical EA fashion, its seven- to eight-hour story on normal difficulty feels like a tutorial for the multiplayer path ahead. That’s not to say EA has made a low-budget narrative. It still contains fully acted characters and CGI cutscenes that connect each space battle. Star Wars: Squadrons‘ story is set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, as the last remnants of the Empire try to prevent the rebels from forming the New Republic.
It’s smart to stick with the original trilogy’s settings and ships to capture the X-Wing series of games. The prologue also includes a nice cameo to delight TIE Fighter fans. More cameos from Hera Syndulla from Star Wars Rebels and Wedge Antilles are a nice treat for pilots, but that’s as far as it goes. Most of the new characters are forgettable, fitting the cookie-cutter archetypes of an uptight Empire and a scrappy Rebel Alliance. Players might also be disappointed to find that the story is too grounded and self-contained, adding no impact to the overall Star Wars lore. EA had a chance to add exciting canon, as it did with Battlefront II, but ultimately plays it too safe.
The campaign features 14 repetitive missions where pilots navigate asteroid fields before engaging enemy fleets. Of course, that’s part of what makes Star Wars: Squadrons fun. EA tries to mix things up with objectives like blasting beacons or massive cruisers. Some sequences, like stealthily cloaking your squad through an Imperial blockade, were impressive, but it’s just one standout moment in a game that needs far more cinematic sequences. Most of the narrative is delivered through radio chatter, table briefings, and Need for Speed-style dialogue that ultimately leads nowhere. While I didn’t mind the extra filler, it’s worth noting that the campaign has only one boss fight, which is disappointing.
I would have loved more frequent one-on-one battles against the best ace pilots from the Empire and Rebellion, but EA holds back, likely to keep characters alive. The campaign also plays it safe with its Empire vs. Rebels premise. The chapters are divided between Titan and Vanguard Squadrons, representing their respective sides. I found the Rebel missions more fun, especially blasting TIE fighters, while the Empire had a more compelling storyline focused on betrayal and moving on after Endor. However, EA’s cautious approach lowered the stakes, and I never saw the two teams fully clash. My custom character rarely appeared in cutscenes, and their voice was reserved for commands, which I seldom used.
Flying solo no more
There was surprisingly little variety in Star Wars: Squadrons’ multiplayer and AI modes. The core online mode, Dogfights, pits teams of five against each other in open spaces. My first three matches provided some of the most thrilling moments in Squadrons, and it was surprisingly easy to end with a respectable number of kills. Even the most experienced pilots can be outmaneuvered by weaving through space debris and circling back to fire lasers at them. Thanks to a snappy lock-on system, it’s fun to chase real players around the battlefield while teammates swoop in to help.
Unlike Starfighter Assault from Battlefront II, EA has toned down the chaos of having over 60 ships in one map, focusing instead on a player-centric deathmatch that’s addicting. However, map variety could use improvement, as I found myself repeatedly flying through the same few maps. At level 5, players unlock ranked Fleet Battles.
This cooperative PvE mode can be played with a team of five, completing objectives and destroying enemy cruisers. It’s a nice option for players looking to progress without relying on others, though enemy teams can also be added for an all-out war. I had fun jumping into a match and wreaking havoc on enemies. Objectives like destroying a cruiser’s weak spots and other critical nodes offered a refreshing change of pace across phases.
All of Star Wars: Squadrons’ modes offer progression, giving players the typical grind to unlock weapons and ship cosmetics. Gone are the pay-to-win days, and I’m especially impressed with EA for providing challenges that aren’t too difficult to complete. These larger tasks contribute to unlocking rarer helmets and other rewards. XP grants players Requisition points to spend on ship parts, while Glory points unlock cosmetics and cockpit accessories, including bobbleheads and dangling charms. In just a few hours, players can easily reach level 5 and earn a decent number of unlockables without the burden of a paid live service model.
Continued support for Squadrons would enhance this experience with new challenges and seasons to shake up multiplayer. One of the biggest additions is a battle pass, called Operations, which features its own set of challenges. Completing these challenges places players in a special tier progression system that rewards significant bonuses with each level up. While easily overlooked, the training mode actually lets players experiment with different ships and engage enemies at will. This mode also allows players to spawn various enemies and AI squadrons for unlimited dogfights.
EA has definitely come a long way from its early attempts at creating modern Star Wars games. Their resurgence, which began with Battlefront II Celebration Edition and Jedi: Fallen Order, continues with Star Wars: Squadrons, bringing the classic X-Wing/TIE Fighter games back to life. The flight controls and highly engaging dogfights are some of the best to date for Star Wars, even if they’re the main elements holding together a subpar story and straightforward multiplayer. This is a game that could only have been achieved through years of finding common ground with fans, who deserved Squadrons when the time was right.
