Fresh off the heels of the controversial Star Wars Battlefront 2 and the well received Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, EA launched another Star Wars title that flew under the radar. Star Wars: Squadrons launched in 2020 and took the Star Wars video games to space for a space combat game set after Return of the Jedi. The game was developed by Motive Studios and gave players control over some of the most iconic fighters, and it came the closest to making players actually feel like they were a pilot. However, the game did not receive much post-launch support from the studio and many Star Wars fans moved on from it pretty quickly.
While Star Wars: Squadrons was far from a perfect title, it still provided a decent amount of fun for fans of the franchise. The game offered both a single-player campaign and a multiplayer mode that gave players the thrill of piloting spaceships in Star Wars. While it may be too late to revive this title, it is not too late to support the Squadrons brand. The game was a decent amount of fun, and space combat is a major part of the Star Wars franchise. EA should not let the game disappear into the shadows, but instead it should give Motive Studios another shot at the galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars: Squadrons Was a Good Time
Star Wars: Squadrons put players in the cockpit of various starships from the New Republic and the Galactic Empire. The story was set after Return of the Jedi and followed the exploits of Vanguard Squadron and Titan Squadron. Space battles ensue for multiple parts of the galaxy as the Empire desperately tries to cling to life while the New Republic tries to snuff out the remains of the Empire. The story was nothing special, and was far from groundbreaking, but it was still an interesting look at the post-Endor galaxy.
Along with the canon single-player campaign, Squadrons offered two different multiplayer modes for players to fight each other in. The Dogfight mode pit two teams of five against each other as they battle for supremacy in space, and the first team to reach 30 starfighters destroyed wins the game. The other gamemode was known as Fleet Battle, and it had two teams of five fight to destroy the other teams capital ship. Both modes felt ripped straight from a Star Wars film, and the flight mechanics helped to cement the feeling of being a pilot in the galaxy.
The biggest strong suit of Star Wars: Squadrons was its flight mechanics. Players piloted some of the Star Wars galaxy's most iconic ships and flew them through a first-person perspective. Players had to manage the speed, the weapon functions, and the shields if they wanted to have a fighting chance. There was not just one starfighter to choose from either, as the game offered ten different flyable ships split up into four different classes; the Fighter, Interceptor, Bomber, and Support. These ships were also customizable with all sorts of trinkets and color schemes, which made them feel unique to the person.
Star Wars Squadrons Did Not Get the Attention it Deserved
Many Star Wars fans were skeptical about Star Wars: Squadrons as EA did not have the best track record when it came to multiplayer Star Wars games. However, before launch the studio made it clear that there would be no microtransactions in Star Wars: Squadrons, and it was going to be released for $40 instead of the standard of $60. While this was great news for those who were skeptical, the game received little post-launch support and did not get a big enough attention. This could be due to a multitude of reasons that include EA not making enough money off the project, that it was not a live-service title, or simply that Star Wars fans elected to sit this one out.
Whatever the reason for Star Wars: Squadrons' lack of support, it deserved so much more. After launch, the game received one large update that added two new fighters, a new map, and custom matches. Players could fly around in the B-Wing and the TIE Defender through the skies, but that was it. The game did get some cosmetic updates and balance patches, but almost no new maps or ships were added. Motive Studios developed one of the best Star Wars starfighter games, but it was not able to maintain interest with consistent updates.
Motive Deserves a Second Shot at Star Wars
Star Wars: Squadrons was not a smash hit, but it did build a strong foundation. The game truly made players feel like they were sitting in the cockpit of some of their favorite ships, and the multiplayer was actually pretty fun. The single-player campaign was not stellar, but it was still a decent enough experience. Motive Studios crafted a fun Star Wars game that did not get enough attention, and it should not be the last time that the studio gets to make a Star WarsSquadrons game.
A sequel to Star Wars: Squadrons has a ton of potential, and it could be a lot of fun. Motive already put in the work to make an exciting space combat game; now it just has to go the extra mile and deliver on all the other aspects. A sequel could be set in the same time period as the first, or it could focus on an entirely different period. The Star Wars: Squadrons gameplay could work great during the Clone Wars or the Galactic Civil War, or even all three major eras. If Motive can craft an exciting story set in these eras and provide decent amounts of post-launch support, then Star Wars: Squadrons 2 may be able to live a long life.
Star Wars: Squadrons was a pretty decent Star Wars game with some fun gameplay, and it deserves to be revisited. If Motive Studios can improve on the faults of the original title while delivering a stellar sequel, then the game may be noticed by more fans. While Star Wars Battlefront 3 may not be happening, EA could deliver a fun multiplayer Star Wars game if it gave Motive Studios another shot at this enormous franchise.
Star Wars: Squadrons is available now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
