Star Wars: Squadrons releases on October 2, and reviews have already gone live for developer EA Motive’s spin on interstellar dogfighting. The consensus so far has been a positive one, praising the game’s smaller scale, gorgeous visuals, and exhilarating action.
In our early review impressions of the single-player campaign, critic Edmond Tran noted that while the short campaign may leave fans hungry for more, the engaging flight mechanics and incredible locales will make you feel like you’ve just entered your own personal Star Wars experience:
“There is also a progression system that rewards a variety of cosmetic items and is notably free from microtransactions. How enjoyable these modes will be over a long period of time, and how rewarding the game’s progression ladder ends up feeling, is something I’ll be trying to come to terms with over the following days.”
We’ve grabbed a few more reviews and posted them below, with the majority of critics from other outlets also praising EA Motive’s attention to detail while mentioning the barebones single-player narrative being roughly half the length of last year’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. We’ve also highlighted a review that focuses on VR integration. The game supports VR play across all modes on PC and PlayStation VR. For more reviews, head on over to our sister site Metacritic to see what other critics had to say. You can also check out our preorder guide for more info on what to expect from Star Wars: Squadrons.
- Game: Star Wars: Squadrons
- Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4
- Developer: EA Motive
- Release date: October 2
- Price: $40 / £30 / $60 AUD
GameSpot (Early review impressions)
“As my experience stands right now, the campaign of Star Wars: Squadrons is a solid showcase of setpieces that conveys what’s possible with the game’s engaging flight combat mechanics. Juggling all tasks required on your cool starfighter while soaking in the sights and sounds of Star Wars has been a real treat in the first 8 hours, even if I’m left a bit wanting.” – Edmond Tran [Full Review]
PCGamesN – 9/10
“If Star Wars: Squadrons had simply been ‘TIE Fighter with prettier skies to look at,’ it would’ve already been a winning proposition. What it is in fact is a great looking, technically demanding starfighter sim that provides a dynamic new spin on space dogfighting without any of the usual monetary cruft that accompanies live service games today. Time will tell if it truly has the depth and skill ceiling to give it staying power, but it’s made a damn fine first impression. If you’ve ever wanted to become an ace X-wing pilot, or fondly remember your time in a DOS-based fighter cockpit, Star Wars: Squadrons is a must-play.” – Ian Boudreau [Full Review]
Game Informer – 8.3/10
“Squadrons’ single-player may fizzle out frequently like a malfunctioning hyperdrive motivator, but the multiplayer continually impresses and is worth the price of entry alone. Flying in formation with a group of friends put a smile on my face, and that was just the calm before the storm. When the lasers start flying, Squadrons’ multiplayer can be nothing short of exhilarating and a great test of skill, pushing players to be clever in the cockpit to outthink and outmaneuver opponents. Given just how enjoyable it is to pilot an X-Wing or TIE Fighter, this is a multiplayer experience I will continually go back to, even if EA doesn’t support it with new content. It’s just fun to play, providing something different compared to most of today’s competitive games.” – Andrew Reiner [Full Review]
VG247 – 4/5
“Squadrons feels like more than the sum of its parts. Most importantly, it does exactly what it set out to do – and does it very well indeed. It’s EA’s smallest-scale console Star Wars title yet – but also its best. Fleet Battles feel a little long and sometimes listless, and some will no doubt pine for a little more content – I personally would’ve really liked to see a 20-player (or more) deathmatch mode. But it’s nevertheless difficult to really criticize such a tightly-wound, complete package. As such, it’s an easy recommendation.” – Alex Donaldson [Full Review]
IGN – 8/10
“Star Wars: Squadrons’ single-player campaign missions are a feast for Star Wars fans’ eyes and ears, especially in VR. Its engaging space combat is a great balance of approachable arcade control with the added nuance of simulation-like systems, which combine with astonishingly detailed ships and cockpits for the most authentic-feeling ride since LucasArts’ legendary X-Wing and TIE Fighter games back in the ’90s. Star Wars: Squadrons doesn’t end up doing anything too memorable with its charming characters or interesting rival squadron setup, but this campaign still tells an entertaining Star Wars story I enjoyed no matter which cockpit I was in.” – Tom Marks [Full Review]
Upload VR – (Review-in-progress)
“From what I’ve played so far, Star Wars: Squadrons has exceeded my already lofty expectations. It out-performs every other VR space combat game I’ve tried across the board for my tastes and offers a ton of nuance in its gameplay and immense entertainment with its full, robust campaign mode. If you got a chance to try the brief, but magical, X-Wing VR Mission in the first DICE Battlefront game on PS4 with PSVR and wished it could have been made into a full game, then this is exactly that and so much more. Some tiny performance issues and a lack of VR support for your hands and in cutscenes is unfortunate, but more than forgivable.” – David Jagneaux [Full Review]
Polygon – Unscored
“Star Wars: Squadrons is the total package. If all you have at your disposal is a console, a decent TV, and a working controller, you’re going to have a wonderful time. If you have a throttle, stick, and rudder pedals, you’re really in for a treat. And, if you happen to be able to afford VR, you may never want to take that headset off again.” – Charlie Hall [Full Review]
PC Gamer (Review-in-progress)
“In the cockpit, though, this is probably the best a Star Wars flight game has ever felt, and multiplayer demands far more skill than the campaign—which is especially exciting to me when I think about strategizing with a full 5-player squad instead of AI teammates. Multiplayer also offers a deep pool of ship parts to unlock, changing everything from laser cannons to hull to engines, that make them play quite differently. I have more flying to do (and a lot more experimentation with those ship parts) before I give Squadrons a score, but I’m eager to get back in the cockpit as soon as the servers come online.” – Wes Fenlon [Full Review]
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