Background information
Loot boxes and microtransactions: scams or a necessary evil?
by Philipp Rüegg
«Star Wars: Squadrons»: check out the trailer to the upcoming Star Wars game
15.6.2020
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
A «Star Wars» flight sim? Who knows... The trailer for EA's new Star Wars game doesn't reveal much. But there's still enough to make me sit up and take notice.
Publisher and game developer EA is making a new Star Wars game: «Star Wars: Squadrons». The titan from Redwood City, California is promising an «immersive piloting experience » and «strategic space dogfights».
Marketing at it’s finest. But the trailer looks exciting enough to at least give fans of the Star Wars saga a worthy addition to the franchise.
The game will be released on 2 October 2020 for Playstation 4, XBox One and PC.
A single player campaign: Check
There's no gameplay in the trailer itself. Only pre-rendered cinematics. Probably from the single player story campaign. Who we get to see: Wedge Antilles, if I'm not mistaken.
The trailer doesn't tell you exactly what it's about. Just this: the plot is set sometime shortly after «Return of the Jedi», the sixth chapter in the Skywalker saga. We know this thanks to the squadron commander's words at 53 seconds in: «Remember why we fly. For hope. For the New Republic».
The key word is «New Republic». New. Republic. It was established after the Rebel Alliance destroyed the second Death Star near the forest moon of Endor and the last remnants of the Empire were defeated in the Battle of Jakku, about a year after the Battle of Endor.
But as the empire still exists – at least fragments of it which won't accept defeat – the story shouldn't be set too far after «Return of the Jedi». Otherwise, we'd be seeing the First Order. That organisation was only founded 30 years after the Battle of Endor.
What else?
Again and again, the trailer shows us two fighter squads belonging to the New Republic and the Empire respectively, each consisting of five pilots. We don't know whether you'll have to choose one of the two sides or play through both sides at the same time.
The campaign is again being developed by EA's Montréal, Canada-based division Motive. Some fans might find this sub-optimal: Motive was responsible for the less than exhilarating story campaign in «Star Wars: Battlefront 2». Let's hope that they've heeded fan criticism and don't make a story in which the fanatical main character defects to the other side after just three story missions.
Multiplayer: Check
Despite the campaign: «Star Wars: Squadrons» is promoting itself primarily as a multiplayer game. Players are allowed to form their own squad of five pilot aces, jump in their Starfighters and compete against the enemy. Five-on-five dogfights it is.
We don't yet know whether AI-controlled opponents will be involved. However, the press release shows constantly changing dynamic maps, requiring new strategies.
Furthermore, we should be able to individualize our Starfighters. In other words: cosmetic adjustments should be just as much a part of the game as modifications to our fighters. And these should be unlockable purely by gameplay – at least, this is what EA's promising. Lootboxes are still a sensitive subject after last time.
Lesson learned.
What do we know about gameplay?
Gameplay-wise, there's little information. Only this: the playable spaceships are mainly small fighters. In «Star Wars: Squadrons», you won't just control your Starfighter from a 3rd-person-perspective. Cockpit-based dogfights will also be featured. Including beeping warning signals and flashing lights.
In fact, «Squadrons» will even have us managing the power distribution of the Starfighter's energy budget ourselves.
What's more: «Star Wars: Squadrons» will feature a VR version for the Playstation 4. Could be exciting.
There. What should we expect? A standalone version of Starfighter mode from «Star Wars: Battlefront 2»? Honestly, I don't know. Up to now, only the developers at EA have been able to get their hands on the game. We'll probably only be able to get a more precise picture with the gameplay trailer. It'll come out on 19 June at 1:00 a.m.
Luca Fontana
Senior Editor
Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.chI'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.»
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