Despite the same creative team, Star Wars: Squadrons is a vastly different game and has a lot to offer for fans of Battlefront 2’s starfighter based modes or older games like Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter and Rogue Squadron. From an exciting lack of microtransactions to the new Fleet Battle multiplayer mode, there’s a lot about Star Wars: Squadrons that sets it apart from everything that’s come before.

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SW Squadrons: First Person, Starfighter Customization

Unlike Star Wars: Battlefront 2 which offered both first or third-person perspectives when in combat, Star Wars: Squadrons is entirely first person. Whereas previous games like Star Wars: X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter and Rogue Squadron offered both, the team felt that third person offers some type of advantage over players who would choose first-person.

One of the most exciting aspects of Star Wars: Squadrons is that players will be able to customize their starfighter and character. Both aesthetically and functionally, players will be able to customize various aspects of their starfighters using components earned through gameplay for the primary weapon, auxiliary items, countermeasures, the hull, shields, and finally, the engine. Each of the components will have positives and negatives, for example, EA Motive stated that “one type of shielding system will provide more protection against blaster fire but less against missiles (or vice versa),” and different types of Starfighters will have unique components and cosmetic upgrades.

Multiplayer Game Modes

Right now, EA Motive has only announced two of the available multiplayer modes. However, as a starfighter focused experience, it’s safe to say the game will have a lot more on offer than Star Wars: Battlefront 2’s starfighter experience. The first mode is called Dogfights, a 5v5 team deathmatch where two teams go head to head and earn points by defeating opponents. The second mode is called Fleet Battles and is said to be the signature mode of the game’s multiplayer experience. In Fleet Battles, two teams of five, made up of online players or AI, compete in an objective-based, multi-stage mode to carry out bombing runs that will destroy the oppositions capital ships and advance the frontline.

No Microtransactions & Cheaper Cost

“Everything in-game is either earned or unlocked via gameplay,” stated EA Motive on the game’s official website. This means there will be absolutely no microtransactions on offer of any kind in Star Wars: Squadrons. That means there are no loot boxes, no purchasable currencies, no direct purchases, and no battle pass. Star Wars: Squadrons will release as a complete game with a campaign and multiplayer modes and all customization options, be it cosmetic or ship components, are only earned by playing the game, although it doesn’t seem new content added down the line is impossible either. On top of that, EA has also confirmed that the game’s base retail price will be cheaper than most AAA games and more in-line with the content that’s on offer. Players will be excited to know that Star Wars: Squadrons will be available for $39.99 USD when it launches later this year.

Full VR Compatibility

When Virtual Reality first came to market, the hope was that players would be able to play the games they were used to but in VR. Unfortunately, for the most part, it was limited to smaller experiences with games slowly adding support such as Resident Evil 7, Skyrim, and Borderlands 2. Star Wars: Squadrons will be launching will full VR support on PlayStation 4 and PC, meaning that the campaign and multiplayer can both be played entirely using a VR headset.

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Although the Setting’s the Same

On the other hand, Star Wars: Squadrons setting will be very similar to Star Wars: Battlefront 2 as the game takes place only a few months after the destruction of the Death Star II at the end of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Rather than market an untold story of the Empire, Squadrons is openly advertising an original story that will explore both sides of the war during the end of the Galactic Civil War. Players will alternate between the perspective of pilots in the New Republic and the Empire from mission to mission and be able to take control of an X-Wing, Y-Wing, A-Wing, U-Wing, TIE Fighter, TIE Bomber, TIE Interceptor, and TIE Reaper.

After the success of the Star Wars: Battlefront reboot, Star Wars: Battlefront 2, and last years Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, EA has finally made the decision to “double down” on its partnership with Disney with new plans to deliver Star Wars games on a far more frequent schedule. Although EA didn’t go into specifics regarding any new projects currently in the works, the company has already announced plans for Star Wars Jedi to become a new series rather than a standalone title, and Star Wars: Squadrons will be released worldwide later this year.

Star Wars: Squadrons will be released on October 2 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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