Star Wars: Squadrons Packs in Three Extremely Exciting Game Modes

Star Wars: Squadrons looks to be the modern take on being a pilot in the Star Wars universe. Some of you may remember how great the Star Wars: X-Wing games were, with the freedom to fly under your own steam, and take part in some of the fastest and most intense battles in the war between the Empire and the New Republic. Now EA has updated this entire sub-genre of the universe to make it even more exciting. Since they aren’t bragging about how great it looks, I thought I’d have a go by walking you through the three key game modes.

Story

It might seem obvious that every Star Wars game has to have a story, but we all know what happened with EA’s 2014 outing with Battlefront. In Star Wars: Squadrons, you’ll take on roles within a five-person squad within both the New Republic and the Empire.

The story takes place towards the conclusion of the Galactic Civil War, at a point in Star Wars history when every pilot makes a difference. This could see us firing bombs into a New Republic shipyard, crippling their reinforcements for a future conflict, or annihilating a Star Destroyer that’s been causing havoc in the outer reaches of civilised space.

This mode will probably be the method used to introduce us to the different types of ship in the game, as well as the different roles. Star Wars: Squadrons differs from other similar games in that it’s very much based on teamwork. The story may or may not be great, but honestly I don’t think that’s going to matter too much considering that we get to fly some of the most iconic ships ever conceived, in first person, and optional VR functionality.

Dogfight

Dogfight seems to be the multiplayer mode that will most closely resemble the story. It pits two teams of five against one another and forces them to fight until one emerges victorious. The aim is simple, destroy enough of the enemy’s ships to earn enough points and win the match. Teams will need to support each other with heavy artillery, quick counter-attacks, and of course some sort of protection when things get too close.

There’s very little to distract you from your targets in this game mode, since it really will just be your team against one other. It seems to be a stripped back version of the space battles in Star Wars Battlefront 2, but that should serve this game better since it allows you to concentrate more. If there are too many enemies flying around the screen, you might never notice when an enemy is tailing you.

I think that this is the mode that could well become an esport, as long as EA fosters that community. It’s fast, frantic, and all about small teams working together to destroy the enemy as fast as humanly possible.

Fleet Battles

This is the game mode that I’m most excited for. It’s the classic Star Wars battle between two massive fleets, although only 10 fighters are pilot-controlled. Of course, it’s the pilots of those small fighters who are doing all the work, and that’s where you come in.

Each match has a single bar that shows which side is winning. Points are earned for completing objectives, some of which are defensive, while others are more offensive. This ensures that even towards the close of a match, the tide can still be turned to one side’s favour if they manage to complete a few objectives in a row.

The same number of fighters are on screen in this mode, but it’s much more about that classic team deathmatch gameplay than it is about close team-based tactics. Players can go off on their own to try to win an objective, and back up various teammates if they want to, but the focus is definitely more on the objective. Of course, supporting your team is still going to help you win, as long as you keep those objectives in mind.

I can see this being the mode that most people invest their time in after finishing the story. It’s much faster paced, and allows you to drop in and out without needing to dedicate an hour or so to a single match. I can also see EA pumping the most support into this mode. New maps and ships should come along, and those should be free according to EA.

Each of these game modes can be played on a monitor, or in VR. I think that it’s incredibly ambitious to go into this game in VR and think that you’ll be able to compete with players who have developed muscle memory within the first few weeks. However, I think that this game has been built with VR in mind, and much like No Man’s Sky, I think that will be the way it’s played best.

Those are the three game modes that Star Wars: Squadrons will launch with. It’s possible that more will follow, but since EA has already stated that this is a budget title, they may simply leave things as they are, at least in the current-gen versions.

Which game mode do you like the sound of most? Are you looking forward to roleplaying a sinister Empire pilot who secretly keeps cute puppies in their bunk? Or do you just want to get together with four mates and own space as the meanest squad in Star Wars history?