Star Wars: Squadrons

 PC
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 417 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 206 out of 417
  2. Mixed: 52 out of 417
  3. Negative: 159 out of 417

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  1. KimMurzin
    Oct 2, 2020
    10
    From the very first trailer, I realized that this is exactly the game that I have been waiting for. Combining the spirit of the old space simulators with the canon of Star Wars, Star Wars Squadrons is very good and definitely deserves attention.

    What I was missing: -Third person view -More space aliens for customization -More representation. Yes, Gunny and Gray turned out to be very good,    From the very first trailer, I realized that this is exactly the game that I have been waiting for. Combining the spirit of the old space simulators with the canon of Star Wars, Star Wars Squadrons is very good and definitely deserves attention.

    What I was missing:
    -Third person view
    -More space aliens for customization
    -More representation. Yes, Gunny and Gray turned out to be very good, but I would like to see more open representatives of minorities both in the game and in general, in the Star Wars universe. I was also hoping to see Grey's husband in the story.
    -The Phoenix Squadron look does not match the Rebels animated series. I was hoping to see the blue-green camouflage of the fighters under Sato's command.    … Expand
  2. Matticus_Rex
    Aug 4, 2021
    10
    This is literally my favorite game of all time. There are some bugs, and I wish EA had budgeted for more continued updates, but overall this game is a masterpiece. I have ~500 hours in Fleet Battles and it's a new, exciting game every time.

    I see lots of comments from people who apparently think it's strange for there to be LGBT people in space, but I'm guessing they just read about it    This is literally my favorite game of all time. There are some bugs, and I wish EA had budgeted for more continued updates, but overall this game is a masterpiece. I have ~500 hours in Fleet Battles and it's a new, exciting game every time.

    I see lots of comments from people who apparently think it's strange for there to be LGBT people in space, but I'm guessing they just read about it on the internet because I literally missed it on my playthrough. Pretty lame.    … Expand
  3. Sundance9
    Aug 4, 2021
    8
    The best Star Wars starfighter experience since the vintage games in the 90s. Imperfect and narrow in scope, the core gameplay is amazing. 8/10. A must play for anyone who ever dreamed of flying an X Wing as a kid.
  4. the1fr0Zen
    Aug 4, 2021
    10
    This game is all I have played since installation. The learning curve is steep but the reward is phenomenal. The dogfight dynamics are especially satisfying, while the fleet battle multiplayer game type will keep minmaxers shuffling configurations and tactics chasing the meta.
  5. Jishiiqua
    Aug 4, 2021
    10
    While it is a not a perfect game by any means. I have never loved a game so much, and I don't know if I will ever find another game that I enjoy this much.
  6. goestotwelve
    Aug 4, 2021
    9
    I love this game. It’s almost everything I’ve ever wanted from a Star Wars game in terms of action, attention to detail, and community. It delivers on that singular thrill of blasting ships with lasers at high speed. The multiplayer community is alive and well nearly a year after launch with a dedicated group of fans living out their Star Wars fantasies. It’s not perfect—there are someI love this game. It’s almost everything I’ve ever wanted from a Star Wars game in terms of action, attention to detail, and community. It delivers on that singular thrill of blasting ships with lasers at high speed. The multiplayer community is alive and well nearly a year after launch with a dedicated group of fans living out their Star Wars fantasies. It’s not perfect—there are some gameplay mechanics that won’t get fixed, and the single player campaign is a little short—but it’s still an amazing experience.

    I’m a busy dad and I play this game as much as I can when I have time away from work and family.    … Expand
  7. Aurorus2014
    Aug 4, 2021
    9
    Been playing this since November and have found a great gaming community of #gamerdads. Play on ladies and gents!
  8. Boudica
    Aug 4, 2021
    8
    I'm not a hardcore gamer, this is the first game i've really played since Doom, the first one. When i was a kid Star Ward Trench run was THE GAME. I am blown away by this game and yeah it has it's glitches but i get to sir in a 6dof chair, with a VR headset and lose myself in a game in a way that i never have thought would happen.

    Some hardcore gamers may pull the game apart on every    I'm not a hardcore gamer, this is the first game i've really played since Doom, the first one. When i was a kid Star Ward Trench run was THE GAME. I am blown away by this game and yeah it has it's glitches but i get to sir in a 6dof chair, with a VR headset and lose myself in a game in a way that i never have thought would happen.

    Some hardcore gamers may pull the game apart on every little thing looking for perfection, i just wanna have fun and this game delivers it over and over    … Expand
  9. DirkDemk
    Aug 4, 2021
    10
    I absolutely love this game. It’s always a blast, and the community is thriving.
  10. Leonates1410
    Aug 5, 2021
    10
    This is, by far, the best multiplayer star wars expierience. For somebody that finished TIE fighter on Hard it is a must. Is the story rubbish ? Yup. Does it matter ? No. All you need to do is drift with your a wing to 180 turn, turn on jam and knock that tie defender with ion rockets. May the force be with you and not those lazy, negative, people that post here and didnt even bother toThis is, by far, the best multiplayer star wars expierience. For somebody that finished TIE fighter on Hard it is a must. Is the story rubbish ? Yup. Does it matter ? No. All you need to do is drift with your a wing to 180 turn, turn on jam and knock that tie defender with ion rockets. May the force be with you and not those lazy, negative, people that post here and didnt even bother to learn the game.… Expand
  11. cpaulet
    Aug 5, 2021
    10
    This game is one of those rare call backs to the original Tie vs. X-Wing series of games from the 90s! Spectacularly implemented with beautiful graphics. This game is meant to be played in VR and this is where it shines. I really feel the immersion, especially when playing with a Squad of friends, all speaking on open coms, while engaging in a riveting dogfight. Sure there are peopleThis game is one of those rare call backs to the original Tie vs. X-Wing series of games from the 90s! Spectacularly implemented with beautiful graphics. This game is meant to be played in VR and this is where it shines. I really feel the immersion, especially when playing with a Squad of friends, all speaking on open coms, while engaging in a riveting dogfight. Sure there are people that abuse macros that allow them to drift indefinitely, which is cheating in my book, but other than that it can be so much fun. I really hope there is a sequel for this game, one that allows for friends to fly a freighter together with turrets etc. perhaps incorporating the Freelancer features of gateways, hypelanes, etc. with some FPS. I could live in a game like that.… Expand
  12. DaneM
    Oct 3, 2020
    10
    I'm a fan of the old X-Wing/Tie Fighter games, and I've been waiting nearly 20 years for a worthy sequel. FINALLY, we have one. This game is not only in the genre I like (which is, itself, a big plus for players like me), it's an excellent game in its own right. The campaign is meaty, replayable (different ways to play many of the missions, many achievements/medals to get), challenging,I'm a fan of the old X-Wing/Tie Fighter games, and I've been waiting nearly 20 years for a worthy sequel. FINALLY, we have one. This game is not only in the genre I like (which is, itself, a big plus for players like me), it's an excellent game in its own right. The campaign is meaty, replayable (different ways to play many of the missions, many achievements/medals to get), challenging, emotive, and most importantly, a lot of fun. It took me about 10 hours to get through the campaign, without trying to get all the medals, or playing with all the different starfighters and loadouts that are available. I can easily see myself putting 20-30 hours into the campaign, alone, in the near future.

    The multiplayer aspect is also very well done. The biggest annoyance from X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter, that I can remember, is that you basically just had open space with ships flying in circles around each other, and extremely simple objectives. In Star Wars: Squadrons, they both enhanced the classic dogfight mode with breathtaking and exciting terrain features (fighting in an astroid field, in and around a starbase, in a debris-filled nebula, etc.), and added a fast-paced strategic mode wherein you have to win an actual capital ship battle. I really can't speak enough about the thrill that both of these modes provide.

    All that being said, this game is not for everyone. If you don't understand the controls, haven't played space combat games, and aren't willing to learn, you're probably going to be frustrated (and leave an undeservedly bad review on Metacritic...). However, if you're willing to put in the effort to learn how to play, you'll love this game.

    Surprisingly, EA didn't include anymicrotransactions, in this game. Every single thing you can get is unlocked just by playing the game. Please ignore the review bombs on this topic; I'm inclined to say that they're either bots or morons. THERE ARE ZERO MICROTRANSACTIONS. I find it a great relief that a game from this venerable genre remains untarnished from such modern and unpopular inventions.

    Bottom line: if you like flight sims, Star Wars, or space combat games, and are willing to learn how to play, you'll love this game. 10/10.    … Expand
  13. A510ka
    Oct 2, 2020
    9
    The campaign is just to get you the hang of the game which is acceptable and does a good job but the real fun started when I began playing the multiplayer, its hard to be good at which is nice and the ships have enough customization to make the loadouts feel unique and different. I have been pleasantly surprised by this game.
  14. r1h4
    Oct 3, 2020
    10
    Game is great - never met a bigger pile of whiney edgelords who forgot what fun is.
  15. VoiceofKane
    Oct 4, 2020
    10
    Normally, I'd give this a 9. Campaign is pretty good with a lot of very cool and exciting moments, as well as memorable and fun characters. Unfortunately, the story, while very Star Wars-y, doesn't get to do much with the characters, and ends up mostly being about the clashing ideologies of Lindon Javes and Terisa Kerrill. The plot is mostly surface-level - Kerrill is mad at Javes forNormally, I'd give this a 9. Campaign is pretty good with a lot of very cool and exciting moments, as well as memorable and fun characters. Unfortunately, the story, while very Star Wars-y, doesn't get to do much with the characters, and ends up mostly being about the clashing ideologies of Lindon Javes and Terisa Kerrill. The plot is mostly surface-level - Kerrill is mad at Javes for betraying the Empire, and Javes wants to redeem himself for his time as an Imperial commander by leading a new Rebel ship design project which Kerrill is determined to destroy. Both the Imperial and Rebel sides of the story get a happy ending for the squadrons, leaving an opening for Titan and Vanguard squadrons to appear in any sequels.

    The gameplay is where Squadrons really shines, however. This game has the best starfighter mechanics since the 90s, hands down. It's roughly at the perfect level between sim and arcade flyer where it's still endlessly fun to fly, but it's also hard to perfect. Don't expect ships to fly like they do in Battlefront 2! And of course, the customisation is excellent. I kind of hope they keep adding new cosmetic items over time, but there's also enough here even if Motive never comes back to add to the game.

    Now, the reason I'm giving the game a 10 instead of a 9? Well, that should be obvious. A whole bunch of angry trolls (most of whom probably just found out about this on Twitter rather than, you know, PLAYING THE GAME that they're mad it) learned that one of the characters (in my opinion, the best in the game!) is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. It's a very stupid thing to be angry about, and this game absolutely does not deserve a 4.7 rating just because some "snowflakes" got "triggered" by the awesome Bex Taylor-Klaus.    … Expand
  16. TzTz
    Oct 5, 2020
    10
    Really? People are complaining about SJW stuff in this game? I mean I can see why you would be hit on the nose with the bluntness of it in the new movies. This game really doesn't shove anything in your face and I'd imagine you would really have to be triggered hard and looking for it to find anything worthy of such outrage...

    To the game itself: I played the old rogue squadrons and so    Really? People are complaining about SJW stuff in this game? I mean I can see why you would be hit on the nose with the bluntness of it in the new movies. This game really doesn't shove anything in your face and I'd imagine you would really have to be triggered hard and looking for it to find anything worthy of such outrage...

    To the game itself: I played the old rogue squadrons and so on. Really reminded of those, just better. Gameplay is absolutely fantastic and I'm looking forward to experiencing it in VR. Campaign is also very good, maybe not a very deep story, but good enough and definitely enough variety in missions. Getting all medals on the highest difficulty will be a challenge. Multiplayer I didn't play much. If you enjoy the core gameplay I see absolutely no problem. I hear people complaining about there not being enough variety, but the way I see it: What variety is there in racing, shooters, mobas, battle royales or whatever else might be popular? The core gameplay is fun as hell. For 40 $ I think this is a steal. Also props for no micro transactions or pay to win elements.

    Great game, I hope they expand on it!    … Expand
  17. iielohimii
    Oct 3, 2020
    10
    A dream comes true with Star Wars Squadrons, perfect in VR. Good Graphics, nice Campaign and Multiplayer. My Score 10 out of the 10
  18. buggy86
    Oct 4, 2020
    10
    Great dogfighting game, best played with a squad of friends, as the name implies... Squadrons
  19. woodsd8634
    Oct 4, 2020
    10
    This is the spiritual successor I’ve been waiting 21 years for. Most of the negative reviews seem to be children continuing the sad tradition of crying about “I’m sick of sjws in mah vidya-movie!” Maybe you guys just don’t like games, have you considered that? I mean seriously, is there any media that people like this can actually enjoy? Do they sit around watching John Wayne movies in VRThis is the spiritual successor I’ve been waiting 21 years for. Most of the negative reviews seem to be children continuing the sad tradition of crying about “I’m sick of sjws in mah vidya-movie!” Maybe you guys just don’t like games, have you considered that? I mean seriously, is there any media that people like this can actually enjoy? Do they sit around watching John Wayne movies in VR on their $3000 gaming rigs? I don’t get it. Also the complaint about the graphics looking “awful” is hilarious. Playing on an RTX 2080 and this game looks BETTER than the movies do. It’s one of the best looking games on PC, you’d have to be blind to think otherwise.


    That being said, there ARE some legit criticisms, some bugs that need to be patched out, a couple of small QoL changes they could make, and yes star destroyers do seem a little small, but the foundation of this game is golden (especially at its price point).    … Expand
  20. AleMaster
    Oct 3, 2020
    10
    New Star Wars Game with cool gameplay and epic plot! I personally find it interesting to play because the plot expands the canon and in general the lore of Star Wars.
  21. Omega-
    Oct 4, 2020
    10
    One of the best flight experiences made in the last decade. The balance feels great and the depth of game play in fleet battle is very satisfying. It's good solo, but definitely better with friends. I can see this being the foundation of an amazing future of Star Wars simulation games. VR and HOTAS support is icing on the cake.

    If you loved X-Wing/Tie Fighter you owe it to yourself    One of the best flight experiences made in the last decade. The balance feels great and the depth of game play in fleet battle is very satisfying. It's good solo, but definitely better with friends. I can see this being the foundation of an amazing future of Star Wars simulation games. VR and HOTAS support is icing on the cake.

    If you loved X-Wing/Tie Fighter you owe it to yourself to pick thid game up.    … Expand
  22. 123549afgdfb
    Oct 4, 2020
    10
    Would give it a 9 due to glitches that are present in the VR and HOTAS implementation (probably due more to publishing deadlines than actual neglect), but would prefer to counter the obvious review bombing that's going on.

    That having been said, the game is absolutely amazing, both in and outside of VR. I grew up on Wing Commander 3-4 in the mid 90's, and this game is taking me right    Would give it a 9 due to glitches that are present in the VR and HOTAS implementation (probably due more to publishing deadlines than actual neglect), but would prefer to counter the obvious review bombing that's going on.

    That having been said, the game is absolutely amazing, both in and outside of VR. I grew up on Wing Commander 3-4 in the mid 90's, and this game is taking me right back to my middle and high school years. The sound design is wonderful, the voice acting is awesome, the look and feel of the cockpits (especially inside the TIE fighter in VR with scratches on the cockpit glass) is absolutely amazing. I 100% suck ass at dogfighting, but I've never had more fun getting wrecked.    … Expand
  23. avrell
    Oct 3, 2020
    10
    Been waiting for this game since 1999. Awesome vision well executed. Clearly labor of love. Great flight model, pure killer app in VR. Surprisingly good with mouse+keyboard.
  24. JAvier44
    Oct 2, 2020
    10
    Great game, fun campaign and INCREDIBLE multiplayer...bought via STEAM and it has exceded my expectations by far.
    Dont believe the posts that the game runs badly...RTX2060 and playing at 100fps..,If you like space ship simulators or STAR WARS this is a buy

    EA can also make good games....everyone deserves a chance!
  25. sacreo
    Oct 4, 2020
    8
    Half the complaints are about launch bugs, while the other half seems to be militant conservatives just being offended that Star Wars doesn't always doesn't cater to their real-life worldview. The actual gameplay is extremely tight, with enough difference in control and aesthetic to make each ship unique. The story is higher production than expected, turning into a very standard Star WarsHalf the complaints are about launch bugs, while the other half seems to be militant conservatives just being offended that Star Wars doesn't always doesn't cater to their real-life worldview. The actual gameplay is extremely tight, with enough difference in control and aesthetic to make each ship unique. The story is higher production than expected, turning into a very standard Star Wars affair. It doesn't bring anything particularly new to the universe, but executes and entertains far better than most multiplayer-first games of today.

    The VR experience is highly immersive and surprisingly not nausea-inducing, but the skybox is unfortunately very blurry which does take some visual depth away. It's probably a 7 with launch bugs and a 9 after they patch it, so I'm splitting the difference at 8.    … Expand
  26. Fatmax2000
    Oct 4, 2020
    10
    Great fun, could look a little more impressive, but then it wouldn't cost 30 quid, lots of replay value. I played Xwing vs tie fighter back in the late 90s, but this is much better, more wreckage ect to fly about or into! Nice to see a mix up of faces and races, after
  27. BadBarry
    Oct 5, 2020
    8
    Star Wars Squadrons is exactly what I was expecting out of this game. The campaign is engaging and gears you up for the multiplayer and gives you the opportunity to actually be the bad guys.

    The multiplayer is like Star fighter assault on steroids and to be truly good at this game you need to be skillful. With that being said you also need a good squadron on people to win the fleet    Star Wars Squadrons is exactly what I was expecting out of this game. The campaign is engaging and gears you up for the multiplayer and gives you the opportunity to actually be the bad guys.

    The multiplayer is like Star fighter assault on steroids and to be truly good at this game you need to be skillful. With that being said you also need a good squadron on people to win the fleet battles but all it takes is a good balance. For a non fully priced game it ticks all boxes for me and I am really enjoying it.

    Only negative (because I like to always give one if I can) is that the ranked matches when someone quits you dont get the rank is really annoying as it hinders the progression.    … Expand
  28. SigilFey
    Oct 3, 2020
    10
    Yes, yes. Very much yes.

    This is everything that older X-Wing / TIE Fighter flight models were, plus more, and everything is better. It is not anywhere near as involved or unforgiving as something like Elite: Dangerous, but you'll really want a HOTAS setup to take advantage of everything it has to offer. Lots of power management and configuration, so having everything at the    Yes, yes. Very much yes.

    This is everything that older X-Wing / TIE Fighter flight models were, plus more, and everything is better. It is not anywhere near as involved or unforgiving as something like Elite: Dangerous, but you'll really want a HOTAS setup to take advantage of everything it has to offer. Lots of power management and configuration, so having everything at the fingertips is a decided edge over people who are trying to dance across the keyboard to accomplish the same tasks.

    Gameplay offers some great variety and exciting moments. (The boost drifting in particular is extremely enjoyable once you get the hang of how to pull it off.) AI can be fairly aggressive, which is nice, so SP and co-op missions are quite enjoyable. Graphics are nothing mind-blowing, but everything is crisp, clear, and very well designed. I took only a couple of missions to switch off the hud elements and fly on instruments only. Definitely immersive in all the right ways.

    And best of all -- 0% of the game is microtransactions. You unlock everything by playing, and it comes at a pretty good pace. No ship equipment options feels OP as of yet, and it's 100% possible to do extremely well in MP matches using default builds. It's more like a Dark Souls approach -- lots to fiddle with, but there is no "best" anything. Everything is give and take.

    Spectacular. This is definitely a labor of love created by people who care about gameplay and excitement more than the almighty dollar. Shame it had to take EA so many years to get back to the roots of what gaming is all about.

    So far, I'd say the only complaint I have is that customizing your pilot's appearance is extremely limited. That's entirely cosmetic, but there aren't even options to change the face or hair options. Already had a match in which everyone on our team had picked exactly the same character model. And I was the only one that wasn't wearing the default flight suit. (I felt sooo out of place! :D )    … Expand
  29. Zahk
    Oct 2, 2020
    10
    an honest and true successor to old school Xwing and Tiefighter sims. PVP is intense and satisfying. The price is really good value, especially if you are into VR.
  30. ToonRon
    Oct 3, 2020
    10
    I have been waiting for this game ever sinve 1993 when I traded in my Amiga 500 for a 386-compatible PC just so I could play X-Wing. And when I said “Man, wouldn’t it be rad if they had a game that looked incredibly real and looked like you were really in it?!?” We didn’t know it would be called VR back then.... but this is the game I was dreaming about!!
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Awards & Rankings

77
#77 Best PC Game of 2020
24
#24 Most Discussed PC Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 48 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 48
  3. Negative: 0 out of 48
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 4, 2021
    80
    The one and only chance to be a space pilot in a galaxy far far away. Living and experiencing adrenaline filled dogfight is simply breathtaking. [Issue#307]
  2. CD-Action
    Dec 18, 2020
    70
    To put it simply, Star Wars: Squadrons is a low-budget X-Wing vs TIE Fighter II based off of Battlefront II’s space battles. I admit that I expected more, but after two decades we finally got a new Star Wars sim (leaning towards the arcade side, but still) and I did enjoy it. It looks and sounds like a Star Wars game should, and Motive’s successful effort to balance such dissimilar crafts as the X-Wing and the TIE Fighter is commendable. [12/2020, p.64]
  3. Riot Pixels
    Nov 21, 2020
    60
    There’s a good concept at the core of Star Wars: Squadrons, as flying a space fighter and managing its systems can be a lot of fun, however, you have to be a very dedicated Star Wars fan to enjoy a drab campaign with just a handful of memorable moments and watered-down multiplayer modes from Battlefront 2.
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