EA’s next game set in a Galaxy Far, Far Away promises to provide a wildly different gameplay experience to that of the publisher’s previous tiles.
As the name implies, in fact, Star Wars: Squadrons aims to recapture the magic of LucasArts’ fondly remembered Rogue Squadron trilogy released for N64 and GameCube, with gameplay focused exclusively on piloting various ships and battle cruisers synonymous with the franchise. One key difference, however (besides the obvious leap in visual fidelity), is developer Motive Studio’s decision to give players of its dogfighter the option to pledge allegiance to either the Empire or Rebel Alliance.
That’s true for multiplayer, at least, though it remains unclear whether both factions will be playable in Squadrons’ single-player offering or whether the story will be told exclusively from one viewpoint. As far as the online component goes, though, both get equal representation, with those who pre-order Squadrons ahead of release later this year able to score themselves some neat cosmetic items.
See below for all the details:
New Republic pack
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- New Republic Flight Suit
- New Republic Defense Fleet (One skin for each ship – 4 in total)
- New Republic Starfighter Emblem
Empire pack
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- Academy Ace Flight Suit
- Academy Ace Series (One skin for each ship – 4 in total)
- Imperial Starfighter Emblem
Every pre-order, regardless of retailer, will gain access to all of the above, so you needn’t worry about shopping around for either bundle.
Star Wars: Squadrons is out October 2nd for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC and will retail at the budget price of $39.99. EA has since confirmed, too, that cross-play between all three platforms will be available at launch, meaning you’ll be able to team up with friends regardless of what device you’re playing on.