Star Wars: Squadronshas emerged from hyperspace as one of the hottest and most well-received EAStar Warsgames in recent years, and it’s been enough tosatisfy hardcore flight enthusiastswho would love nothing more than to recreate some epic space battles. Critical praise has been heaped on the game for its solid play mechanics, nifty graphics, and enoughStar Warsreferences to fill up a Death Star.
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However, it does have some competition in the Old Guard ofStar Warsgames, namelyRogue Squadron. This gem helped kicked off what would later become the new wave ofStar Warstitles, and it’s not about to retreat without a serious dogfight. Here are five reasons why either game still has enough firepower to go the distance.
10Squadrons: Brilliant New Engine
This one is no secret.Squadronsis built on the latest round of game engines, and it shows in its beautiful graphics, excellent lighting effects, and silky smooth gameplay. The originalRogue Squadrondebuted on theNintendo 64many moons ago, and that machine had a tendency to lock framerates at dismally low levels.
By contrast,Squadronsis a visual (and audible) feast. Its cockpit-centric gameplay makes one feel as if they’re really in the pilot’s seat partaking in dizzying, exciting dogfights. It’s about time audiences got an update to theStar Warsflying experience.
9Rogue Squadron: Classic Arcade Gameplay
In some ways,Rogue Squadronfeels the more accessible of the two games, given how easy it is to pick up and play. The controller scheme is straightforward and doesn’t require any kind of power management. This could be viewed as a negative that detracts away from the simulator experience, but that’s exactly the point.
Some gamers prefer a straightforward title with simple controls and mechanics that don’t bog down the experience. That allows for more focus on the gameplay, which after all these years isn’t half-bad.
8Squadrons: Bigger Ship Variety
The biggest draw towardsSquadronsis the ability to pilot both Rebellion and Imperial crafts, which is a step up fromRogue Squadron.Granted, that series did allow gamers to pilot the other side’s vehicles on particular missions, but it wasn’t a dedicated experience throughout the entire game.
Squadronsprovides two distinct storylines based on which side gamers feel more kinship with. This is important to the overall gameplay, as experience grows with practice. Getting a feel for each side’s ships is a distinctly different experience.
7Rogue Squadron: The “Rebel” Feel
SinceRogue Squadronfocuses entirely on the titular fighter group, it’s bound to have that Rebellion feel. The narrative is decidedly one-sided against the Galactic Empire, which means gamers only have one particular lens to view the story with. For those who love playing the good guys, that’s a positive.
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In many ways,Rogue Squadronis the “lite” version of its spiritual predecessorX-Wing, which came out on the PC way back in 1993. ATIE Fightertitle was released, followed by an amalgamation of both games, which closely resembles whatSquadronshas become.
6Squadrons: VR Support
VR is still clinging on for dear life, and it isn’t about to go away without a fight. As early adopters keep lapping up what VR companies have to offer, the price (and complexity) of the technology continues to drop. Just a little further, and VR might become a mainstream household staple…finally.
EA took notes, andSquadrons’VR support is one of its main selling points. Though not perfect, it’s definitely one solid reason to consider buying the game. Ifmore companies embrace VR mechanicsin their titles, gamers will benefit.
5Rogue Squadron: Nostalgic Star Wars Feel
Rogue Squadroncame out in 1998, just six months before the firstStar Warsprequel made it into theaters. It came from an era that wasn’t dominated by new films,Clone Warscartoons,Old Republicmaterial, orDisney acquisitions. In short, it was distilled, traditional homegrownStar Wars.
The game reflects the era both in feel and nostalgia. It feels like theStar Warsmany older gamers grew up with as children, which was their only frame of reference. For that reason, it’s easy to get sucked intoRogue Squadronall over again, just to experience the magic.
4Squadrons: Great Multiplayer
Multiplayer wasn’t exactly a thing back in 1998, andRogue Squadronwas a victim. Gamers had to fly solo without human wingmen in the pilot seats, and that made for a rather isolated experience.Squadronsembraces the modernity of multiplayer wholesale, with several different play modes to extend the fun.
There’s something magical about playing with human opponents in squad dogfights while vying for mission objectives. Here’s to hoping the success ofSquadronswill pave the way for a string of sequels with even more multiplayer goodness to go around.
3Rogue Squadron: Replay Value
The originalRogue Squadronhad a ton of unlockable content and mission parameters that would unlock the highest awards. Many of these were punishing to obtain, but it served as bragging rights for the creme de la creme of rebel pilots.
Unlockable content included three hidden bonus levels including the original Death Star trench run, which would later be expanded on to glorious effect inRogue Squadron II: Rogue Leaderfor theNintendo GameCube.
2Squadrons: Simulator Feel
Squadronsisn’t quite as technically precise (or complicated) as LucasArts famedX-Wing/TIE FighterPC games, but it’s got enough to draw gamers in and make them feel like an actual pilot. The ability to balance out power between engines, weapons, and shields is a slightly contrived mechanic at this point, but it’s not outdated yet.
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The cockpit-locked view also puts players in a simulator environment, as well. There’s no “escaping” to third-person view, which is a good thing when one takes balancing issues into account. This is all about putting gamers in the authentic pilot’s chair where they can feel like they’re part of the action.
1Rogue Squadron: More Cinematic Feel
Rogue Squadrondoesn’t mind opening up the viewport to multiple camera views in an effort to create some cinematic action. This is the most “movie-friendly” experience one can get, even if it sticks closer to the arcade experience, as opposed to afull-fledged simulator like Microsoft’s newest outing.
Essentially, the two games are separated by their own unique design approach.Squadronsmay feel like a more authentic space simulator, butRogue Squadronis all about recapturing those magical moments from the movies.
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