Small reminder all the same, for those who would have missed the first episodes concerning this adventure. Star Wars: Squadrons is a first-person shooter in which you move directly into the cockpit of your ship, knowing that there are eight of them: four for the New Republic (including the X-Wing and the A-Wing ), and four more on the Empire side (the TIE Fighter and the TIE Bomber are among them). You will never see your avatar, and at no time will you play with a third person view. You are THE pilot throughout the adventure, which applies as much in space during your missions, as on the "ground" during your briefings, from one camp to the other. The story, shortly after a prologue placing you back at the time of the destruction of the planet Alderaan, takes place just after the events of Star Wars, episode VI: Return of the Jedi; that is, after the fall of Palpatine, the death of Vader and the withdrawal of the Empire. EA Motive had promised a unique, original adventure, and had assured that it would not fail to bring known faces up to date, nor to dig into the novels. The studio did not lie: we find Admiral Sloane, in particular, in an Empire in disarray, with ego struggles (there have always been some) not conducive to a sacred union against the enemy. On the other, a leader with a troubled past who tries to rally the New Republic to a crazy project, called Starhawk, supposed to bring the entire Empire fleet to its knees.
Linear is the watchword of this campaign which has the merit of existing, but it is also its Achilles heel.
In the middle of it all, there's you, and you won't have to choose sides. In reality, you represent them simultaneously and without having your say. Whether you are defending the New Republic or the Empire, the game aims to be balanced in its approach, with a necessarily different point of view and stakes throughout the fifteen missions dedicated to the single-player campaign. Each time, the scenario is the same: you are a young recruit presented as the future star of your fleet, and climb the ladder as the adventure progresses. Linear is the watchword of this campaign which has the merit of existing (we all remember Star Wars Battlefront on the same generation of consoles), but it is also its Achilles heel. The missions are not all at the same pace, some drag on far too long, and their level of difficulty (adjustable in real time, a good initiative for newcomers) is not always well thought out. Above all, this campaign, despite a solid scenario, interesting characters and a Star Wars universe respected down to the smallest detail (we appreciate seeing the population on the different bases grow at the same time as your objectives), lacks epistemology. The fault with a rather summary staging, with dialogues not always essential and repetitive plans for the latter.
IN THE STARS, NO ONE WILL SEE YOU CRASH
Finally, our pilot goes to the essentials between each mission: talk to his little comrades, go to the briefing, scratch a couple of pieces of information, inspect his hull and take off. Too bad, because given the efforts made to make the whole faithful and authentic, there was a little better to do. Nevertheless…despite this small flat, we take a liking to it. And we see the ten hours of play required to overcome it with pleasure, that of living, all the same, a real Star Wars adventure. Still, if the universe is there, is the force really present? Understand by this a sufficiently accessible and immersive gameplay to really give us the impression of piloting an interstellar fighter, a sensation necessarily reinforced for owners of PS VR, which was not our case at the time of this test. For its space shooter, EA Motive has clearly played the arcade card. On the pad, this translates into a quick start, supported by a tutorial and a training mode that we cannot recommend too much. Turning, accelerating, decelerating, turning, everything is done simply, even if the vessels, depending on their class and therefore their weight and speed, have more or less inertia in flight. Moreover, for those who would ask the question: yes, a certain balance in the Force is respected with the fleets of the two camps.
New Republic ships are fast, well equipped in terms of protection, and can adapt to almost any type of mission; while those of the Empire, devoid of shields, rely above all on their shielding and their firepower. By confronting the enemy camp, you will quickly see the qualities and faults of each ship, well distributed by class (fighter, bomber, scout, support). From the arcade therefore, which is also transcribed on the damage caused to the hull of your ship in the event of collisions. Where a pure and simple explosion would have sanctioned your error in trajectory, your ship will simply bounce again and again until it explodes...unless you manage to straighten it. This is a bias, and honestly, it didn't bother us, quite the contrary. Star Wars: Squadrons is a game that requires a certain tactical sense and responsiveness, two essential conditions for leading the hunt for villains in space, while slaloming between ships, debris and asteroids. The reality of the crash is sufficiently present and close on certain cards that this immediate non-penalty is similar, again, to a desire to offer the best experience to all.
Squadrons is a game that requires a certain tactical sense and reactivity, two essential conditions for leading the hunt for villains in space, while slaloming between ships, debris and asteroids.
If the gameplay is very arcade, it is nonetheless devoid of good ideas, and ... a little simulation. To stick to the world of movies, EA Motive leaves the player the choice to play and distribute the power of his ships. As in the saga, we can decide to bet everything on the shields – when we have them – or put everything on the engines, a suitable solution to get the hell out of the way in the event of a little too heavy fire. Or even to send everything on the blasters, just to effectively bring down a heavy enemy armored vehicle. These changes are made on the fly and are truly essential, obviously taking into account the conditions that require this or that choice. And this deal could not be more immersive, since it is she who provides the show and the salt of the dogfights, with outcomes that are not always certain, depending on the choice of weapons of the tactic adopted. Immersion, always, is also ensured by the feeling of speed, with or without boost, moreover. Special mention to the skid, this drift at top speed just above the enemy hulls, which will remind the most nostalgic of the space epics of the first trilogy.
YES TO MULTIPLE, NO TO ITS REPETITIVENESS
Exactly, let's talk about tactics. and let's talk multi, suddenly. The latter is the essential point of Star Wars: Squadrons, the one on which Electronic Arts did not hesitate to communicate and to widely highlight, in particular during our various meetings and events around the game with the developers. Two modes are available: Air Combat and Fleet Battle, with ranking or against the AI. The first as the second have the same basis: space combat in 5 vs 5, all around the six maps initially planned. If the approach is classic for the first (you have to beat the enemy squad in a given time, so with the highest score possible), the second is more rhythmic, with an important deal to take into account: the morale of the troops. Indeed, this mode is nothing but a big attack-defense, in which you will have to destroy the ships supposed to escort the flagship, then this flagship itself. Supported by one of the destroyers in your fleet, you will have to do as much damage as possible to the opposing camp to undermine their morale, and thus maintain your advantage on the ground for as long as possible. This mode is very cooperative, in the sense that it requires excellent coordination from your teammates to achieve your goals.
If it is playable in solo (against and therefore with the AI too), Fleet Battles is only of interest in multiplayer, clearly, and it is above all the mode that carries this famous space epic, the mode which EA Motive has focused its efforts on by segmenting the experience into several phases. Moreover, it should be noted that the game is cross-play - an option that you can deactivate in the settings - which means that the entire space will be the battlefield of PS4 players, but also Xbox One and PC, in waiting for PS5 and Xbox Series owners to join them. A battlefield that does not tend to repeat itself? This is the question and the fear that surrounds Star Wars: Squadrons. Especially since EA Motive has been clear: we are not on a game-service, so no DLC to come, except for updates to balance the gameplay. Because, we repeat, if the experience is pleasant and accessible, it still requires a few hours of flight to be appreciated and mastered. The teams will still have to move content-wise, especially with regard to the maps and the roster of the ships (we wouldn't spit on an additional model) to keep the flame alive. This is however carried by a Battle Pass devoid of microtransactions, which will satisfy the greatest number and reinforces the idea that EA Motive has, until the end, kept its promise around its baby.
If it is playable in solo, Fleet Battles is only of interest in multiplayer, clearly, and it is above all the mode which carries this famous space epic, the mode on which EA Motive has concentrated its efforts by segmenting the experiment in several stages.
The progress of the player allows him to gain points of glory and requisition. These can only be obtained by playing (it is not necessary to outperform to win them, but rather to play regularly and efficiently) and allow either to "pimp" your ship with cosmetics, or to improve and Customize your fleet's arsenal, with over fifty upgrades ranging from blasters and missiles to shields, countermeasures and engine boosts. In the first case, once again, it is the card of immersion and fan service that is put forward, with a link still maintained with the original saga. In the second, the additions or modifications have a real impact in space as long as you manage to balance your ship well. This will not be too much, since the game will regularly benefit from operations and special events, with objectives to be achieved.
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, BUT WITHOUT MICRO-TRANSACTIONS
A short word, to conclude, on the technique. She is almost flawless. After having had a first appetizer on PC, it is on PS4 Pro that we have chosen to elevate ourselves. Graphically, the game is sumptuous, with a high quality of detail and a rendering of the elements on the ground (in this case here, on the hull of the ships) convincing. Mention + + for the cockpit view which changes according to the classes and the camp chosen, and also ensures immersion in the Star Wars universe. We can however note one or two crashes during the game and slowdowns during some cutscenes, a little frustrating when enjoying a squadron splitting the space. But nothing prohibitive and restrictive enough to sulk our pleasure. Star Wars: Squadrons is the promise interviewed by surprise during EA Play this summer. It is also one of the good surprises of this end of the year. Given its price (30€), whether you like Star Wars or not, it would be stupid to deprive yourself of it.
