They keep the frontline away from your capital ship while also providing a resupply point during the attack phases. These serve as defense structures and are extremely valuable. The winner gets a morale boost that propels them into the next phase, while the opposing team has to pull back and defend their frigates. This is where interceptors and fighters are handy. There’s nothing like weaving through asteroids, dodging missiles, and laying mines for your pursuer to encounterĪ fleet battle begins with an initial dogfight. The starfighter with the steepest learning curve seems to be the support ships, which handle like big space boats and are a bit slower. The variety of possibilities ensures that no two matches of Squadrons are exactly the same, and you have to be ready to adapt to any given situation. Some loadouts may benefit from an aggressive mentality, requiring you to get in close and get out, while other kits allow you to move a bit slower and deal as much damage as you take.

This allows for a lot of personalization in your starfighters and really changes the way you play. In order to raise your top speed, you may need to sacrifice your overall health pool. These modifications always come with a trade-off, a theme that permeates throughout the rest of Squadrons. You could outfit your fighter to be more effective against capital ships, or you could tweak your bomber to be more effective against other starfighters.

Modifications to your ship’s components can bend one class to mimic the role of another. Some are more maneuverable, while others give and take more damage. Within each faction, the classes all have a distinct feel. No two matches of ‘Squadrons’ are exactly the same The ability to manipulate these systems, like power distribution and shield allocation, can separate the good pilots from the great. Star Wars: Squadrons, EA’s new combat flight sim, slows down the pace and replaces the mindless one-button abilities with intricate systems that require moment-to-moment decisions and long-term planning. While it was a fun mode, it largely relied on its spectacle and speed over engaging gameplay. These updates were mainly focused on ground combat modes, leaving Starfighter Assault, its space battle mode, to go without an update since launch. It received a batch of updates that I believe made up for its rocky start and kept me coming back. This was then followed up by an improved and expanded sequel, which only reached its full potential years after it was nearly immobilized by an industry-shaking microtransaction controversy.ĭespite this, Battlefront II turned out to be one of my favorite Star Wars games. In 2015, EA revived the Battlefront franchise only to deliver a beautiful but shallow arcade experience that didn’t require much skill. It’s been a rocky few years for multiplayer Star Wars games.

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