Source: EA / Motive Studios
Back in June, EA, Motive Studios, and Lucasfilm gave us our first look at Star Wars: Squadrons. Today (Aug.27), during Gamescom Opening Night Live, we got to see even more footage from the forthcoming game.
For those that don’t know, Star Wars: Squadrons takes you back to a galaxy far, far, away and puts you in the pilot seat of the starfighters you have come to love e from both the New Republic and The Galatic Empire. Thursday we got a glimpse of the game’s single-player campaign that while have players take on the role of two customizable pilots in both factions of the war that has spanned many Star Wars films. You will partake in missions that will have you safeguarding the New Republic and assisting The Galatic Empire in their conquest to “restore order.”
Star Wars: Squadrons’ single-player campaign takes place after the events of Star Wars: Return of The Jedi. Along with the release of the new gameplay footage, a new Star Wars: Squadrons pilot briefing was released with words from Joanna Berry, the game’s writer breaking down the story.
Once we decided Squadrons would have a single-player story, the emerging gameplay set out the foundations. Players would need to learn to fly ships from both factions, so I knew we’d be telling our story from both an Imperial and New Republic point of view. The story also had to work from a first-person perspective, mostly from the cockpit, with two customizable protagonists from opposing factions, while giving players the fun characters and memorable moments they expect from a Star Wars tale.
One of the most interesting things about the time period Squadrons is set in—only a few months after the Battle of Endor—is that while we, the audience, know how all this ends, from our characters’ point of view there’s still a lot of uncertainty. The New Republic has only recently changed from a rebellion into a legitimate government with a galactic war on its hands. Meanwhile, the Empire has lost its Emperor, and the cracks are starting to show. Some Imperials are loyal, some are in denial, and while everyone agrees that the rebels must be destroyed, there are disagreements about what strategy to take—and who should lead.
As for the footage that was shown off, we got a brief but very informative look at an Imperial mission that takes place early in the game. In the clip, we see Admiral Rae Sloane, who is described as the highest-ranking officer in the Imperial Navy, is tasking Terisa Kerrill her most important mission ever: find and eliminate Project Starhawk.
We can’t wait to hop in the cockpit of either an X-Wing or Tie Fighter and strap-in for the all-new Star Wars adventure made just for the game and partake in some interstellar dogfighting. Star Wars: Squadrons is now available for pre-order and will cost $39.99 and arrives on October 2 for EA Access, Origin, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and VR. Oh, it will also feature cross-play.
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Photo: EA / Motive Studios
