Star Wars: Squadrons has emerged from hyperspace as one of the hottest and most well-received EA Star Wars games in recent years, and it’s been enough to satisfy hardcore flight enthusiasts who 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 enough Star Wars references to fill up a Death Star.
However, it does have some competition in the Old Guard of Star Wars games, namely Rogue Squadron. This gem helped kicked off what would later become the new wave of Star Wars titles, 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.
10 Squadrons: Brilliant New Engine
This one is no secret. Squadrons is built on the latest round of game engines, and it shows in its beautiful graphics, excellent lighting effects, and silky smooth gameplay. The original Rogue Squadron debuted on the Nintendo 64 many moons ago, and that machine had a tendency to lock framerates at dismally low levels.
By contrast, Squadrons is 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 the Star Wars flying experience.
9 Rogue Squadron: Classic Arcade Gameplay
In some ways, Rogue Squadron feels 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.
8 Squadrons: Bigger Ship Variety
The biggest draw towards Squadrons is the ability to pilot both Rebellion and Imperial crafts, which is a step up from Rogue 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.
Squadrons provides 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.
7 Rogue Squadron: The “Rebel” Feel
Since Rogue Squadron focuses 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.
In many ways, Rogue Squadron is the “lite” version of its spiritual predecessor X-Wing, which came out on the PC way back in 1993. A TIE Fighter title was released, followed by an amalgamation of both games, which closely resembles what Squadrons has become.
6 Squadrons: 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, and Squadrons’ VR support is one of its main selling points. Though not perfect, it’s definitely one solid reason to consider buying the game. If more companies embrace VR mechanics in their titles, gamers will benefit.
5 Rogue Squadron: Nostalgic Star Wars Feel
Rogue Squadron came out in 1998, just six months before the first Star Wars prequel made it into theaters. It came from an era that wasn’t dominated by new films, Clone Wars cartoons, Old Republic material, or Disney acquisitions. In short, it was distilled, traditional homegrown Star Wars.
The game reflects the era both in feel and nostalgia. It feels like the Star Wars many older gamers grew up with as children, which was their only frame of reference. For that reason, it’s easy to get sucked into Rogue Squadron all over again, just to experience the magic.
4 Squadrons: Great Multiplayer
Multiplayer wasn’t exactly a thing back in 1998, and Rogue Squadron was a victim. Gamers had to fly solo without human wingmen in the pilot seats, and that made for a rather isolated experience. Squadrons embraces 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 of Squadrons will pave the way for a string of sequels with even more multiplayer goodness to go around.
3 Rogue Squadron: Replay Value
The original Rogue Squadron had 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 in Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader for the Nintendo GameCube.
2 Squadrons: Simulator Feel
Squadrons isn’t quite as technically precise (or complicated) as LucasArts famed X-Wing/TIE Fighter PC 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.
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.
1 Rogue Squadron: More Cinematic Feel
Rogue Squadron doesn’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 a full-fledged simulator like Microsoft’s newest outing.
Essentially, the two games are separated by their own unique design approach. Squadrons may feel like a more authentic space simulator, but Rogue Squadron is all about recapturing those magical moments from the movies.
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