Star Wars: Squadrons is the most underrated Star Wars video game to be released since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, and you can pick it up during this Steam sale for just $2. It’s a great time to pick it up, too.
December is a month I have always associated with Star Wars. I have fond memories of getting games like 2005’s Star Wars: Battlefront II or Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on Christmas as a kid, and Disney has typically released recent Star Wars films in theaters or aired TV shows on Disney+ during this month. Right now, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is airing on Disney+, and its whimsical The Goonies-like vibe resonates with me more than any Star Wars show has since season 1 of The Mandalorian.
That has gotten me in the mood to recommend you all go check out a Star Wars game this holiday, and I spotted this particularly good deal on Star Wars: Squadrons, a starfighter combat game released by Dead Space remake developer Motive and EA in 2020. Of all the console Star Wars games that have come out since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, I find Squadrons one of the most underrated. It typically retails for $40 or is accessible as part of the $ 6-a-month EA Play subscription catalog. During this Steam sale, you can permanently buy the game at a 95% discount for just $2.
Starfighter dogfights have always been my favorite part of any Star Wars media I consume. I spent countless hours playing space battles in Star Wars: Battlefront II and am devastated that Lucasfilm has not managed to bring the Rogue Squadron film to fruition. As such, I was over the moon when EA revealed Squadrons in 2020, positioning it as a fairly hardcore flight combat game where players got to control starfighters in single-player and multiplayer battles. Its campaign features missions where players control both Imperial and New Republic pilots. This juxtaposition offers some insight into where both factions were at that point during the Star Wars timeline. I’d go as far as to say that it does a better job at succinctly portraying that than many of the Disney+ Star Wars shows have.
The real reason I enjoyed Squadrons was its gameplay. Motive did not hold back and created a flight combat game that could stand toe-to-toe with Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, plus the classic Star Wars: X-Wing and Star Wars: TIE Fighter games that explored this concept in the 1990s. Ironically, Star Wars: Squadrons‘ discount to $2 makes it cheaper than the Steam versions of Star Wars: X-Wing series right now. Like those retro titles, Squadrons features first-person aerial combat where players engage in dogfights with other starfighters.
Controlling these starfighters does take some getting used to, as this isn’t an arcade-like Star Wars experience where players can just point and shoot. As a pilot, you have to actively be aware of where you’re allocating power to in your starfighter and slowly position an enemy aircraft in your sights to start firing upon it. It’s tough to get the hang of at first, but learning to maneuver your starfighter the right way and where to allocate power at certain times is a rewarding experience. Be aware that the game feels better to play on a controller than mouse and keyboard.
Squadrons fully embraces the Star Wars pilot fantasy, and I appreciate that Motive did not sacrifice that much depth here to make it more accessible. If you want simpler space combat, you’re better off playing DICE’s Star Wars: Battlefront games or Star Wars Outlaws. Squadrons is a game for those of us who’ve always wanted to know what it would feel like to pilot an X-Wing or TIE Fighter. There’s a robust single-player campaign and multiplayer modes to sink your teeth into in Squadrons. The PC version of the game even supports VR play; I’ve never tried this because I don’t own a PC VR headset, but it’s a neat little bonus that’s unique to this version of Squadrons.
It’s a shame that it isn’t as beloved as other modern Star Wars games like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The hardcore nature of its combat and some shortcomings of the keyboard and mouse controls were a little off-putting to some. As a result, it sits at a Mixed review average on Steam; this game is much better than that rating suggests.
If you’ve ever adored the starfighter pilot fantasy aspect of Star Wars like me, but haven’t played Squadrons, then it’s very much worth it as it’s just $2 during this Steam Winter Sale. This sale runs until 10 a.m. PT on January 2, 2025.