The way it weaves the stories of two rival squadrons together sets up clever scenarios, sometimes letting you spring ambushes on your other half only to have the next mission swap perspectives so you can deal with the aftermath of your own actions. The campaign spends its roughly seven-hour run of missions jumping between the dueling perspectives of a crumbling Empire and a freshly formed New Republic just after the events of Return of the Jedi. Right now there are only two modes with six maps shared between them, alongside some simple progression to hold it all together, making my love for its flying more of a steamy affair than a committed, long-term relationship.' - Tom Marks Its flight and power management systems reward quick thinking and its customization is centered around personal preference instead of power upgrades, but it feels like there’s so much more that could be done with it all. 'The thrill of using incredibly detailed TIE Fighters and X-Wings to weave in and out of Star Wars: Squadrons’ (mostly) opportunity-filled maps as you duel other players in 5v5 dogfights is an absolute treat. Things like that make flight more engaging and give good pilots a chance to shine without requiring you to literally learn how to fly a spaceship in order to play. You can, for the most part, just pick up a controller and start chasing down enemy ships – but there’s also a nuance to adjusting your throttle for better turning, swapping power between engines, weapons, and shields in the style of the grand old X-Wing games, and countering missile locks. Squadrons has found a sweet spot between the point-and-shoot simplicity of the classic Rogue Squadron series and the insanely detailed simulation of Elite: Dangerous. It’s full of great references for fans and charming (if ill-used) new characters alike, all crammed into a series of cockpits that are accessible to jump in and pilot without dogfights feeling mindless. The balance between playing as both the New Republic and Empire, between arcade and simulation-style controls, and between fun and flashy action and blunt exposition dumps.

Like the Force itself, the Star Wars: Squadrons single-player campaign is a balance.

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