Is Star Wars: Squadrons Single Or Multi Player?

Get ready for squadron goals AF as Motive Studios, and Electronic Arts aim high and hope to do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs with Star Wars: Squadrons. As the sci-fi franchise continues to grow, Squadrons is the latest in an expanded line of hyped Star Wars games that includes the two Battlefronts and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Taking flight as something of a spiritual successor to 1998's Star Wars: Rogue Squadron and its sequels, things are a little different this time around as you don't just get behind the controls of an X-Wing. In Star Wars: Squadrons, you choose whether to fight for either the New Republic Navy or the dwindling ranks of the Galactic Empire. Alongside some familiar faces that players might recognise from that galaxy far, far away, there's a whole host of well-rounded newcomers that come from both sides of the Galactic Civil War.

Things nicely cue up the climactic Battle of Jakku (and the eventual fall of the Empire), but the crux of Squadrons takes place in the immediate aftermath of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi as it carves its own story. If your interest is already piqued, there's still one question on everyone's lips. Is Star Wars: Squadrons a single or multiplayer experience? 
 

• Read More: When Is Star Wars: Squadrons Set?

Is Star Wars: Squadrons multiplayer?

At its core, Star Wars: Squadrons is built as a multiplayer AAA game. Zooming around the cosmos and facing-off against opposing forces just works better with teammates by your side. The various Star Wars movies have shown there's a huge sense of comradery between pilots.

Ever since we saw Luke Skywalker join the ranks of Red Squadron and launch his assault against the OG Death Star with the Wedge Antilles and Biggs Darklighter, we've seen how close squadrons are to each other. 

With this in mind, Squadrons instils the same mantra as DICE's Star Wars: Battlefront II that was primarily multiplayer with a story mode as an aside. Sticking with Battlefront II, Squadrons is similar to that game's "Starfighter Assault" mode. The 24-player mode pitted gamers against up to 40 bots as two teams of 12 either attacked or defended. Taking that to the extreme, Squadrons has divided its multiplayer into two distinct modes.

Dogfights

This classic 5v5 multiplayer mode sees you take on opponents in a variety of ships and aim to be the first side to reach 30 kills. This mode may seem pretty simple and unranked, but it's also where you'll expect to find the most skilled pilots flexing their wings.

Fleet Battles

The bigger brother to Dogfights are Fleet Battles, which is where Squadrons plans to show what it can really do. Tasking gamers with a series of objectives, these multi-level missions see you try and down an enemy's fleet instead of being the first to simply rack up the most kills. Adding skill to the mix, Fleet Battles will start with a classic dogfight before they dive into objectives.

Both Dogfights and Fleet Battles include a ping system, while communication and teamwork are key to everything. Motive hasn't announced any post-launch content, but in terms of the game's multiplayer longevity, further modes like Capture the Flag could help keep things fresh. Of course though, multiplayer isn't the end of the galaxy when it comes to Squadrons. 

Is Star Wars: Squadrons single player?

Despite there being a clear focus on the game's multiplayer capabilities, that doesn't mean you can't head into Squadrons (Han) solo. Listening to complaints that Disney's latest trilogy of movies skimmed over that 30-year gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, Squadrons' setting puts it in a unique place in the timeline.

Just like The Mandalorian, Star Wars: Squadrons showcases the twilight of the Empire and a time before the First Order has risen to power. This means there's a typically complicated story that settles into this uncharted era. The story flips between you flying for the New Republic Navy and the Empire, so you get to explore both sides of the war. Although the conversation is a little confined to chatter between missions in the hangar, there's just enough to flesh out the characters. 

We won't spoil the ins and outs of the main campaign here, but it largely revolves around Empire spies having discovered the mystical Project Starhawk and what could be the Rebellion's secret weapon in downing the final remnants of Emperor Palpatine's forces (well, for the time being). It's also a magical mystery tour as we explore new planets like Zavian Abyss and old haunts like Yavin.

• Read More - How Much Will Star Wars: Squadrons Cost?

There are four classes of ship - Fighter, Interceptor, Bomber, and Support - that will be shared between both sides. Progression through the campaign doesn't lead to any unlocks, however, flying in multiplayer will unlock a plethora of bonuses. Importantly, it's not just the main story campaign on offer if you're a lone player. If you want to head into Fleet Battles on your own, Squadrons will happily pair you with an entirely AI team of allies and opponents. 

Is Star Wars: Squadrons VR?

Finally, can you pretend you're popping on a helmet like Luke Skywalker himself for a more immersive experience in VR? Considering we haven't actually mastered the kind of space travel depicted in Star Wars, it might be a little hard to imagine what it's really like to be behind the controls of an X-Wing. The movies have done a pretty good job of making it seem realistic, but when it comes to taking things up a notch, Squadrons has you covered.

As more and more games embrace VR, Squadrons is also getting in on the action with its own VR capabilities. Importantly, there is full VR support throughout the entirety of the game and across all single/multiplayer modes. Anyone who wants to play Squadrons wholly in VR and explore every inch of the cockpits is encouraged to. Given that cockpit view is only playable in first-person, you might as well give it a go in VR if you have a headset. Squadrons will play out on PC VR headsets and PSVR for PlayStation 4.

Now that you've got to grips with Star Wars: Squadrons, it's time to adjust your pilot's seat, blow the cobwebs out your thrusters, and decide which cause you want to fly your banners for. Whether you're reaching for the stars in single or multiplayer, Star Wars: Squadrons has you covered. 
 

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