Star Wars Squadrons is the latest canon game to be based in a galaxy far far away. While plenty has been revealed about gameplay itself with various trailers and snippets of footage from walkthroughs, EA recently released a short cinematic film that sought to set the atmosphere for this console experience.
Asides from Star Wars story is all about. From one of new planets introduced, to a main character in the game there's plenty of details viewers might have missed upon first watching the cinematic.
Varko Grey
Varko Grey is an original character that looks to be a main part of Star Wars Squadron. Introduced in this cinematic for the first time, viewers learn a few things about Grey very early on and his standing in the Empire.
He's incredibly loyal to the Emperor and what's left of what he built, but clearly isn't important enough to have been saved. His determination suggests he will rise up the ranks quickly though, but when audiences first meet him he is a talented TIE Fighter pilot.
Star Destroyer Calamity
Early on in the trailer the voice over suggests that the Empire can't lose any more Star Destroyers. Throughout the course of the cinematic they lose a Star Destroyer causing heavy damages to the forces that the Empire have left.
Clearly the Empire has had some serious casualties after the Battle of Endor. This is apparently one of many skirmishes taking place as the Rebels seek to completely extinguish any spark of rebellion that could lead to the rise of a new villainous regime.
Reminiscent Of Jakku
While Jakku is an important part of the sequel trilogy, the Battle of Jakku is a key narrative beat in the Aftermath trilogy of books. The events taking place in this cinematic are very reminiscent of Jakku itself and what is to come.
Perhaps it's some clever foreshadowing for those with in depth knowledge of the universe, but it could also be a tease of what players could be involved with. The Battle of Jakku is famous for parts of a Star Destroyer falling onto the planet, taking many casualties; perhaps player will eventually fly through this battle.
Empire On The Edge
Ever since the prequel trilogy the Empire have secretly been building themselves up from the shadows of Coruscant and beyond. However, after the Battle of Endor the Empire are finally on the back foot, no longer controlling their own fate.
It's clear to see that they are rattled, as they actually abandoned multiple of their crew in order to save another Star Destroyer. This is a tactical maneuver rarely seen but demonstrates the desperation in their latest skirmishes.
Var-Shaa
Var-Shaa is introduced as the planet early into the trailer and is the eventual place that Varko Grey crashes. It's perhaps a more important location than audiences realize, as it's an original planet for the Star Wars Squadrons game.
It seems odd that the creators of this cinematic would form a brand new planet just for a short film. Clearly it will play a larger part in the story, perhaps serving as a base to start rebuilding the Empire from the remnants.
Hierarchy In Place
There's a clear hierarchy still in place despite the initial collapse of the Empire. Grey still reports to someone more senior who is calling the shots, which is surprising considering the state of the fallen Empire in other parts of the galaxy.
A key plot point in the Expanded Universe is looking at who actually takes control of the remains of this terrible regime. With a form of hierarchy still in place, it will be interesting to see how these power dynamics affect players as they take control of their own character.
A Personal Feud
This fight is no longer just for the fate of the galaxy as it has become extremely personal now that the Rebels are in control. The fact that one X-Wing pilot actually breaks away to hunt down a final TIE pilot is a departure from their usual tactics.
There's a new confidence to the Rebels that has yet to be seen and there's clearly a personal hatred from the pilot who refuses to give up the chase. This is a dynamic rarely seen and will play largely into the plot of the campaign.
The Future Isn't Lost
The fact that a voice from beyond starts trying to communicate with Grey through his headset and that he has a refusal to give up on the war, suggests that the Empire have a lot more fight in them, contributing to the story.
There's a determination that hasn't been seen from the Empire yet, because they haven't had their back up against the walls before. The combination of that and their desperation might make them quite a unique foe in Squadrons.
R2 Unit
One little gameplay detail that may reveal a customization option for players is that the X-Wing featured actually had an R2 series astromech droid accompanying the pilot. Unfortunately, he meets a horrible fate with his head being blown off.
On the other hand, though, this does suggest that players will be able to choose their own droid to accompany them but that they could be lost in battle, since the cinematic is aiming to mimic the gameplay features.
New Capabilities
With a new Star Wars game comes new gameplay options. It seems there's a variety of capabilities in the TIE Fighter that players may have not seen before. Throughout the cinematic there were impressive movements designed to throw off the opponent.
On the dashboard screen though there's a number of images that suggest the various other options players will have to defeat their enemies. In the cinematic fans saw a gadget that interfered with a missile, sending it back at the person who fired it!
