This article originally ran under a different banner/website in October of 2020 and is now being here re-uploaded for purposes of convenience and consolidation. Please enjoy.
Pilot’s Log – Day 340
I finally made it. I have climbed the ranks to become one of the Empire’s TIE-fighter pilots. I have trained long and hard for this moment. However, it was all stolen away from that arrogant Lindon Jarves. Jarves, myself, and Captain Kerrill were searching a docking station for some rebels and we finally caught them. We gave chase, but Jarves killed our fighter’s engines to help the rebels escape. He gives some mealy-mouthed excuse for betraying the Empire and defecting to the rebels. All I know is myself and Kerrill are beyond saving. The Empire will most likely brandish us traitors and send us to the mining pits. I don’t look forward to my meeting with the commander tomorrow.
Pilot’s Log – Day 341
I am not sure how to explain this, but I am having some out-of-body experience. I have awoken today, not as a pilot for the Empire, but as a pilot for the rebellion. When I look in the mirror, I see someone completely different. I am not even sure of my name as I am only referred to as Vanguard Five. I want to record all the information I can find and report it to the Empire. Unfortunately, every time I try to reach for a pad to take notes, my arms don’t obey. They only seem to react to orders given by the rebels. I am trapped in this rebel body.
It wouldn’t be so bad if the members of the Vanguard squadron weren’t so insufferable. I know that rebellions are built on hope, but these crewmates are so obnoxiously cheery that it would make me sick even if I was a normal civilian. One guy tried to convince me that he was a really scummy guy who had to join the rebellion to escape some mob bosses he cheated and nearly ten minutes later he was telling the enemies to leave his friends alone. They are all so unbearable and they won’t stop talking.
In between rolling my eyes at the constant chattering of my squadmates, I noticed Jarvis’ plan at getting back at the Empire. He created a battle station called the Starhawk. He has asked myself and the Vanguard squadron to run errands to assist in building the Starhawk. While doing these errands I realized my the X-wing felt like it was flying through molasses. I couldn’t escape the feeling that there was a lack of speed within one of the rebellion’s faster vehicles. Are TIE fighters just as slow and I haven’t noticed? Just as I was beginning to feel like I was flying an RV around, one of my teammates showed me how to drift on one of those lumbering behemoths. Would have been nice to know how to do that earlier. Even with this new drift maneuver, I still wasn’t getting a sense of speed. Was this an effect of this out of body experience?
Finally, we were able to finish the work on the Starhawk, when the Empire showed up. We lured them into a trap so easily I was kinda embarrassed for them. The Starhawk was able to pull a Star Destroyer with its tractor beam so easily. It was clear there was a shift in power. Just before the rebellion could pull the Star Destroyer close enough to be raided, they jumped to hyperspace. Maybe this was a sign of the shifting power. Maybe that’s why I am in the body of a rebellion pilot.
Pilot’s Log – Day 342
I am somehow back in my Imperial body. I am not quite sure what is going on, but I decided to be quiet before someone sends me off the mine pits. Luckily for me, Captain Kerrill has recommended I join Titan Squadron, one of the Empire’s most respected fleets. Obviously, I took her up on the offer. As I met the members of Titan Squadron, I wasn’t impressed much with these new squadmates. They all were constantly sneering and complaining they weren’t killing rebels at every second of every day. I couldn’t tell if I preferred the sickening optimism of the Vanguard squadron over the smug nature of Titan Squadron.
Slowly we were able to make strategic moves to corner the rebellion. During this time, I noticed my TIE fighter moved at the same speed as the slow X-Wing fighters. The TIE bomber I had to fly for a certain mission was worse. The image of all of us fighting in floating RVs couldn’t escape my mind. Even while drifting it felt like my TIE fighter was making the widest turn possible. Luckily we still were able to complete our mission of baiting the rebellion to chase us through an asteroid field with a plethora of explosive cores. It was fun to watch the fireworks.
Pilot’s Log – Day 343
I am back in my rebel body and the rebellion is feeling the pressure. We are tasked with sending an engineering team to an abandoned telecom station and defending them as they send a distress call. The Squadron had the audacity to put me in a support fighter. A pathetic support fighter. No weaponry to blast the enemy out of the sky. I had Ion cannons that could only jam the enemy’s weaponry. I am clearly the best shot on the squad and they put me in this rust bucket so I can shield the engineers. I am not here to defend engineers; I am here to dogfight enemy fighters. Luckily I was able to properly defend the engineers as they sent out their distress call. I dread to see what pathetic vehicles the rebellion put me in tomorrow.
Pilot’s Log – Day 344
I am trapped in my own living hell. I am back in my Empire body, but I keep dying and awaken mere moments before I die, unable to change anything. Today’s the day we performed our raid on the Starhawk battle station. We were able to disable it rather easily. By blowing a hole in its side, I was tasked with flying into the hole and reaching the inner workings of the battle station. I make it inside and blow up all the gravity emitters inside the station. However, blowing up all the emitters creates a burst of energy that sends me flying through the previous path I used to get inside the station. I hit a wall and immediately flames begin to engulf me in my ship.
I, then, awake a mere second before I blow up the emitters. I am caught in some hellish Groundhog day loop, where I destroy the emitters, Kerrill warns me of the energy burst, the burst sends me flying, I hit a wall and die. Over and over again I repeat these same events. Each time my frustration begins to weigh. I feel like screaming at Kerrill to tell her to shut up, but I am never sure when I will finally make it through. The main issue is the tunnel has a small hump that makes it impossible to course correct at that speed. It is almost as if TIE fighters are supposed to go that fast in that small of a space. I finally make it through and the squadron can see the big scowl on my face. I am sure they think I am cursing the rebels, but frankly, I am sick of whatever twisted Force magic is causing me to live this double life.
Just as the Empire was claiming victory, I was transported to my rebel body, where the rebellion was formulating a plan to deal a heavy blow to the Empire while allowing the remaining rebellion to escape. I, unfortunately, didn’t come to until after the debriefing and at that point, I was immediately tossed into an X-wing. The plan worked flawlessly and we made another daring escape through an asteroid field. We held some festivities inside the hangar.
The crew took part in the celebrations, however, I was in no such mood. I have grown tired of these body-hopping events. Going back and forth between the two group’s ideologies wasn’t what was wearing me down. It was fear that came with not knowing how long before I awoke in a different body. The fear of being helplessly trapped in a body I had almost no control over. I had to end it. I walked over to a commander nursing a drink. I took a deep breath. The rebel body I inhabited always pushed back against my movement, but with everything I had, I grabbed the commander’s gun in his side holster. I knew I had one shot. I pressed the gun against my temple, closed my eyes, and squeezed the trigger with all my might.
Awoke at my keyboard at home; startled and confused. Struggling to catch my breath, I looked up at my monitor. I saw the credits for Star Wars: Squadrons rolling across the screen. I must have dozed off during the credits resulting in these bizarre dreams. Dreams that allowed me to make a single story from the campaign hopping back and forth from a rebel pilot and an Imperial pilot. The mind works in mysterious ways I guess.
Having reflected on my time with Star Wars: Squadrons and my dreams that appear to be inspired by them, I am torn on my recommendation. On one hand, Star Wars: Squadron doesn’t appear to be a copy-paste job that the FIFA series is finally being criticized for. However, it is so weird to see EA put out something so niche. I want to recommend it on that alone, but the annoyance surrounding this title, the lack of speed, and the annoying NPC dialogue, holds it back. I have been told if you have a flight stick and a VR headset this game is worth every penny and I can imagine that being the case. However, if you are like me, and only played it on a controller, the immersion won’t fully be there. Definitely pick this up if you have a VR headset and flight stick, and maybe wait for a sale if you just have a controller. Either way, I am hopeful this is a new era for EA, one where they invest in small projects such as Star Wars Squadrons.
