Despite releasing in 1999, Star Wars Episode I: Racer shows what Star Wars: Squadrons could have been. With courses set throughout the Star Wars universe, Star Wars: Racer gave players the controls to some of the most iconic podracers from The Phantom Menace and beyond. Moreover, it was a simple yet deep game, with players maintaining their vehicles with an in-game economy system.
Fast forward to 2020 with the release of Star Wars: Squadrons, the spiritual successor of the TIE Fighter and X-Wing games. Set after the events of Return of the Jedi, players alternate between the viewpoints of the New Republic and the Empire piloting all the various ships Star Wars: Squadrons has to offer. However, while Squadrons sports modern graphics and contemporary features, it lacks the depth of Star Wars Episode I: Racer.
Star Wars: Squadrons suffers from a streamlined and commercialized approach, while Star Wars: Racer’s design offers a more engaging and fleshed-out experience. The latter’s game features, while simplistic, build on the player’s immersion, from playing various racers to the customizability of the vehicle itself. In contrast, Squadrons lingers on the edge of immersion without fully committing to the experience.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer Is More Immersive Than Star Wars: Squadrons
From its in-game RNG economy system that revolves around selling and buying podracer parts to the various racers, iconic and new, Star Wars: Racer’s priority is creating an immersive experience. It’s an approach similar to Cal’s lightsaber in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – to put the player in their character’s shoes, sometimes literally. However, simply winning in Star Wars: Racer doesn’t always unlock features; as a result, players delve deeper into the game and are immersed further. The game doesn’t take itself too seriously either, with hidden characters that bolster a massive roster of racers to planets ripped from the more obscure locations in Star Wars. While seemingly simplistic, Star Wars: Racer’s approach to immersion create a more engaging and unique experience.
On the other hand, Star Wars: Squadrons’ gameplay loop is more straightforward than Star Wars: Racer. However, this approach is more akin to a battle pass, robbing the player of any immersion. This is unfortunate given that the cockpit in-game is incredibly immersive, and the entirety of Star Wars: Squadrons can be played in VR. Moreover, while the characters in Squadrons are a mix of new and old from the Star Wars canon, they remain mostly out of the way of the player’s mostly silent character. It creates an almost sterile experience with the game unsure of committing to its namesake while touting its place in the canon.
While Star Wars: Squadrons offers more modern features, Star Wars: Racer provides a more engaging experience. The latter immerses the player by following the steps to becoming a podracing champion and brings surprising depth to the game. Wherein Star Wars: Squadrons’ immersion stops outside of the gameplay offering a more streamlined experience. Despite what Star Wars: Squadrons adds to canon and its more contemporary features, the game has a lot to learn from the ingenuity of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer.
