As the fourth EA Star Wars game in the space of the franchise's seven years under the often infamous developers, Star Wars: Squadrons had a lot of pressure going in. Especially as this smaller, more experimental game that promises to be the most immersive piloting experience ever. It is safe to say that in many aspects, it lived up to the hype and expectations.
The niche game has a very limited amount of content. The narrow scope goes very deep and detailed, giving an incredible and fun experience for players, with many secrets for them to find.
10 Secret Achievements/Trophies
One of the central goals for console completionists is earning the achievements/trophies that come with the game, some of which are secret, and some are extremely difficult.
This game is no different, having a slew of secret achievements for players to find, including "Together Vanguard," which requires you to destroy the cruiser at Cavas with no backup, and "Against The Current," earning the thread the needle medal on mission thirteen.
9 Puyo Bock
There are so many cool details, and references poured through this game by the creators, and Puyo Buck is one that has come out very recently.
On Twitter, Brian Atlano gives the story - backed up by writer Mitch Dyer - gives the background story to an AI ship name found in the game called Puyo Bock. It is a lovely little easter egg.
8 Customization References & Easter Eggs
As mentioned earlier, this game goes deep, with so much thought and detail put into every aspect of the game, countering the lack of variety.
The ship's customization has a slew of fun easter eggs and references for fans to comb through, from paint jobs that have squadron descriptions mentioning Legends characters to decorations such as Ewok's and Gonk droids to decal references to Alphabet Squadron, and much more.
7 Easter Eggs In The Default Pilot Names
Of course, ship cosmetics is not the only source of easter eggs and references when it comes to customization, with the pilots themselves having their own little references for fans.
The default names of the pilots, before you choose your own, have their own easter eggs. Keyan Farlander was the main protagonist of the original X-Wing game, Ace Azzameen is from X-Wing Alliances, and Maarek Steele is from the TIE Fighter game.
6 Petting The Droids
There is not much character movement going on in Star Wars: Squadrons; it is all flight-based after all. But, there are interact points for some exploration in the hangars for the Imperials and the New Republic.
At some points in the story, there are opportunities for players to interact with the droids, specifically their personal Astromech, which can get petted, and the Gonk Droid, who is always a fun fan favorite, but admittedly not much happens with either.
5 The Waving Stormtrooper
Switching from the New Republic hangar to that of the Imperials, there are still interact points there, but the better easter egg comes in the multiplayer briefing room.
Here, if you look around - should time permit - there will be two stormtroopers standing by, one of which will wave to your character. Perhaps out of character for a stormtrooper, but fun nevertheless.
4 Rogue Squadron's Secret Missions
The best way to learn about the characters in Squadrons, as well as to get a variety of different references, is by talking to the characters whenever the option arises to do so.
At one point, players get to talk to the beloved pilot Wedge Antilles, who talks about Rogue Squadron, a famous squadron of pilots, iconic in the Legends timeline, but also has a canon role. Wedge specifically mentions secret missions given to them by Hera Syndulla, which will hopefully be explored in the future.
3 Cutters Dismantling Star Destroyers At The Nadiri Dockyards
Squadrons only has six maps, but each of them is crafted with such detail and thought that it is easy to not care about that fact. One of the maps, one of the most important ones at that, is the Nadiri Dockyards.
When you arrive at the Dockyards in the campaign, there are briefly people on-screen pulling apart Star Destroyers. These are cutters like the ones seen in Bracca during Jedi: Fallen Order.
2 The Mouse Droid's Music
MSE-6 series repair droids, more commonly known as Mouse droids, have been around in the Star Wars franchise for over forty years, busily traveling through corridors.
They appear again in this game throughout the Imperial hangars, and if you listen closely to them, if you get the chance, you can hear them humming the familiar tune of the Imperial March.
1 Lindon Javes' Holopad
Lindon Javes is one of the central characters of the story, and the source of the main narrative away from Project Starhawk, that being the friendship turned bitter between him and Kerrill.
After Javes defects to the rebellion, he becomes wanted by the Empire for a variety of crimes. After his turn, there is an Imperial dossier pulled out in Aurabesh, which details all of Javes' crimes as well as some personal details, including his birthplace, as well as the fact that he had a sister who passed away.