The World of Myth Magazine

Since it is the Christmas season, my dear wife and I decided I could get my gift early this year (Ok, so I didn't choose as much as beg). And that, to my delight, was the Oculus Quest 2, which is significantly cheaper than the new-gen Xbox or PlayStation. I thought it would be amazing to immerse myself literally into the gaming world. At first, I was a little disappointed.

I have to be fair and admit that much of my disappointment was due to a lack of research on my part since one of my primary reasons for buying the Oculus was because it could be run through my PC to play a broader range of games. However, though my computer was built to handle the platform, I found it lacked the proper ports. So I went back to my research and found the cable I needed, ordered it, and of course, the company sent me the wrong part. Long story short, it took almost two weeks before I could really dive into the Oculus to test it out. Again, I was mildly disappointed.

I was so eagerly waiting to play the two games, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim VR and Fallout 4 VR, which turned out to be not as immersive as I had hoped. However, as I explored games on Steam, I perked up when I saw that Star Wars: Squadrons was VR compatible. I figured I enjoyed the game on the Xbox well enough, and since the price from the very start was lower than any new title from EA, I would give it a shot. I was blown away.

In my humble opinion, this game is the best Star Wars title since Star Wars: Tie Fighter, which came out in 1994, which also was a starship simulation-style game. And I am all for the starfighters. In squadrons, you play the campaign as both the New Republic and the Empire, which is fantastic because you get to fly eight different fighters as the story progresses. However, I found the main campaign lacking in the ways of storytelling. The conversations are one-sided, meaning you never get a chance to respond as you spend time just listening to the other character's ramblings. Much of what they have to say does pertain to the overall plot, but it would have been more immersive to have a back and forth dialog. That bit of downside is more than made up for with the experience when you get into the cockpit.

The Xbox version I found to be good when I played it. The graphics are on par, the controls relatively smooth, but it lacked something, and at the time, I couldn't figure out what it was. So, I dove into its main feature outside the campaign, the multiplayer experience. Again, I was happy enough with the experience and did have some fun with fellow gamers as we blasted our opponents into space dust, yet still became bored. Until that is, I entered the Star Wars universe via VR. And as I stated, I was blown away.

The console version allowed you to push a button to pan the first-person camera around to see the cockpit around you, which is a neat enough feature. But in Virtual Reality, as you might expect, it allows you to turn your head to see the sights, even letting you lean towards the windows and look down or up through the canopy. And that is what I found I was missing.

Now granted, the graphics are pretty much on par with the console versions, but the VR gives you the ability to track an opponent as he flies around you, which is not just impressive but strategically useful. And, to my delight, the VR lets you feel the experience of high-g turns, to an almost dizzying effect.

As far as the mechanics and controls go, I use an Xbox gamepad for my PC games, so I already understood the control scheme right away. Like most games, the button mapping can be customized to your liking, but I never mess with that; I get too confused! Even though I have not tried to use the mouse and keyboard system, I personally like the idea of the controller more, which obviously works better for VR since you have a mini-computer attached to your face like something out of the Aliens movies.

One of the better features Squadrons has (that the old Tie Fighter also had) is the ability to shift your ship's focus to power one system or another. Whether you want more power to your shields or your guns, or even engine speed, it's a simple tap of a button, and you are good to go. You can also call in reinforcements if you are playing the AI or direct your squad to attack specific targets, which is especially helpful when strafing a Star Destroyer.

I could easily go on forever about this game. Maybe not so much as the console versions, but the VR version is, to me, something I have longed to experience from a Star Wars title. I know the VR is a risky investment, as there is a small but growing list of games to play, but if you get a chance to experience Star Wars: Squadrons this way, I would be very shocked if you didn't enjoy it.

Without hesitation, I give the VR version of the game a solid 4 stars. There are a few things, like the main campaign dialogue, I would change, but over-all it's a solid title with a whole lot of replay value.

So that's it for this month. As always, if you wish to comment or request a game, send an email to wickedwisdom66@outlook.com. Till next month, game on, my friends.