Embargoes have lifted and Star Wars: Squadrons’ early critic reviews are finally here to give a taste of what’s about to come when the game releases tomorrow. The newest Star Wars title is focused mainly on multiplayer gameplay sessions, although it does include a proper singleplayer campaign, which is expanding the canon of the Saga by introducing new characters and locations.

Star Wars: Squadrons serves as an indirect continuation to Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, the iconic video game from the late 1990s. The title was officially revealed by EA in June after it was unintentionally leaked by the Xbox store ahead of the planned announcement. The game is best described as a spiritual successor to the aforementioned fan-favorite space dogfight simulator, and as such, it features legendary Star Wars fighters belonging to the New Republic and the Galactic Empire.

Related: Star Wars Squadrons Is Mainly Multiplayer, Includes Single-Player Campaign

While Star Wars: Squadrons is about to hit stores tomorrow, critics have already shared their experiences with the title. To sum up the impressions, it’s safe to mention that the game is rated relatively high with scores going as far as 90 out of 100 (and roughly 80 on average), according to Metacritic. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron’s spiritual successor is being highly praised for the careful and respectful handling of the source material. All of the features that make space battles in the Star Wars saga so exciting and mesmerizing are there, including authentic audio effects and visual design of starfighters. While there’s no doubt that Star Wars: Squadrons faithfully recreates the style and the overall magical atmosphere of the galaxy far, far away, critics note a few weak points especially paying attention to the lack of available game modes and relatively small scale of battles. Listed below are eloquent quotes from several prominent gaming media outlets.

Star Wars Squadrons

GamesRadar+ - 3.5/5 - Ben Tyrer

If EA Star Wars games had started to become known for their huge ambition, then Squadrons is a timely reminder of what a singular focus can bring to an experience. This wants to be nothing more than a great place to fly a starfighter. In its best moments, it achieves that goal, living up to some of the older classics that players fell in love with. While the single-player doesn't quite deliver anything more compelling than a chance to get used to the game's style, the multiplayer seems primed to offer up plenty for those who have been waiting for an experience like this for quite some time.

PC Gamer - Unscored - Wes Fenlon

In the cockpit, though, this is probably the best a Star Wars flight game has ever felt, and multiplayer demands far more skill than the campaign - which is especially exciting to me when I think about strategizing with a full 5-player squad instead of AI teammates. Multiplayer also offers a deep pool of ship parts to unlock, changing everything from laser cannons to hull to engines, that make them play quite differently.

VG247 - 4/5 - Alex Donaldson

Squadrons feels like more than the sum of its parts. Most importantly, it does exactly what it set out to do - and does it very well indeed. It’s EA’s smallest-scale console Star Wars title yet - but also its best. Fleet Battles feel a little long and sometimes listless, and some will no doubt pine for a little more content - I personally would’ve really liked to see a 20-player (or more) deathmatch mode. But it’s nevertheless difficult to really criticize such a tightly-wound, complete package.

Game Informer - 8.25/10 - Andrew Reiner

Squadrons’ single-player may fizzle out frequently like a malfunctioning hyperdrive motivator, but the multiplayer continually impresses and is worth the price of entry alone. Flying in formation with a group of friends put a smile on my face, and that was just the calm before the storm. When the lasers start flying, Squadrons’ multiplayer can be nothing short of exhilarating and a great test of skill, pushing players to be clever in the cockpit to outthink and outmaneuver opponents. Given just how enjoyable it is to pilot an X-Wing or TIE Fighter, this is a multiplayer experience I will continually go back to, even if EA doesn’t support it with new content.

Polygon - Unscored - Charlie Hall

Star Wars: Squadrons is every inch the spaceflight simulation that fans have been dreaming of for a generation. It accommodates players in extraordinary ways, from the quality of its many controller options to its ability to form parties across multiple platforms. It’s also one of the most focused games that Electronic Arts has produced in the last 15 years.

PCGamesN - 9/10 - Ian Boudreau

If Star Wars: Squadrons had simply been ‘TIE Fighter with prettier skies to look at,’ it would’ve already been a winning proposition. What it is in fact is a great looking, technically demanding starfighter sim that provides a dynamic new spin on space dogfighting without any of the usual monetary cruft that accompanies live service games today. Time will tell if it truly has the depth and skill ceiling to give it staying power, but it’s made a damn fine first impression.

One of the prominent features of the game is the lack of microtransactions, which is weird to expect from EA given the long-running history of predatory monetization in its projects. There are, of course, unlockable spaceship parts and upgrades, but everything can be achieved through gameplay, just like the old times. The title is visually stunning and deeply satisfying, and the only downside is that EA is not planning to add new ships in the future. This could eventually become an issue as Star Wars: Squadrons might struggle to be engaging for players after a few dozens of hours invested in it.

Judging by the critics’ deliberated impressions, Star Wars: Squadrons is being perceived as a small yet complete package of quality content. The game doesn’t offer too much of everything, but what’s included is by far the most exciting Star Wars dogfighting experience ever, period. Singleplayer is there simply to fill the gap while multiplayer delivers a lot, which is understandable given the game’s initial focus on online battles. The future of Star Wars: Squadrons is still unclear though, as the demand for new content will definitely grow over time.

Next: Is Star Wars Squadrons Releasing on PS5 & Xbox Series X?

Star Wars: Squadrons will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 2nd, 2020.