After more than a decade in development, the highly anticipated Squadron 42, the standalone campaign game set in the Star Citizen universe, is now reported to be “feature complete”.
The journey of Squadron 42 from its inception has been a long and expensive one, with Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) founder and CEO Chris Roberts at the helm. Initially slated for release in 2014, Squadron 42’s journey towards completion spanned about a decade, a timeline that saw its fair share of criticism and doubt from the gaming community, especially due to the repetitive delays.
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The skepticism wasn’t entirely unwarranted. The prolonged development cycle stirred doubts, with some community members upset over the delays. The massive crowdfunding success of Star Citizen led to an increased scope for Squadron 42, thereby prolonging the development process significantly beyond the original plan. The silences from the developers were often seen as a red flag, inciting fears that the project might turn into vaporware.
However, the tide of opinions seemed to shift positively as CIG made significant progress. The recent update declaring Squadron 42 as “feature complete” has breathed a new life into the community’s hope. Enthusiasts are now eagerly awaiting the beta release, with works towards this next phase reportedly underway. The game, now in its polish phase, promises a rich gameplay experience with improvements in tactical FPS combat and stealth among other features.
Despite the long wait and the hefty price tag that came with the development, the overall sentiment leans towards a positive reception. The community, although with a tint of skepticism, appears excited and optimistic about the nearing completion of Squadron 42. While direct quotes from the community were not readily available, the general sentiment from discussions and reactions online paints a picture of cautious optimism.
On the other hand, many in the community are positively enthralled by the progress, expressing eagerness for the refined gameplay experience that Squadron 42 promises. The game’s cinematic narrative, inspired by sci-fi works from the ’70s and ’80s, and its aspiration to be a generational successor to the classic Wing Commander, keep hopes high.
Amid the mixed sentiments, the Squadron 42 release emerges as a talking point in comparison with other ambitious space exploration titles like Starfield. The polished gameplay and rich narrative could potentially set a new benchmark, embodying what many hoped Starfield would deliver, and possibly representing the game that both Starfield aimed to be and Bethesda sought to create.