After 5 years in Early Access, the multiplayer shooter Squad is now celebrating its release on PC and on the Steam platform. Is it an alternative to Call of Duty and Battlefield? We show you who it might be worth checking out.
This should please many: Currently, the upcoming release of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is causing quite a stir among shooter enthusiasts. However, it may well be worth looking a little further afield and diverting attention away from what the big studios are presenting us.
After 5 years in Early Access on Steam, it was finally time: Yesterday, on September 23rd, at 8:00 PM German time, the heavily team-based multiplayer shooter Squad celebrated its full release with version 1.0.
After many years of development filled with optimizations and numerous expansions, a new chapter for the game has begun that is touted by many players and experts as a hidden gem or one of the best military shooters.
By the way, there were several new contents at release. For example:
- the new map Fallujah with a densely built city environment
- the new faction Middle East Alliance
- as well as the 100-player servers – for many the biggest highlight of the release update (in the Early Access version, there were only servers for 80 players)
Check out the launch trailer for Squad here: Don’t know Squad and want to get a quick first impression? Then check out the launch trailer. Here you’ll get a good idea of what makes this shooter special.
This is Squad – the new multiplayer military shooter
On which platforms is Squad available? Squad can only be played on PC via the Steam platform.
There, the shooter costs €37.50 until October 7th, thus maintaining the price of the Early Access version until then. After that, Squad will cost about €50 as a full-fledged game.
Currently, there’s a promotion at Steam celebrating the full release, where you can save 25% on your purchase until September 28th. Right now, you can get the shooter for €28.12.
What is actually in Squad? Squad is a large-scale, tactical multiplayer military shooter with first-person perspective and a strong focus on realism, teamwork, and communication. It is also referred to by many as a hardcore shooter, as the degree of realism is extremely high.
Squad can best be described as a middle ground between the hardcore military sim Arma and Battlefield. Squad positions itself quite literally between the two titles. It mixes and combines:
- the speed and accessibility of Battlefield
- with the size and realism claim of Arma.
On the battlefield, everything revolves around organized squads within a large team, which cleverly utilize both the environment and military equipment and gear to engage in tactical combat against another team and win.
This is what makes Squad special:
- intensive, realistic battles on a large scale with infantry and military technology
- realistic weapons, authentic vehicles, and equipment
- strong focus on team play (within the squad and as a whole team) and interaction with others, communication (VOIP), as well as the interplay between infantry and vehicles
- Tactics, planning, and coordination between team commanders, squad leaders, and within individual squads play a significant role. Organized control over the battlefield is the key to success
- The battlefield can be shaped and significantly influenced by building defensive or offensive fortifications.
- The spawn system reacts dynamically and is determined by controlled areas and the extent of support for key objectives and objects.
- Fights with up to 100 human players possible
- 20 diverse maps – from wide open spaces to small villages to densely built areas, everything is included
- 7 playable factions such as US forces, the Russian army, or fictional Middle Eastern militias
What’s next for Squad? The full release does not mean that the development of Squad is now completely finished. The game will continue to be actively expanded, as the developers have quite a few plans ahead.
A large roadmap already shows concrete plans for new maps, factions, additional vehicles, gameplay changes, and more extending into 2021.
Since the roadmap is extensive, you can take a detailed look at it here on the official Squad website:
Who should check out Squad? Who is the new shooter Squad suitable for? Who should definitely take a look at this hidden gem? Is it now an alternative to Call of Duty or the Battlefield series?
If you are only into fast-paced, highly action-oriented shooter gameplay on small maps where you level up or unlock something every few seconds, summon overpowering kill streaks, or sometimes run around as a one-man army, then you probably won’t be happy with Squad. If you are only looking for the traditional CoD experience, this new shooter is probably not for you.
However, if you prefer games from the Battlefield series or generally large-scale battles with a lot of planning, tactics, and communication, then Squad might just be the right hidden gem for you. Fans of the Arma series could also find enjoyment here.
In terms of scale, cooperation, communication, intensity, and realism, there is currently hardly any other multiplayer shooter that implements all this better and combines them.
In short: If you find Arma too slow and complex or Battlefield not tactical enough, teamwork, and realism, then you are exactly in the right place.
Anyone who generally enjoys large-scale, tactical battles and teamwork should definitely take a closer look at this game. However, if you prefer games like Call of Duty, Squad may not be able to excite you.
What do you think of Squad? Have you played it already or are you planning to try it out soon? By the way, you can find other cool shooter games here: The 12 best multiplayer online shooters 2020 for PS4, Xbox One, PC
