Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Prime Day Deals
  • Superman
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Switch 2 stock
Recommended reading
Destiny 2 Guardians in new Star Wars armor
Destiny Destiny 2 lead insists divisive Star Wars-inspired expansion Renegades "is in-canon for the Destiny universe" as players worry the MMO is pulling a Fortnite
Hondo Ohnaka, Kay Vess, and Nix in a poster for Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune
Open World Games Star Wars Outlaws DLC 2 will officially be revealed at Star Wars Celebration Japan, but in the meantime we've got a teaser image showing the return of a fan favorite from Clone Wars
Star Wars: Beyond Victory - A Mixed Reality Playset artwork
Racing Games "What's happened to Sebulba, what has he been through?": At Star Wars Celebration, I exploded a podracer and talked to Star Wars: Beyond Victory's director about bringing back the prequels legend
RS fights a giant enemy crab in Sea of Remnants, with a Summer Preview 2025 GamesRadar+ frame
RPGs Sea of Remnants is an online pirate swashbuckler take on Honkai Star Rail that's had me rolling dice in turn-based duels and trading cannonfire with a gorilla
Screenshot of a Clone Trooper shooting their gun from Star Wars: Zero Company
Strategy Games Star Wars Zero Company is inspired by the best parts of every era: Andor's "political intrigue," Rogue One's grit, and the OG trilogy's "mythic pulp adventure"
Star Wars Battlefront 2 screenshot showing
Third Person Shooters Remember 2017's Star Wars Battlefront 2? It’s good now – like, really good
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) screenshot showing Darth Vader walking through a hangar flanked by two stormtroopers
Third Person Shooters I've spent 11 hours fighting AI in EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2, and it's taking me back to the glory days of PS2 skirmish modes
  1. Games
  2. RPG
  3. Star Wars: The Old Republic

SWTOR's Galactic Starfighter expansion puts your dogfighting skills to the test

Features
By Lorenzo Veloria published 14 November 2013

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

It came from behind

It came from behind

When you want to make an MMO feel more like Star Wars, what's the best way to transport gamers to a galaxy far, far away? Easy. Add more spaceships and explosions--in space. In Star Wars: The Old Republic's upcoming free-to-play expansion, you're getting just that. In Galactic Starfighter, you can hop into your own starfighter and engage in 12-vs.-12, free-flight, PVP matches.

At any character level, you'll be able to hop in a match from the new Hanger interface. The Hanger is where you can customize various starfighter types, which include the fast and nimble Scout, the all-around Strike Fighter, and the long-range Gunship (with more classes on the way). Everything from blasters to engines to ordnance can be earned and upgraded, which makes changes to the appearance of your fighter so you won't feel like a clone (trooper?) of every other player.

In the cockpit, you control the pitch and yaw of your starfighter with the mouse. Your speed and roll are controlled with the keyboard (WASD). At first, the control scheme feels a bit awkward, but after a few minutes, I could pull off quick banks and simple maneuvers easily. Dogfighting is much more complicated than simply flying and shooting. Players also have access to class specific abilities that include missile lock-breaking maneuvers like barrel rolls and retro thrusters as well as shield boosts. Then there's power allocation, which allows you to change the recharge rates of your shields, weapons, and engines, for additional strategery. It's all very intricate and skill-based. Plus, with all those tactical controls, you could start spouting lines to your squadmates like "switch all power to your front deflector screen," or "accelerate to attack speed," and even, "cut the chatter Red 2," just for kicks.

Check out the following slides for more info and images.

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
You won't be flying alone--you can pick a co-pilot out of your existing companions.

You won't be flying alone--you can pick a co-pilot out of your existing companions.

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Not all maps are in space, as you'll also play matches on planet surfaces.

Not all maps are in space, as you'll also play matches on planet surfaces.

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
Everything on your fighter is customizable, including the paint, engine trails, and even the blaster bolts.

Everything on your fighter is customizable, including the paint, engine trails, and even the blaster bolts.

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Once you choose your ship class, you'll be able to refine your playstyle through component and skill upgrades.

Once you choose your ship class, you'll be able to refine your playstyle through component and skill upgrades.

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
The map environments are much more than empty space next to bulk cruisers.

The map environments are much more than empty space next to bulk cruisers.

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
Domination match types task you with capturing these big, green satellites.

Domination match types task you with capturing these big, green satellites.

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Every ship type plays a different roll. For instance, the gunship's railgun makes it a long-range sniper.

Every ship type plays a different roll. For instance, the gunship's railgun makes it a long-range sniper.

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Platforms
Lorenzo Veloria
Lorenzo Veloria
Social Links Navigation

Many years ago, Lorenzo Veloria was a Senior Editor here at GamesRadar+ helping to shape content strategy. Since then, Lorenzo has shifted his attention to Future Plc's broader video game portfolio, working as a Senior Brand Marketing Manager to oversee the development of advertising pitches and marketing strategies for the department. He might not have all that much time to write about games anymore, but he's still focused on making sure the latest and greatest end up in front of your eyes one way or another.

See more PC Gaming Features
Read more
Destiny 2 Guardians in new Star Wars armor
Destiny 2 lead insists divisive Star Wars-inspired expansion Renegades "is in-canon for the Destiny universe" as players worry the MMO is pulling a Fortnite
Hondo Ohnaka, Kay Vess, and Nix in a poster for Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune
Star Wars Outlaws DLC 2 will officially be revealed at Star Wars Celebration Japan, but in the meantime we've got a teaser image showing the return of a fan favorite from Clone Wars
Star Wars: Beyond Victory - A Mixed Reality Playset artwork
"What's happened to Sebulba, what has he been through?": At Star Wars Celebration, I exploded a podracer and talked to Star Wars: Beyond Victory's director about bringing back the prequels legend
RS fights a giant enemy crab in Sea of Remnants, with a Summer Preview 2025 GamesRadar+ frame
Sea of Remnants is an online pirate swashbuckler take on Honkai Star Rail that's had me rolling dice in turn-based duels and trading cannonfire with a gorilla
Screenshot of a Clone Trooper shooting their gun from Star Wars: Zero Company
Star Wars Zero Company is inspired by the best parts of every era: Andor's "political intrigue," Rogue One's grit, and the OG trilogy's "mythic pulp adventure"
Star Wars Battlefront 2 screenshot showing
Remember 2017's Star Wars Battlefront 2? It’s good now – like, really good
Latest in RPG
Cyberpunk 2077 DLC screenshot
5 years after it was kicked off the PlayStation Store, Cyberpunk 2077 joins the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog
Faelian
Bethesda decides Oblivion Remastered players were right, adds a new difficulty mode to "act as a better bridge between 'Adept' and 'Expert' for players"
Oblivion Remastered
This Oblivion Remastered player "killed the entirety of the Mythic Dawn cult" at the start of the RPG: "Problem? Solution? Remove problem"
A zoomed-in screenshot from Deltarune, showing Susie, Kris, and Ralsei posing with other characters.
Deltarune just got another small update, but I'm more interested in this brief, fine-print teaser for upcoming patches containing "some extremely slight adjustments to gameplay"
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing Astarion, a pale male elf with short curly white hair and red eyes, looking over his shoulder with a smirk on his face
Baldur's Gate 3 dev secretly wrote the D&D RPG's release date on a whiskey bottle in a bar 5 years ago, but somehow "nobody found it" and it "never leaked"
Karlach uses her fire powers to light a cigar in Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 Karlach actor says the biggest misconception around the Tiefling is that she's a "sweet" and "happy-go-lucky person": "She was a piece of work in hell"
Latest in Features
Superman kisses Lois Lane in James Gunn's Superman
After years of loveless Marvel and DC movies, I hope Superman and Fantastic Four prove romantic relationships are just as important as world-saving spectacle when it comes to superhero flicks
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gameplay running with the Switch 2 upgrade
I wanted to make a beeline for Tears of the Kingdom's ending, but Zelda's Switch 2 upgrade has forced me to slow down
Heroes 3 screenshot
The greatest strategy RPG ever is making a comeback with the publisher behind Manor Lords, and I'm ready to relive my Behemoth-collecting 2000s
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) screenshot showing Darth Vader walking through a hangar flanked by two stormtroopers
I've spent 11 hours fighting AI in EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2, and it's taking me back to the glory days of PS2 skirmish modes
Dollman is lost in thought in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
This is now a Dollman fan account: Death Stranding 2's puppet pal makes for my favorite PlayStation duo since Ratchet & Clank
Agent 47 on a mission in Hitman: World of Assassination
I'm loving Hitman: World of Assassination on Switch 2, but the game's always-online requirement is worse than ever
  1. A Gundam style mech in Mecha Break
    1
    Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy"
  2. 2
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  3. 3
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  4. 4
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  5. 5
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  1. David Corenswet as Superman inside the Fortress of Solitude in James Gunn's Superman.
    1
    Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU"
  2. 2
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  3. 3
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  4. 4
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  5. 5
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...