Light at the end of the tunnel? After 14 years of development and over $1 billion in crowdfunding, Star Citizen remains in alpha with no final release date in sight. However, its single-player spinoff, Squadron 42, feels closer than ever. A new Steam page lists notably modest minimum system requirements, and streamers recently began sharing their hands-on impressions following a demo event.

Anyone who still believes in Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts' vision after 14 years of repeated delays can now wishlist Squadron 42 on Steam. The space simulation action game is a solo, story-based spinoff of Roberts' MMO, Star Citizen, which remains deep in development.

The Squadron 42 Steam page features a new trailer with a few gameplay snippets and lists the minimum system requirements. Many influencers and streamers were invited to play the game for around five hours on October 9 and 10, and have since shared their thoughts, offering more specifics on what players can expect when (if?) Squadron 42 goes public.

Earlier demonstrations showed a mix of on-foot first-person shooter action and flight-simulation combat with a heavy focus on immersion. Hands-on reports further explain that Squadron 42 isn't an open-world game, but rather a more linear experience that might feel unusual compared to other recent AAA games.

Previews also point out its heavily cinematic presentation. Recalling Wing Commander's FMV cutscenes, Squadron 42 features a star-studded cast including Gillian Anderson, Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, John Rhys-Davies, Liam Cunningham, Ben Mendelsohn, and Henry Cavill.

The recent updates also suggest the game might not be as demanding as this year's biggest releases.

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