New Squadron 42 trailer rings in the holidays with sci-fi splendor

Squadron 42 might not be dropping until Q3 2020, but new footage shows it'll be worth the wait.

Star Citizen's upcoming singleplayer campaign is a ways off, but Cloud Imperium dropped a new trailer to show the progress they've made. The result is some pretty impressive visuals that're straight out of an old 1970s John Berkey painting, complete with otherworldly spacecraft and animations that belong in a Kubrick film. The animations look smooth, the renders are all incredibly well-designed, and the lighting and atmospheric effects add a huge layer of immersion to the footage.

We're guessing this isn't exactly gameplay--probably in-engine rendering--but Cloud Imperium really has spun some magic here. Everything I see makes me nostalgic for Mass Effect, and reminds me what could've been. There's even some footage of the first-person elements we'll see in Squadron 42, like floating in space amidst a ruined space cruiser.

The campaign will feature big-name talent like Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, Henry Cavill, Gillian Anderson (Scully!), and Liam Cunningham. Check here for a full list of cast and crew.

Squadron 42 is set to release sometime in Q3 2020 on PC.