Sky Squadron is an explosive on-rails shooter that’s now in open beta

Sky Squadron is a promising on-rails dogfighting game from the team behind pixel art shoot ‘em up Astro Attack. It looks like part Crimson Skies, part Star Fox, and it’s now in open beta for all to try out.

You take on the role of a skilled Sky Pirate who gets into all manner of airborne mischief, from raiding moving trains to clearing the skies of WWI-inspired aircraft.

The game’s latest trailer shows off some of the locations that you’ll be fighting through, including a tropical island and a mountainous, lava-filled region. We also get a good look at a giant mechanical worm which I assume must be a boss.

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By the looks of it, a typical level sees you dodging spinning lasers, running insane gauntlets through underground tunnels, chasing down enemies, and doing a whole lotta barrel rolls.

The anthropomorphic animals that pop up on screen and bark instructions at you over the radio remind me a fair bit of Star Fox, though Sky Squadron has a unique look and feel of its own. When I first heard about it, I instantly assumed – based on its name – that it must be a WWI flight game, but then I saw the aforementioned lasers and futuristic spaceships.

If you’re looking to begin your Sky Pirate career, you’ll first need to download the Test Flight app before following this here link to access the open beta. You can also join the game’s community over on Discord, where I’m sure any helpful feedback would be appreciated. And you can find more information about Sky Squadron over on developer Trick Shot’s official site.