A trading family pulled into the war
You play as part of a neutral family that runs a trading company and wants nothing to do with the conflict. The Empire's encroachment and a rival family using strong-arm tactics to destroy the business leave you with no choice but to fight back. Over the course of the game you end up joining the Rebel Alliance for covert assignments, including digging up information about the Empire's second Death Star project. The campaign runs to fifty story-driven single player missions and finishes at the controls of the Millennium Falcon, flying against the massive Imperial fleet in the Battle of Endor.
Flying the ships
Space combat is the core of the game. You take the helm of X-wings, A-wings, B-wings, Y-wings and Corellian transports, and eventually the Millennium Falcon itself, described as the fastest ship in the galaxy. Missions are built around the story, so what you fly and what you are asked to do changes as the campaign moves from trading trouble to full-scale Rebel operations.
Playing together
Multiplayer options come with a "skirmish" mode where you set your own mission parameters: the number of ships, the types of ships, the targets, and more. That lets a group build customized conflicts to fight through together rather than only running the campaign. Remote Play Together is supported, so one person can host and others can join in on the session.
Before you start
This is a classic space sim with flight and simulation mechanics, so expect to learn how each ship handles before you are comfortable in a fight. The single player campaign is the long-form path through the story, while skirmish mode is the way to set up quick, self-designed engagements with friends. Decide up front whether your group wants to work through the fifty missions in order or jump straight into custom battles.