For a universe where war is central to its identity, the absence of dedicated Star Wars tactical games has long been notable. Star Wars Zero Company, developed by Bit Reactor, a studio featuring former Firaxis developers under EA, aims to fill this void. Initial impressions suggest it could be a compelling evolution of the XCOM formula.
The game places players in the role of Hawks, leader of Zero Company, a band of misfits operating on the fringes of the Clone Wars. Facing financial hardship, the company finds itself covertly allied with the Galactic Republic. The narrative explores obscure planets and introduces a bug-worshipping cult, all presented with the analog, hard sci-fi aesthetic reminiscent of the prequel trilogy. The story feels like a natural extension of the Star Wars universe, akin to the former Expanded Universe.
The characters of Zero Company are a diverse group, including a Separatist manager, a loyal decommissioned clone trooper, a minor noble, a Republic military perfectionist, and Kabbie, an endearingly, if irritatingly, verbose droid. This diverse cast provides fertile ground for character-driven storytelling, making players invested in their survival. Even recruitable characters outside the main plot possess unique and extreme personality traits, adding depth to conversations and battle cries.
Gameplay in Zero Company is structured similarly to XCOM 2 and Marvel's Midnight Suns, alternating between tactical combat missions and base operations. Between battles, players manage their team, gather intelligence, and select subsequent quests. However, these non-story segments can be a low point. Operations are text-based scenarios where squad choices have predictable outcomes, often due to warning labels indicating potential harm to team members. While successful operations can improve galactic standing, the reputation system can feel like busywork, requiring repeated completion of similar tasks for minor rewards.
The sheer volume of quests, both tactical and operational, can lead to bloat. Non-story missions often feature generic objectives, and their repetitive nature, despite aesthetic variations, can become tiresome. Many quests, including those required to unlock character-specific missions, incur an intel cost, pushing players into a loop of completing optional, less engaging missions to gather enough intel for more significant content. This can create a sense of tedious obligation rather than strategic fulfillment.
Base and squad management are also extensive, requiring navigation through multiple menus accessed via specific terminals. This process, while initially manageable, becomes time-consuming as the game progresses. Critics have noted that the convoluted management system and the abundance of unrewarding side tasks echo complaints previously leveled against Marvel's Midnight Suns, a game also worked on by several Bit Reactor leads.
Despite these management and quest design drawbacks, the core tactical gameplay remains engaging. When players engage in character quests or main story missions, the experience significantly improves. The turn-based combat features a squad of characters with distinct abilities operating on complex battlefields, utilizing cover and engaging enemies. Zero Company distinguishes itself through its class system and a variety of skills. Each class possesses role perks, such as the scout's ability to mark enemies, making them easier for allies to hit, or scoundrels who can bypass enemy defenses. Skill enhancements, while initially basic, can be upgraded and combined with weapon mods to create specialized character builds. For instance, sharpshooters can develop a guaranteed critical hit capability that, with sufficient upgrades, becomes a reliable finisher.
Support units, like the astromech droid, offer tactical advantages by providing additional item slots and action points to allies, allowing for potent combos where multiple characters can act multiple times in a single turn. These special skills consume 'advantage,' a shared resource accumulated during battle. Balancing the use of these skills and managing limited uses per battle adds a crucial layer of strategy, preventing combat from becoming too lopsided. Many critical missions feature multiple phases, requiring players to adapt their tactics as the battlefield changes, penalizing the hasty use of powerful abilities.
Star Wars Zero Company is scheduled for release on August 27 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. Despite some concerns about repetitive management and quest design, the preview build offers an exciting glimpse into a tactical Star Wars experience that successfully captures the essence of the franchise while iterating on proven gameplay mechanics.