Star Wars: Zero Company Review (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, & PC)

We’ve seen genres merge into action adventures. Others borrow gameplay ideas and elements from one another. Today, it’s easy to find adventure games that have RPG elements. Alternatively, strategy games with RPG elements. In Star Wars: Zero Company, you play through a deeply strategic game. One whose combat is built on turn-based mechanics and tactical gameplay. However, you also spend time creating and fine-tuning the individual characters of your squad. Role-playing elements factor into character creation, customization, selection, and progression. What’s perhaps rarer to see in tactical RPGs is a strong focus on storytelling, too. 

You might as well think of Star Wars: Zero Company like going on an adventure. The story takes you to the galaxy far, far away, at the brink of the Clone Wars. And even though the settings and characters are built from Star Wars’ themes and lore, you ultimately unravel a brand-new story. One with a fresh cast you’ve never seen before, as well as a conflict that, while taking place along the timeline of Star Wars, tells its own arc. Every character is written strongly. You’ll find likeable backstories and ambition. And it’s all packaged into a cinematic showdown across its cutscenes, some of which are pretty spectacular set pieces that will leave you in awe. 

Still, the game remains true to its strategy basics and foundation. It never strays too far from the genre, even when it adds depth to its story and worldbuilding. And thus, ladies and gents, begins my raving review of Star Wars: Zero Company.

Starting aFresh

To go into the specific details of the story in Star Wars: Zero Company would be a disservice to you. It would venture dangerously into spoiler territory. However, I can paint a picture of what to expect. A main character, Hawks, who is the leader of your squad, and the person you must take on all missions. He’s not a static character, though, as you can customize not only his appearance and outfits, but also his skills and abilities. From choosing his species to selecting the finer details of his eyes, you really have enough leg room to spin the character however you want. And perhaps, most importantly, determine the type of fighter they will be on the battlefield. Do you prefer they shoot guns or absorb damage, that sort of thing, dictated by your chosen class. 

Their story, of course, is largely set in stone. You’re a disgraced soldier of the Republic. But hitting rock bottom only means that there’s nowhere else to go but up. And so, Hawks embark on a fresh path to redeem themselves. Though it won’t be as easy, having fewer options that, eventually, corner him into taking up odd jobs. He gets a seemingly meagre job, working for an intelligence company, and recruits a bunch of misfits to help him get it done. Here’s where you meet more eccentric personalities. Others, who have tunnel vision. Some with shady pasts. Yet others, who have their sights set on a certain goal. It’s all wonderful to discover the different personalities that surround Hawks, who, mind you, also look awesome.

Part to Play

Everyone has their part to play in the squad. And when the opportunity calls for it, some characters shine more than others. It’s interesting to discover the backstories because that’s when you form attachments to certain characters. And while not all the characters get enough screentime to truly feel authentic, Star Wars: Zero Company does a decent job at exploring stories outside of the main path. Interestingly, you get some influence over which side characters receive attention in two ways. The first is turning on permedeath, the other is developing bonds.

Any of the side characters can die during missions. And they will be taken out of the equation completely, including from exploring any more of their side stories. And it sucks when a character you’re growing close to is killed. However, it also intensifies battles, ensuring that the stakes are always high whenever you make a move. It’s also noticeable how the story focuses on Hawks because any of the side characters could die at any moment, leaving their dialogue lines hanging. So, the game chooses to place less focus on the side characters, even at the expense of deeper stories. Meanwhile, the characters that you pair together on missions develop stronger bonds. And you can see the impact during their interactions back at base. They are friendlier, and it’s nice as well to gain perks from stronger bonds.

Tough Choices

Before you get to developing stronger bonds, Star Wars: Zero Company gives you lots of combat and strategy systems to get used to. Not that it ever gets overwhelming, as they are gradually introduced to you. For those who’ve played XCOM before, they should have an easier handle on things, as the systems are more or less familiar. Briefly, you have three action points per character to spend on movement and attacks. Once you run out, it’s the enemy’s turn to take their shot at you. Depending on where you place your characters, the cover they hide behind, or tactical points that snipers can take advantage of, you’ll either survive or lose the fight. And I think you’ll find the maps varied enough to always explore interesting points of advantage (or otherwise).

You have walls, towers, hazards, and more environmental advantages and traps to take advantage of that always keep your brain racing. The same goes for movement, where you might spend all your action points to fly across the stage, but at the cost of your action points. Perhaps one of those uppercuts that sends an enemy flying through the roof will serve the enemy right, but as long as they don’t have another trick up their sleeve. And every successful attack earns you Advantage, which unleashes special abilities. Yup. That’s the combat playground to truly explore what your unit is made of. Speaking of, your unit composition matters. How you pair gunslingers with medics, to the way you develop the bonds among them. 

Time to Regroup

Successful runs earn you upgrades to your stats, weapons, and gadgets, to be explored back at base. In the case of bonds, you may unlock certain synergies that give you an edge in battle. Since every class is different, offering specific abilities, you want to be careful how you choose them for the four characters you’re allowed to take into battle, and the way that you upgrade them. At some point onward, though, you will unlock the power to combine classes for individual characters. And it’s simply an upward climb to get better, stronger, and more aggressive. But as you know, it’s never that easy. Enemies, too, are sharpening their knives, learning, and adapting. 

You may find certain missions challenging. They’re varied, and demand different tactics from you. From extraction-based missions to planting explosives, missions will need you to amend your strategy or come up with a new plan altogether. It’s only when you’re in the heat of battle that you realize your initial plan isn’t going to work. And yes, you may not save everyone. Your unit will keep dwindling until only Hawks is left holding the baton. If he dies, you have to restart the campaign mission. But I might restart it moments before because my main guys are gone, and I don’t want them getting replaced by some placeholding soldiers I know nothing about. 

Verdict

Overall, you have a pretty well-packaged game here. It gives those of you with a thirst for gripping Star Wars stories a taste of the conflicts outside of the Clone Wars. This is a story you’ve never seen before, or may not even expect. Yet, it delivers on a strong narrative, engaging writing, and spectacular cinematics you’ll enjoy streaming. You have leeway over the appearance of your squad. From tweaking their faces to changing their outfits and manipulating their abilities, the squad you take into battle is of your own making. 

The part that begins to feel familiar to strategy fans is the actual battles. Here’s where every turn counts. Your strategies influence how you spend your action points. It streams down to the way you allocate earned credits. At several points during battle, you’ll be pushed to the corner and forced to take a drastic step. And that decision can either save your squad or doom them to permedeath. Though you can always turn off permeadeath, and even toggle the difficulty to whatever level you feel settled. 

Coming from XCOM’s devs, I think Star Wars: Zero Company can finally satisfy fans who’ve been longing for a new game in the series. Bit Reactor and Respawn Entertainment have not only done the turn-based strategy genre justice, but also delivered an intriguing role-playing story set in the famed Star Wars franchise.