Back in 2022, EA announced three new Star Wars games, one of which was a turn-based tactical title being developed by an up-and-coming studio named Bit Reactor. This team includes many who worked with Firaxis Games – known for XCOM, Civilization, and the criminally underrated Marvel’s Midnight Suns – and this pedigree shines through in Star Wars Zero Company: a fun and engaging experience that might be one of the best Star Wars video games in quite some time.
Cards on the table: I’ve never played one of the new XCOM games, and the originals were before my time as a gamer. My closest frame of reference here would be the aforementioned Midnight Suns, which was an absolute blast to play. However, I can safely say that Star Wars Zero Company has recaptured that same magic for me, not only as a hardcore Star Wars nerd but as someone who really needs to check out XCOM.
Key Details
- Developer: Bit Reactor, Respawn Entertainment
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Platform: PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox Series X/S
- Price: $59.99
- Review Code Provided: No, Reviewed On PS5
Neither Scruffy-Looking Nor A Nerf Herder
Star Wars Zero Company takes place near the end of the Clone Wars, as a former Republic commando named Hawks is contacted by a spy cell for a secret operation in the Outer Rim. Hawks, along with their ever-growing ragtag unit Zero Company, are soon caught up in the machinations of a dark and mysterious cult that could spell disaster not only for the Republic, but the galaxy as a whole. Along the way, Hawk makes new allies – some of whom were once allied with the enemy Separatists – and even comes across some of the most iconic characters and moments of the Clone Wars.
After the main cinematic, you get to customize Hawk by choosing their gender, species, appearance, clothing, abilities, and weapon class. You have an impressive amount of options here, especially given that most recent Star Wars games have you locked into playing as a human. Still, most of your choices for Hawks retain a human-like face, much to the disappointment of anyone wishing to be a Rodian or something. Like me. Thankfully, your recruited squadmates aren’t as limited.
Zero Company also gives you eight different character classes to choose from, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and skills. Some focus on taking out enemies at close range or shooting multiple targets in one turn; others attack from a distance, and there are those that act more like support by healing teammates or giving them extra moves. Picking the right character class and weapon is crucial to building your playstyle, and you can form some pretty impressive combos by mixing together certain teammates and their abilities.
Stay Sharp, Soldier
Battles play out in an isometric view, with the action paused and the player able to move and rotate the camera for a full scan of the battlefield. Once you select a character to control, a radial menu appears with actions to select. You can choose to move your character to take cover and get a better shot, take out a nearby target with an attack, or use a special ability.
If the enemy you’re attacking is under cover themselves, there is an increased chance of your shot missing and leaving you open to a counterattack. I can’t tell you how many times my character hilariously missed what seemed to be a sure hit – even from not very far away.
Each character is given a set number of Action Points each turn, which are spent when they perform any kind of action. Some abilities use up multiple Action Points, so you need to be strategic in figuring out which ones are worth it in a given situation. Once you end your turn, the enemy forces will perform their own actions. If you set up an Overwatch area during your turn, your characters will automatically attack any enemy that walks into range – but keep in mind it will be cancelled if the character in question gets hit.
Health is determined by the colored bar above the character’s head, and when it depletes, your character will be Downed and Injured. Luckily, you can Rally your fallen teammate by moving another character near them, but keep in mind that they will die for good if they suffer three Injuries in one fight – yes, even the named supporting characters. I actually had a major squadmate fall during my playthrough, and their loss was felt throughout the story. At the end of each mission, you get to see how your bonds between your teammates have grown, how many credits and experience points you have earned, and whatever casualties occurred.
Building Your Crew
Between missions, you hang out at The Den, a freighter located in the mining colony known as the Ring of Kafrene. Here, you can talk to squadmates, heal any injuries you’ve suffered in combat, recruit new operatives, honor your fallen comrades at the Memorial, and manage your characters’ skills, appearance, and ability loadouts. While the major squadmates have their appearances locked, you can completely customize any extra recruits from the ground up.
Walking around and talking to everyone in The Den tickles the Mass Effect-loving part of my brain, and just like while playing that classic series, I quickly fell into a steady routine of character interactions and gearing up for the battles ahead. Depending on how you combine character skills, you can form bonds with your teammates and unlock special perks whenever you have certain ones in your squad. However, make a choice they don’t like, and you can decrease those bonds just as easily.
A Galaxy At War
Once you’re ready for your next mission, you can pick out tasks at the Holotable. Certain missions and choices are critical to advancing the story, while others are just side quests. However, you only have a certain amount of time to complete an objective before it vanishes forever, and there is a limit to how much you can do in a single Cycle, or in-game day. Additionally, each tactical mission (which has you actually go out and battle in the field) uses up a full Cycle. So, you have to choose which Objectives and Missions are more important, as you can’t complete everything in one playthrough.
Aside from combat missions, there are Operations, which are centered around gathering information or other important tasks. Certain missions will have branching choices that offer different rewards. Some lead to combat; others just have you set up an alliance or let a certain suspect go in exchange for credits or increased Influence in a particular sector of the in-game map. By increasing your Influence in a sector, you can unlock special rewards like new gear and extra points to spend on new abilities.
Star Wars Zero Company‘s visual and audio presentation is on par with most modern Star Wars games like Jedi Survivor. The character models and other designs are fairly lifelike and true to the franchise, to the point where Runa Blask’s Togruta head tendrils crease just like the live-action ones you’d see in Ahsoka. The game’s music, voice acting, and sound work are all top-notch, making you feel you’re once again a part of a Galaxy Far, Far, Away. However, I need to point out that the game froze up on me rather frequently during my playthrough. I was playing Performance mode on a standard PlayStation 5, so your mileage may vary.
Final Score – 8/10
That does not detract from the solid gameplay experience that Bit Reactor has crafted in Star Wars Zero Company. Picking out which squadmates to take on a mission and coordinating strategies is fun; the command system is intuitive, and some character actions (like the Jedi Force Push ability) are just plain exciting to watch and execute. Add an engaging story and memorable characters, and Bit Reactor has pulled off a great entry point for anyone looking to get into the turn-based tactical genre. Between this solid outing and the upcoming Star Wars: Galactic Racer, the Force is pretty strong with Star Wars gaming fans these days.
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