Star Wars, one of the most recognisable franchises of all time, has a storied video game history that has seen all genres infiltrated across every console generation. The degrees of success are varying, with hits much more likely than misses following releases such as the Jedi series and Star Wars Outlaws. The latest Star Wars title is a turn-based tactics title in a similar style to XCOM, which sees the player assemble their team of four and utilise strategy to complete a range of missions. Star Wars Zero Company is linear, spans dozens of planets and includes incredible build options to create a party capable of succeeding in an original story set during the Clone Wars. The emphasis is on shooting rather than Jedi-skills (though the game does dabble) and the game is stronger for this choice, as the ranged combat is far superior to melee or close-range fighting in tactical warfare. There is no doubt that the style is more niche than most Star Wars titles, yet it provides a new take on a well-covered era. Will the game appeal to players across the galaxy? Read on.
Narrative is a core component to progression in Zero Company, and the lead character (Hawks) is central to the story. You have options in how Hawks looks and sounds, though I went with the default as it suited the older, experienced and ‘rough around the edges’ prototype required for a land of scum and villainy. What surprised me early on was how well the cut-scenes integrate into the gameplay. The characters with full voice-acting apply the required story beats to make each battle feel important. A skirmish does not span a large area and can be completed within 15-25 minutes if skilled in this type of play. During missions, a drip-feed of plot will continue to world-build and make the stakes always seem high. Nothing is overly ground-breaking, but the tale told did keep me invested across the 25 hours of game time with some excellent surprises for those well versed in Star Wars lore.
The gameplay will be divisive for many, as the Star Wars tag sees legions interested before even knowing how the game operates. As stated, this is XCOM style. What does this mean? You have four characters (selected from a roster) that approach the battlefield and take their places like a game of chess minus the board. Once established, a turn-based system begins that provides a certain number of AP points. With these AP points, the player can attack, move, provide cover or use a wide variety of class-based skills to eliminate the enemy. Objectives usually form part of the mission, such as blowing something up, and then you must move all your players to an evacuation zone or eliminate all opponents. The first few missions are very easy, teaching the ropes and providing good tips on how best to use those AP points. But I soon met my match and realised I needed a stronger strategy to succeed, as enemies continue to roll in and overwhelm from all angles. It’s a fact: you cannot go in all guns blazing for 25 hours. Building your squad and playing to their strengths is essential, for you will be skill checked.
Each mission ends and begins in a hub that operates as a base for preparation or finetuning. Here you can chat to your squad mates, change your load-out, recruit new members, enhance abilities or check out available missions (plus much, much more). The game is very customisable and encourages continual changes to adapt to the increasing difficulty (there are difficulty options, and I went with normal – it scaled well). My Hawks was a close-range pistol-slinger, generally the one engaging with mission objectives. I recruited a marksman capable of sniping enemies to protect others, with another as a melee-focused build and a fourth with many tricks to manipulate the field. Now, this wasn’t always my set-up as there were others in my roster (such as a droid that was helpful depending on the mission). This is necessary as your characters can die. Permanently. 3 injuries and they are out for good. There is even a memorial to pay respects to fallen heroes of your squad. A med bay can bring characters back to full health, but 3 strikes and they are out of there. Again, this can be turned off – but the experience works best with this function on.
To best highlight how the game works, I will provide an example mission. My squad is sent to a snowy base to blow it up. My four team members are placed on one end of the map, and the droids appear from two different doors on the other side of the map. The player’s four characters all get to exhaust their AP points before the enemy gets their turn, so I survey the area. On the left is a bridge to the place where I need to place my charges, and on the right is a ladder up to a platform that has some enemies. As the bulk of the enemies are in front of the mission, I use my clone trooper to throw a grenade that wipes out all the general droids in a radius and does some damage to the stronger foes in the vicinity. This clears a path but does little to stop all the other droids from firing as the mission location is wide open (the game focuses on cover, meaning you should always try to hide unless setting up a trap – like I was here). My sniper is then up the ladder and on the highest platform on the map, firing at one droid and then setting up overwatch (if anyone moves in this cone, they’ll be fired on during their turn). A few turns go by and most of the enemies are gone. Hawks completes the mission with only a few hits and I think I’m set…only for reinforcements to be on the way. This creates a mad scramble to get my four operatives to the extraction point that is blocked by reinforcements. Multiple characters have barely a nail of health left. I barely scrape through. The tactics here would not work on another scenario. It’s quite adrenaline pumping for a turn-based game.
In addition to missions that play out in turn-based style, there are also text-based missions that provide options for progression. Your choices can enhance or decrease bonds with characters (higher bonds provide new perks), acquire in-game currency or add certain risks. These take a matter of seconds but provide more depth to the process. The game keeps throwing new features at you as missions are completed, ensuring that you never truly feel comfortable with what you have.
Are there any downsides? Sure. Performance was choppy in any section where my character walks around like a third-person game. The cut-scenes can be rough, with faces blurred or fuzzed with pixels. The actual gameplay components never really suffered here. The many features can be overwhelming at a point, but again time does start to solve this. The gameplay becomes a bit same-y and potentially slow when you know victory is clear, though could this be applied to most games operating on a waiting basis? The opening hours will feel exciting to most gamers as learning new functions adds layers to gameplay. After this is established, it’s the true test of its ability to hold you for duration. There is no major replayability from my view, though others may want to try different squads and styles.
Star Wars Zero Company is a thrilling turn-based tactics game that provides great depth for those willing to invest. With a solid story and plenty to play with in building your team, fans of XCOM will be right at home. If turn-based or tactics are not your jive, the Star Wars theming may not quite get you over the line. Personally, I found the approach thought-provoking and entertaining across many hours of play. The chess-like battles allow for thoughts and experimentation, making all runs unique and part of your own tale.
Pros
- An enjoyable story in the Star Wars universe
- Gameplay and customisation are varied
- Soundtrack, of course – it’s Star Wars!
Cons
- Some performance issues outside of core gameplay
- Repetition can creep in, especially through the wait cycle
