Review: Star Wars Zero Company's Turn-Based Combat is Refreshing and Addicting
Starting today, August 27th, head into a tactical adventure during the final days of the Clone Wars in Star Wars Zero Company.
Star Wars Zero Company was developed by Bit Reactor in collaboration with Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games, bringing in turn-based strategy to a galaxy far, far away. Players start out their adventure creating their own version of the game’s main character Hawks, a former Republic officer who leads Zero Company. Consisting of a group of recruited operatives from across the galaxy, Star Wars Zero Company invites fans to create their own unique squads.
Similar to games like Baldur's Gate 3, Star Wars Zero Company relies on creating relationships and traversing different combat encounters that require players to strategically move characters through turn-based missions. After completing missions, players will be able to upgrade and adjust their teams to handle combat as efficiently as possible.
The game kicks off with an incredibly robust character customization experience. There are plenty of ways to make yourself or whoever you choose to make fit into the Star Wars universe. Players can choose different alien races found throughout Star Wars, with tons of non-gendered customization available. After choosing your character and cosmetics, players can choose their class, which affects their in battle moves and upgrades. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get this right, as you can change customization later in the game, unlock new cosmetics, and other characters provide opportunities to fight as a different class.
Right after, players are introduced to a few of their first squad members before literally being thrown into battle. The game doesn’t give you the reins quite yet, forcing you to test out different abilities in battle, slowly giving you the freedom to control how the battle unfolds.
The game plays more like a board game than many video games out today. You have your time to think through exactly how taking down the enemy team will be most efficient. Each character gets a chance to play before you finish your turn and hand it over to the enemy side. The player and enemy switch off until one side wins, which, especially towards the beginning of the game, is, hopefully, yours.
There isn’t much “open world” exploring in this game, with players occasionally moving through the world for short periods of time before re-entering battle. It is genuinely a lot of fun.
Each battle progresses the story, with players' choices actively affecting how that story plays out. That includes characters dying, meeting goals, earning credits, and ultimately working through a fairly compelling storyline. There is a day cycle as well, meaning players will need to be smart about what missions they prioritize.
Star Wars Zero Company is a strong entry into the tactical, turn-based video game genre. Instead of relying on pre-existing characters, Zero Company creates a new world for players. Graphically, it’s gorgeous, especially in cut-scenes.
For a game retailing for only $49.99, Star Wars Zero Company is a pretty easy recommendation. If you are new to the tactical turn-based combat format, this is a pretty safe first step into the genre.
Star Wars Zero Company is available now on PC and major gaming consoles.
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