Star Wars: Zero Company Review
Rain beats down against the helmets of my squad as blaster fire sizzles while flying overhead. The odds are fully against us as we push back wave after wave of Trade Federation droids to get off the planet with our rescue target. The stakes are high because at any moment, these people I have fought alongside for countless battles can meet their demise at the hands of a clanker. Every action I have to take to get my squad out alive could be my last. The weight of my choices weighs heavily on me as we make our break for the evac point. My best friend, Trick, takes a blaster bolt straight to the head, which nearly takes him out. Thankfully, our medic is close at hand to rally him so we can all leave this battle with our lives. That is what it feels like every time you boot up Star Wars: Zero Company.
I don’t even want to contemplate the number of hours I poured into X-Com 1 & 2, or Marvel’s Midnight Suns, over the years. Bit Reactor is made up of those X-Com veterans who created their own studio that also created Marvel’s Midnight Suns, so when it was announced they were working on a Star Wars title, I was as giddy as one can be. Their unique style of small team-based RTS games is a niche that speaks to me. Star Wars: Zero Company is one of the greatest Star Wars video game outings I have experienced, and I have played nearly all of them. The squadron-based gameplay lends itself so well to Star Wars and the time period of that galaxy the game is set in.
The real sauce behind the difference between X-Com and the games that Bit Reactor has made is the presence of a player character. In Star Wars: Zero Company, you play as a character named Hawks. While in X-Com you just play as a faceless commander, the inclusion of a true player character makes a world of difference for gameplay. It makes you feel more boots on the ground when you have a singular character that stands in as the “you” that fights alongside the cast of characters. When you are making choices, you feel more weight because your character is ingrained in the story rather than being removed like most RTS. It works really well with the way Hawks is personified, making you feel the weight of your choices.
All of the systems that you interact with in the game feed directly into the gameplay experience in a rewarding way. In between missions, you return to your base to do things like upgrade, buy new mods, and make changes to your team. It never feels overwhelming, even with having to deal with base operations and projects in a way that becomes all-consuming. I never want to feel like I have made a dire choice outside of battle that will ruin my experience moving forward. There are times you must choose which upgrade to destroy so the enemy doesn’t get stronger, which doesn’t feel overwhelming like they can in other strategy games. They will increase the difficulty for certain units in a way you decide. It makes for a fun balancing act to play as you move forward in the campaign.
I don’t want to dig too far into the story because I avoided all trailers and previews of this game for that very reason. But the writing and interactions very much lend to an authentic Star Wars experience. The humor and sensibilities of your teammates make certain ones your go-to’s because you enjoy their company as much as their playstyles. As the story unfolds, you see how everyone is dealing with this new threat in the galaxy in their own ways. It’s a really substantial story that takes risks with what typically happens in stories set in this galaxy. It is more Andor than it is New Hope, in the most fulfilling ways, story-wise.
With every new battle, you risk the lives of those you bring into combat with you. It makes every mission, story beat, and upgrade mean something to the overall experience. Star Wars: Zero Company cements itself very early as one of the best Star Wars video game experiences that you can play. Taking your time to put thought into your strategy leads to some of the most epic battles I have experienced in the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Recruit a dynamic squad to tackle high-stakes battles and forge bonds on the battlefield that can turn the tide in your favor. Between missions, build a base and deploy informants across the galaxy to help navigate the high stakes of the Clone Wars™.
