Paul’s an expert in Videogames, Star Trek, flannel shirts – in that order.
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Star Wars Zero Company might just have what it takes for me to recommend a turn-based strategy game to my regular mates. That’s big. Well, potentially big, anyway. It’s a tactical game with roots in one of the best to ever do it, with a whole layer of that Star Wars shine slapped right on top.
Zero Company operates much the same as something like XCOM in action, although the accoutrements surrounding the turn-based sections are quite a bit more fleshed out. It has a very specific Star Wars story, a ton of original characters, and an overall presentation that would put most other triple-A games to shame.
At the beginning, I created a character – our protagonist – called Hawkes. This ex-clone trooper has set up their own company, and now runs jobs with anyone who is capable, for anyone who can pay. It’s the first look at the level of customization that Zero Company offers; I can make Hawkes look however I want, from a tired-looking human to a fresh-faced horned Devaronian. Obviously I went with ‘tired human,’ mirroring my own appearance.
The customization of my character extends to everyone from the squad; I like putting my mark on the team I’m using, and while there is a main cast of voice characters with specific storylines, there is also a pool of generated operatives I can recruit. There are options for the pre-made characters, or I can go with an entire squad of R2 droids, depending on my mood.
I generally prefer having a team that is wholly mine, but the bespoke characters’ specific motivations and extra story bits make them a worthwhile inclusion. My best mate on the team is Kabb Uppercut (yes, really), and his special ability is punching people off the map. Because of course it is.
When my characters go on missions together, they form bonds – kind of like a joint experience bar – and when these reach certain levels, the pair can unlock new passive bonuses and abilities. These passives turned out to be rather powerful, so I found myself sticking with the same lot to try and max those bonds out, and in turn I found myself becoming attached to that specific group.
As Hawkes, I can walk around my little base in third person, talk to the members of Zero Company, check out all the little terminals, and even play the strange alien guitar thing in my office. It’s an additional sense of place that no other game like this has. When a battle breaks out, and the camera zooms out to that familiar isometric viewpoint, it takes me a little by surprise. The only other game that has had this effect on me is Baldur’s Gate 3.
Seamless transitions from walking to fighting aside, it didn’t take long before Game Director Greg Foertsch’s turn-based experience started to show. The combat should be instantly familiar to anyone who’s brushed up against one of these in the past 20 years. Move, attack, use abilities. Overwatch functionality is present, which gives me the ability to prep a shot in advance, firing if an enemy walks through my cone of vision.
The to-and-fro of a fight is as expected, and each shot has that familiar hit percentage we all love and probably also sometimes hate. I missed a few 90% shots, grimacing in the process, but it wouldn’t be the same without it. I will say that Zero Company seems much more forgiving about offering 100% success rates if the target is without cover, which feels more satisfying than missing an easy shot.
Zero Company looks fantastic, and, coming from an old head in this genre, the combat is covered with a reassuring feeling of familiarity. It works really well, and the Star Wars setting lends itself to a whole cast of motley characters and strange locations. I still can’t get the feeling like this is holding something back, however.
I said earlier how this is XCOM with the Star Wars shine slapped on. It also feels like it’s kind of XCOM with the edges shaved off, too. Greg Foertsch spoke a lot about player choice during a preview presentation I attended, and how important that was, but from what I could see, these were largely inconsequential to the larger story; it’s more take path A or B, but you’ll really always end up at C. Not necessarily a bad thing, mind, as there are other games in this genre where you’ve failed about ten hours before you realize it, and that can be so disheartening.
I’m looking forward to playing more of Star Wars Zero Company, which is arguably the biggest compliment I can pay it. I want to know how the story develops, who I’m going to meet, and I need to make everyone on the team best friends forever. This could potentially be the perfect entry point into the turn-based scene for a lot of people, with the draw of Star Wars being too much to resist for many. What lies beneath looks to be a much deeper adventure, though, and I’m excited to see where it goes.