There have been a lot of very good Star Wars games over the years, but Star Wars Zero Company might be the first to live up to a feature that none have achieved since 2003’s BioWare classic, Knights of the Old Republic. (And while they’re at it, developer Bit Reactor is exploring the franchise from the perspective of an underserved genre.)
After playing a preview build, it was clear to me that Star Wars Zero Company is bringing the full expertise and passion of Bit Reactor’s staff to bear. This new offering goes where few studios have gone before, presenting the Clone Wars through the lens of a turn-based tactical game in the vein of XCOM or Marvel’s Midnight Suns. Given the studio’s pedigree, this is no surprise, but after a couple of missions I found myself wondering why so few strategy games exist in this franchise overall.
The titular band of mercenaries is led by Hawks, a former Republic military captain who has fallen on hard times after a mission gone wrong. Aside from their backstory, Hawks is remarkably customizable—players can choose their race, gender, class, and full appearance from across the game’s spectrum of character creation tools. I opted for a version somewhat close to the “default” male appearance, but already this seems like the kind of game where I’m going to feel compelled to replay it with a different take on the leader.
Immediately, Hawks’ disposition was endearing, with his drawling responses to conversation options, but he wasn’t the only one. The other members of Zero Company were equally intriguing, putting some unique twists on Star Wars tropes. For example, Trick, the discharged Clone Trooper, benefits from the instant connection that comes with Dee Bradley Baker’s voice and the mystery behind his damaged armour, while Runa, the Togruta advisor, busts Hawks’ chops with a brusqueness that’s refreshing in Star Wars.
“To its immense credit, Star Wars Zero Company treats bespoke units like real characters instead of making them generic mannequins that hobble into battle, as so many other games do.”
Chief among the new cast, however, must be Kabbney Uppercut. As a Felshi, a new race created for Zero Company, Kabb sets himself apart in conversations with a unique way of speaking—while living up to his last name in battle. I’ll be watching his career with great interest in the full game, just like the Mandalorian gunslinger Cly Kullervo, who has taken a similar vow to The Mandalorian‘s Din Djarin.
In addition to predefined characters like these, players can also customize and hire generic operators to fill in their roster. To its immense credit, Star Wars Zero Company treats bespoke units like real characters, instead of making them generic mannequins that hobble into battle, as so many other games do. These characters can be interacted with just like the main cast, and aren’t there just to fill out the roster. After years of watching custom creations try to blend into the background like students avoiding being called upon by the teacher, this was not only refreshing but vindicating.
Knowing full well that this was a preview build, I let myself get attached to my ragtag crew of mercenaries. It was hard not to, because the “found family” element that drives so many Star Wars stories was in full effect. Star Wars Zero Company is doing exactly what I liked most about Knights of the Old Republic: making my choices matter and my interactions with teammates meaningful.
Between missions, I got into that familiar BioWare-inspired habit of exploring the entire base and striking up conversation with everyone, digging for personal backstories or new items. The right choices can influence the Bonds between them and Hawks, opening new strategic options or further conversations and missions. Not since the deck of the Ebon Hawk have I felt like my responses carried this much weight with my allies.
Speaking of missions, Star Wars Zero Company’s early hours set up a fulfilling gameplay loop that feeds into the “just one more turn” nature of strategy games. Hawks can explore the team’s base, dubbed “The Den,” to set up the operators’ equipment, interact with them, and build up the base’s facilities. There’s a remarkable amount of freedom to the customization process, allowing control over classes and outfits to make the Company your own.
Once the team is ready, Hawks can proceed to the holotable to select missions. These are cleverly split into two areas, showing the versatility of a mercenary outfit like Zero Company. There are dispatch missions called “operations,” where teammates can be sent to fulfill various tasks like rendezvousing with new contacts, rendering aid, or performing espionage—situations that don’t suit the turn-based gameplay, but can still play a vital role in building up resources or exploring the narrative.
The core of the game is its turn-based tactical missions, where Bit Reactor’s pedigree shines through. Each operator has a set number of action points per turn with which to move and perform actions, such as attacking or manipulating objectives. Building a team with a variety of skills and tools is crucial to success here, and where the customization really blossoms.
“Star Wars Zero Company is doing exactly what I liked most about Knights of the Old Republic: making my choices matter and my interactions with teammates meaningful.”
Experimenting with abilities and combos can yield some incredibly satisfying situational results, like knocking a strong enemy off a ledge with Kabb’s uppercut special move, or pushing foes into a waiting ally’s overwatch attack. Progress farther in the story, and some truly wild options begin to open up. Want to make a squad of deadly Astromech operators (like the new BR-1 series, another original creation) who bombard enemies with explosives? Or a group of Clones with various classes?
For the purposes of the preview, I stuck to a pretty reliable team—Hawks in the Assault class, with Kabb, Trick, and a custom Gunslinger operator—but the sky appears to be the limit. And of course, as new characters like the Jedi Padawan Tell-Rea or Mandalorian Cly Kullervo emerge through the story, you may want to explore beyond your comfortable squad.
Of course, Zero Company may shake up your team’s composition in another way: permadeath. As a toggleable but recommended option, permadeath can change the team (and the story) forever. A downed unit sustains an injury, and if three should pile up, that operator will be slain and gone forever… or until you reload your last save to change history. Hawks’ survival is mandatory, but otherwise any field operator is fair game, and their absence may cause ripples throughout the story.
Playing around with these systems was a lot of fun, promising a vastly replayable experience. With only so many resources to go around, the way you develop your company and the missions you prioritize can considerably change the course of the game, as Hawks investigates the nefarious Coil—a cult-like organization wreaking havoc and strengthening the Separatists.
And of course, no Star Wars game would be complete without a couple of “Gulp Shitto” cameos. Bit Reactor has already teased that Anakin Skywalker himself will show up in Zero Company, and fans will not want to miss that epic moment. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait much longer to head to that galaxy far, far away and assemble our own mercenary outfits.
Star Wars Zero Company launches August 27 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
- Standard Edition for PlayStation 5 (disc) includes the full Star Wars Zero Company game. Single-player turn-based tactics set in the twilight of the Clone Wars—lead Hawks and Zero Company in an intense campaign.
- Build your squad from clone troopers, scoundrels, astromechs and even a Jedi—combine abilities and gear in deep Tactical-Strategy combat.
