This is where the fun begins
I am such a huge Star Wars nerd that I am literally humming the main theme as I type these words. I love the ‘galaxy far, far away’, and while in my youth I was drawn to the wizards with light swords; in my adult years I have learned there are so many more stories that can be told in that universe. We all love Jedi and Sith, but they are a small part in that world and that’s one of the big reasons that I loved developer Bit Reactor’s debut title; Star Wars: Zero Company. The team delivered a surprisingly deep and gripping campaign that takes place during the Clone Wars and wisely focuses on troops other than the Jedi.
Players will design and take control of Hawks, a former Republic officer who now leads a crew of mercenaries who are out here just trying to earn a few credits in the galaxy. Without giving too much of this excellent plot away, it isn’t long before that Hawks is asked to help out the Republic with a new shadowy threat known as the Coil and its back to old times. Star Wars: Zero Company is built around two different gameplay loops; when not on a mission, players will spend time in their home base known as “The Den”. One of the neat little things about this is when you load in after a mission the game displays your results and, in the game, players will see Hawks somewhere in their (you choose between male or female) office looking over a data pad, only to toss it away when the play hits the button to close it. It’s not necessary at all but it’s a nice bit of immersion, nonetheless.
MSRP: $49.99
Platforms: XBOX (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $49.99
Unlike XCOM and a few others when players are at their base it’s not just a menu driven UI; instead, the Den is an interactive 3rd-person space where players can run around and speak to their team members, use consoles for various reasons and really just immerse themselves in this story and setting. If you have played Marvel’s Midnight Suns (and if you haven’t you should because it’s great; see our review here) its very similar to that approach. Players will be able to upgrade their teammates skills and change their weapons while in-between missions at the base. Another really neat thing in Zero Company is players have the ability to change classes when they want, I think the only ones that are locked are the droids and a Jedi who you will meet later. But honestly who would change that?
Story is really paramount in Zero Company, and it really shows that the team at Bit Reactor have done a really good job of crafting this story. As players interact with the company (pun intended) they will directly influence combat encounters and even performance. Much like the players teams in Knights of the Old Republic, the members of the company won’t always agree with Hawks decision and thus this can have varying effects on relationships which translate into debuffs on the battlefield. Players will have to balance the team and its relationships to a degree and if you are one of those who enjoy the added challenge of permadeath you will be happy to hear that Zero Company includes this feature as an option.
Combat in Zero Company is a lot of fun in no small part to the wonderful cast of characters who are all expertly brought to life with their voice artist. Much like other tactical-strategy games, players will have 3 action points or AP per turn to use. Basic actions like moving into cover or taking shots will draw from this pool, but distance will dictate movement cost, so players will need to keep an eye on how much each action is going to cost. Zero Company offers quite a bit of tactical depth by way of the class synergies some of which can offset AP cost and even give an extra point back to a unit. And in making sure the battlefield feels immersive as players are choosing moves and abilities their characters will fire their blasters in enemy direction. Not in any real attack but more in a covering fire manner, and the enemy will do the same; it really makes it seem like a living battlefield and these actions are taking place in real time.
If I had any real complaint for Star Wars: Zero Company it would be that the classes were all fun, some of them are absolutely more essential and even vital than others. There are quite a few of them to choose from too and players are free to combine them as they would see fit but I can tell you now, going into late game you are going to want to always have an astromech with you and probably a medic. Now, the game does offer difficulty options and playing this way isn’t as mandatory on easy and normal, but it certainly is for the harder difficulties.
I had high hopes for Star Wars: Zero Company, not only as a huge Star Wars fan but also a fan of tactical-strategy games. I absolutely LOVED Midnight Suns and was gutted at what happened to that team but that is one of the few games that really proved tactic games can also deliver really deep stories. Zero Company is now to be counted among that group, with its mix of excellent gameplay, wonderful immersion and one of the best Star Wars stories we have had in a long time. Its gameplay won’t be for everyone but for those that are willing to give it a shot…. I was trying to make a “Han shot first” joke here but just trust me; this game is great.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.