Star Wars: Zero Company is the first game from studio Bit Reactor, which formed in 2022. Made up of veteran developers that worked on games like XCOM, Civilization, Gears of War, and Elder Scrolls Online, Bit Reactor is hardly your average indie team. That said, there really is no one better to make a Star Wars tactics game, and that’s exactly what they’ve done with Star Wars: Zero Company.
You play as Hawks, a disgraced captain of the Galactic Republic who now runs a ragtag special forces crew that goes by the name Zero Company. Hawks is contacted by an exiled baroness, Jae Mordant, and a Republic intelligence officer, Bennic Halloren, who are investigating a shadowy cult called Infinite Coil. Deep in debt to some Hutts, Hawks has no choice but to sign Zero Company up for government work.
Thanks to a fantastic in medias res tutorial opening, Zero Company wastes no time in teaching you the basics. Combat plays out like most other turn-based tactics games (think Fire Emblem, XCOM, or any game with the word ‘tactics’ in the title); you control a squad of up to four operators, each with their own ‘AP,’ or action points. You can use AP to move, shoot, or use class—or sometimes character—specific abilities. Once you’ve used up each operator’s AP, you end your turn and your enemy can then move against you.
Your operators can take cover behind various structures, increasing the chances of surviving whatever the enemy throws their way. Likewise, your squad’s chances of actually landing hits on enemy combatants will depend on how far away they are, what angle they’re firing from, and what type of weapon they’re using. This does, unfortunately, mean you can miss shots even when the game tells you you have a 90% chance to hit; indeed, there is an achievement to be unlocked for doing just that.
There are lots of interesting combat mechanics added gradually as you progress through the story. You will unlock different kinds of operators, some generic and some that are pre-defined characters, with the latter having completely unique abilities. There’s a lot of fun to be had mucking around here. For example, some melee attacks and concussive grenades send enemies flying, meaning you can angle it so that an enemy not only takes damage from the initial strike but also from slamming against a wall. Or, you could send them tumbling off the map entirely.
The galaxy map displays operations and missions. Operations are smaller, text-based events that may require you to make a choice or select certain operators to carry out a job but won’t require an actual tactical battle. To accept operations, you need intel, which is a limited resource. This means you really need to think hard about which jobs to go for and which to let slip by. Completing operations will net you different rewards (credits, weapon mods, etc.) depending on the choices you made and will often give you influence in that sector of the galaxy. Level up your influence in a sector and unlock even bigger rewards.
Naturally, embarking on missions involves engaging the enemy in a tactical battle. Main story missions are clearly marked and often involve third-person vignettes where you get to move through the environment on the approach to the actual fight itself. These may be brief, but they really add to the sense of exploring vast and alien environments with your crew. There are also other, smaller-stakes missions to complete that will have a simple objective and can be somewhat repetitive but are essential for levelling up your operators and accruing credits.
Your operators have a bond level that can go up or down depending on decisions you make as Hawks, as well as time spent fighting alongside each other, and it is often influenced by character-specific personality traits. For example, Hawks’ Clone Trooper buddy Trick remains loyal to the Republic despite being medically discharged. Any decision you make that harms the Republic, helps Separatists, or would generally be considered ‘evil’ will cause your bond with Trick to decrease. When the bond level between two operators increases, you can pick from three bonuses that will be granted to both operators. These are things like an increase in assist damage, max health, or grenade damage. Basically, literally everything you do is progressing something, making everything feel worthwhile.
Between missions you can walk around your base in a third-person perspective, checking in with your companions, tweaking outfits, constructing permanent upgrades, recruiting more operators, purchasing useful items from the black market, and more. Story developments take place here, new characters are introduced, and you can walk around at your own pace. I really can’t overstate how much this adds to the cinematic feel of Zero Company. Thanks to the fantastic writing, I couldn’t wait to return to base after each mission to check in with the crew.
The main narrative beats driving the story forward are nothing groundbreaking on paper, but the quality of the writing and the extremely endearing cast of characters elevates Zero Company to something truly special. It’s clear Bit Reactor set out to make a good game that just happened to be set in the Star Wars universe, not just to make a Star Wars game. I’m wary of evoking the TV show Andor as a comparison, as I’m worried it may set expectations too high, but to me what makes that show so good is how it’s street-level, grounded, and extremely well written, and it just happens to be set in the Star Wars universe. This is exactly what Zero Company has achieved.
Star Wars: Zero Company is an absolute must-play. Its turn-based tactical gameplay is gorgeous, challenging, and mechanically rich. The operators that make up Zero Company are extremely likeable both on and off the battlefield, and upgrading their abilities and progressing their individual stories was endlessly rewarding. Honestly, I’ve seen enough; give Mass Effect to Bit Reactor.
Rating: 9/10
Star Wars: Zero Company was reviewed on Steam with a code provided by the publisher.