STAR WARS Zero Company Review

A brilliant tactical Star Wars adventure.

Star Wars enthusiasts have long dreamed about what an actual XCOM-style strategy game would look like in that galaxy far, far away. STAR WARS Zero Company answers that long-standing wish, and does so amazingly well, taking familiar Star Wars characters and weapons and incorporating them into an established tactical model.

Developed by Bit Reactor in partnership with Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games, it’s the studio’s first project, uniting veterans who previously worked on major strategy games such as XCOM and Civilization. The project was officially unveiled at Star Wars Celebration Japan in 2025, then released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on August 27, 2026.

The pedigree of STAR WARS Zero Company was instantly interesting. Bit Reactor certainly knows what makes turn-based strategy games tick, but they also had the tough challenge of making the experience seem like Star Wars, not just a case of "XCOM with lightsabers." Luckily, that difference becomes obvious very immediately.

The tactical basis is familiar, but the characters, locales, cinematic presentation, Force abilities, droids, Clone Wars atmosphere, and mix of diverse Star Wars archetypes give the game its own identity.

After spending nearly 30 hours with the full campaign, the biggest surprise with STAR WARS Zero Company is that the combat isn’t doing all the heavy work. Although we knew from the preview that the tactical gameplay would be the main attraction, the game has a surprisingly interesting plot and a fascinating cast.

Shortcomings remain, particularly in difficulty balancing, companion progression, and certain technical annoyances, but the package is one of the best Star Wars experiences in recent years. STAR WARS Zero Company takes place at the end of the Clone Wars, amid political turmoil, military setbacks, and divided loyalties.

You play as Hawks, a former Republic officer turned commander of Zero Company, an odd bunch of specialists and mercenaries from throughout the galaxy. Officially, the Group is little more than a collection of hired specialists, but their current job turns out to be much more than just another routine contract. The Hawks and squad are pulled into an investigation of the Infinite Coil, a deadly, Separatist-backed cult run by Kundri Fathom.

What begins as an off-the-books operation quickly becomes far more serious as Zero Company finds itself face to face with enemies and situations that exceed its original expectations. The concept works particularly well because Hawks isn’t a blank avatar. The character is highly customizable, yet Hawks has a defined personality and identity within the story.

The game doesn't aim to make Hawks a fully player-defined protagonist, as the dialog choices are limited.

Customization, however, lets you design the look you want, and the character remains a distinct part of the story. The rest of the cast is arguably even more significant: Clones, Jedi, smugglers, droids, aliens, and all sorts of other strange individuals get together for Zero Company. The characters' diverse backgrounds create natural friction and banter.

Trick and the other characters are unique because of their time in the Republic and how it shapes their view of the galaxy and its foes. These ties also give the campaign a human element that you might not expect in a strategy game. One of the game's strongest achievements is how it conveys the Clone Wars' moral ambiguity.

Not all characters agree on the Republic, the Separatists, or the decisions being made around them. At times, the game delves into themes of devotion, bigotry, and the toll of a lengthy conflict, all without losing the sense of adventure that makes Star Wars feel like Star Wars. The story isn’t ideal. Some parts feel rushed, and the conclusion doesn't always deliver the narrative intricacy the setup promises.

The related stories could have gone further, too. Still, there are enough twists, character moments, and authentic Star Wars sequences to make the game worth it. STAR WARS Zero Company is a turn-based tactical strategy game greatly inspired by XCOM. You take a small team on missions, switch between cover, fight foes, use skills, set up overwatch, and plan each step carefully. Positioning is everything. It can mean life or death for your team. Everything you do matters.

The basics are easy to understand. Characters have a certain number of action points that can be used for movement, attacking, utilizing items, or activating abilities. You can flank foes, throw grenades, utilize melee assaults, take advantage of elevation, and exploit environmental hazards. The maps themselves are loaded with cover, breakable objects, tight passageways, and useful vantage points, making the battlefield feel more like a tactical playground than a simple grid.

What makes STAR WARS Zero Company special are its character powers.

A Jedi can also use the Force to throw foes off of ledges or to deflect oncoming blaster fire. A melee character can charge the enemy and possibly slam them into ambient props. An astromech can help with gadgets, boosts, camouflage, and other utility abilities. The sniper can take high ground and set up overwatch while the rest of the team moves up.

Another essential feature of battle is the team-up mechanic. If characters have the proper line of sight, they can assist each other. One operator can follow up another operator's strike for more damage. So you don't just pick the best character. You always have to think about how your whole team performs as a unit. The advantage system adds an extra layer.

Some skills and attacks allow characters to gain or spend advantage, priming the pump for more powerful actions. Squad composition becomes more important as the campaign develops, since classes interact with this system differently. The most satisfying part of fighting is when all of these mechanics come together. Using a sniper setup from a high-ground position, then having another character reveal an enemy.

A team-up attack, and then ending the encounter with a Force ability can lead to some really cool tactical moments. These meetings often feel like you’re directing your own Star Wars action sequence. The primary drawback is that the game can get too simple once your team develops. But by mid-campaign, dual specs, potent gear, and character synergies can make your party an incredibly efficient killing machine. The Normal difficulty is especially lenient for veteran strategists.

If you are already experienced with XCOM-like games, then starting on Hard or Expert is the preferable choice.

There is also some repetition. Several battles can take a lot longer than expected, and several of the animations, especially the combat-stim motion for the medic, get repetitive after using them in many bouts. Camera difficulties and occasional awkward transitions also disrupt an otherwise outstanding presentation. But the foundations remain sturdy.

Bit Reactor certainly knows tactical fighting, and the Star Wars skills keep the formula feeling fresh even if the basic concepts are familiar. Progression in STAR WARS Zero Company is about building individual operators, enhancing equipment, and establishing connections amongst squad members. The more missions a character is used in, the more successful he becomes.

Operators who fight together often form bonds. These connections allow for stat increases and other support abilities, providing you another motivation to experiment with different pairs. The dual-specialization system may be the highlight of advancement. Once unlocked, characters can be mixed and matched with elements from different classes, which can greatly increase the number of viable squad combinations.

A character who used to have one simple role can all of a sudden get a little more versatile. Equipment is just as vital. The Black Market lets you obtain weapon attachments and valuable items like healing equipment, grenades, and other tactical gear. Credits are scarce, so you can’t buy everything. Choose the enhancements that best support your current approach. You can also update facilities in the Den.

Enhancements can improve your medical skills, expand recruiting options, improve the Black Market, and more. These changes make the headquarters feel more than just a menu screen. But the companion progression system isn't as deep as it originally seems. Bonding sounds like it could be a big connection system, but mechanically it mostly gives perks and unlocks personal quests.

There are no romance systems, and the penalties of finishing companion stories aren’t as high as they could’ve been.

But progression still matters because the game is time-based. As time marches on, activities and missions can disappear, and intelligence and resources are limited. You can’t do everything in one campaign. You have to pick your opportunity.

That adds an interesting strategic aspect beyond the actual fighting. Do you do a companion mission because you desire the story and bond reward? Do you take a surgery that gives you valuable equipment? Or do you finish the main plot before another opportunity is lost? These decisions link advancement to the campaign, not just an XP treadmill.

The battle is by far the best mechanical aspect of STAR WARS Zero Company. It makes familiar XCOM ideas feel fresh, since nearly every class has a distinct Star Wars character. The enemy variety is helpful too. You’ll go up against everyday criminals and troops, Separatist droids, and the stranger forces connected to the Infinite Coil.

Instead of just blasting them till their health reaches zero, you need to position yourself and coordinate abilities carefully against stronger adversaries. Permadeath can also significantly increase the stakes. Losing a good operator hurts because you have spent time and money on them. This feature can be tweaked depending on your playstyle,e so novice players can enjoy the campaign without being too punished.

The main critique remains the difficulty; dual-specialization unlocks can make tactical players quite powerful. In contrast, this accessibility is arguably deliberate. That way, newcomers won’t be overwhelmed trying to learn the processes, while experienced players can increase the difficulty to make every decision matter. That simplicity is a double-edged sword.

It doesn’t have the scary complexity of the deepest strategy games, but that accessibility also makes it easy to focus on the spectacular Star Wars experience. In between major plot missions, you’re based out of the Den and use the galaxy map to figure out what happens next. Main objectives, optional operations, and companion missions vie for your attention. Time moves by while you are doing things; therefore,e you have to accept that certain possibilities will pass you by.

The format lends the story a strong sense of urgency. 

And it’s part of the fun; you’re never sure you're making the best choice. Optional missions reward credits, equipment, resources, or character growth, but there’s no way you can perform everything the game throws at you. A comprehensive playthrough of the campaign takes roughly 30 hours, although players who take their time in tactical engagements or go after additional material can easily spend much longer. Different endings and variations give you a reason to replay.

Pacing is not perfect. Somewhere in the middle, the game gets rather bogged down in back-to-back missions and loses some of the variety that was present earlier. Thankfully, it ultimately bounces back, and the later stages deliver some of the most interesting story and mission moments. One of STAR WARS Zero Company’s biggest assets is visual. The settings are richly detailed, the character models are dynamic, and the tactical camera makes fighting extremely theatrical.

But it's the attention to Star Wars detail that really makes the presentation. Blaster effects, explosions, lightsabers, droids, armor, aliedesignsgn,s and environmental storytelling all help make you feel like you’re really operating inside the Clone Wars. The game also transitions smoothly from exploration to combat. In certain of the story missions, you can roam around a setting with your squad before you join a tactical combat.

This gives a better feel for the region and more variety than a steady succession of tactical maps. There are a couple of visual concerns. Some camera transitions and animations feel a little clunky, and textures and objects can sometimes take a while to load. Sometimes the camera misses critical moments, or is blocked. None of them are deal breakers to the experience itself, but it’s enough to keep things from being a faultless presentation.

The audio presentation is another great success. The blaster sounds, ambient effects, character performances, es and music all combine to give a true Star Wars feel. The soundtrack is very effective in plot scenes and big interactions. The only real gripe is that some combat music loops a bit too much, something you tend to notice on longer missions. It can be annoying to hear the same musical passage over and over again if you spend a lot of time in one encounter.

Other than that, the sound design does exactly what it needs to do. Even if you don't see a lightsaber or blaster, the audio helps set the scene.

STAR WARS Zero Company isn't a flawless tactical RPG, but it’s pretty damn close to the Star Wars XCOM experience many fans have craved for years. Bit Reactor has taken the foundation of squad-based turn-based strategy and done a great job of adapting it to a world where nearly every character typology lends itself nicely to a tactical function.

The combat is the strongest part. All the fighting elements – the cover, action points, team-up assaults, advantage abilities, Force capabilities, equipment and dual specializations – combine to make for always entertaining conflicts. The latter half of the campaign is extremely entertaining, as the system becomes even more intriguing as your squad expands.

Another nice surprise of a narrative. It’s not an excuse to jump from one combat to another; it’s fascinating characters, strong performances,ces and numerous genuinely exciting Star Wars scenes. Hawks and the rest of Zero Company gradually become a convincing band of misfits, and the Clone Wars backdrop gives the story plenty of room to develop themes of loyalty, conflict, and political uncertainty.

The game’s major flaws are balancing issues, shallow companion development, some pacing issues, and technological roughness. Normal may be overly lenient for seasoned players, and the connection systems hint at more depth than the game really has.

But these faults aren't enough to detract from what STAR WARS Zero Company can do. This is an accessible strategy game with enough depth to please tactical fans. At the same time,e the cinematic presentation and identifiable Star Wars identity make it appealing to folks who may have never touched an XCOM game.

If you’re a Star Wars lover, a strategy buff, or just someone who’s ever wished to lead a Jedi with a Clone Trooper, a robot, and a bunch of galaxy-spanning misfits, then STAR WARS Zero Company is highly recommended. 

It may not redefine turn-based strategies, but it doesn’t need to. It understands the formula, gives it a great Star Wars personality, and offers a campaign that’s easy to get committed to. It's also attractively priced at $49.99 on PC, compared to many big releases. More significantly, it feels like the start of something rather than the finish.

Future expansion could include more classes, deeper companion systems, new missions and more reasons for players to come back after they finish the campaign. STAR WARS Zero Company illustrates there’s still much of the galaxy far, far away to be mined for untapped potential in games. Bit Reactor’s first major project not only fulfills the Star Wars strategy game that fans wanted, but sets the stage for something that could be much better in the future.