Star Wars Zero Company Review: Why Its Aggressive Combat Makes Clone Wars Tactics Click
A collaboration between developers from Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and XCOM 2 sounds unlikely. One series thrives on lightsaber duels and action combat; the other depends on careful positioning and painful dice rolls. Star Wars Zero Company brings those strengths together in a cinematic tactical game with strong characters, sharp writing, and a combat system that rewards bold moves.
The campaign takes place away from the main Clone Wars battles. You lead Hawk, a customizable former commander who now runs a crew of mercenaries. Their fight against the Separatist-aligned Infinite Coil offers a fresh story that focuses on blasters, clones, Mandalorians, and ordinary soldiers instead of another Jedi-versus-Sith conflict.
This Star Wars Zero Company review finds a game with its own identity. Its aggressive combat and flexible squad builds set it apart from XCOM 2, while its characters and presentation recall Respawn's Jedi games. Enemy variety, technical issues, and replay value keep it from reaching XCOM 2's long-term heights, but the 35-hour campaign is well worth playing.
Star Wars Zero Company review: A Clone Wars story with a sharp edge
A mercenary crew operates far from the front lines
The opening cutscene places the story near a battle between Republic and Separatist forces. The campaign then moves away from the war's famous battles and follows conflicts playing out on its outer edges.
Hawk leads the company after suffering a major military defeat. The captain-and-misfits setup recalls Firefly, which itself owes much to Han Solo. That familiar structure works because it gives the story room to focus on people outside the usual Jedi-centered plot.
Hawk's crew includes mercenaries with different ties to the Clone Wars. Their goals often clash, which creates tension during missions and conversations at the company's base.
The Infinite Coil brings a fresh threat
The main enemy is the Infinite Coil, a Separatist-aligned cult led by the mysterious Fathom. She plans to spread a mind-altering plague across the galaxy using frightening insect-like creatures. The disease may have a connection to the Force, but the plot doesn't depend on another Sith-style villain.
Fathom stays hidden for much of the campaign, which makes her feel unsettling rather than overexposed. Her relationship with her son gives her more emotional weight. Lines such as "And I welcome you to the Coil" reinforce her cold, eerie presence.
The final space battle is also unlike anything usually seen in Star Wars. It isn't playable, but its scale and presentation make it a strong cinematic payoff.
Character missions carry the campaign
The main crew's personal stories bring the most feeling to the campaign. Cab is a huge alien brawler, while Jay is the heir to a mining family driven from its home. Rick is a medically discharged clone trying to help his many brothers, and Vi is a Mandalorian seeking revenge.
Kela is an AWOL Padawan investigating the Coil. Luca is a sharpshooter who distrusts the Republic but sees Fathom as a greater threat. Their missions include twists, strong performances, and cameos from Clone Wars-era characters.
The base crew is just as memorable. Runa, the company's bookkeeper, has a Separatist background and a sharp tongue. Her arguments with Republic intelligence officer Bennick add humor while showing how the war tests his beliefs. The medical droid MVO and arms dealer Niche also get several good lines.
Zero Company combat rewards movement and teamwork
Familiar XCOM foundations make combat easy to learn
Players who know XCOM will understand the basic loop at once. A four-person squad takes cover, checks line of sight, aims attacks, and hopes the odds hold. Missing a 90% shot still happens, so every turn needs a backup plan.
The difference is the pace. Zero Company uses small maps without fog of war, so unseen enemies rarely ambush you. Damage also carries few lasting effects until a character is downed and becomes injured.
Permanent death is enabled by default, but soldiers can survive three downs without healing before they die for good. That makes the game more forgiving than XCOM 2. On normal difficulty, a skilled player can finish the 35-hour campaign without losing anyone permanently.
Push attacks turn defense into offense
The best Star Wars Zero Company gameplay encourages you to leave cover and attack with purpose. Characters can knock enemies into each other, off ledges, into overwatch zones, or into the path of an area attack.
These effects give movement more value than sitting behind cover and trading shots. A risky advance can create a chain reaction that removes several enemies at once. Small maps and short distances help keep battles active.
The system still punishes careless play. A missed shot can ruin a plan, and an exposed soldier may draw fire from several enemies. Take risks, but keep an escape route or a second attacker ready.
Advantage and Backup create tactical combos
Each character starts with three action points. The squad also shares an Advantage pool, which grows when characters damage enemies or use certain skills. You can spend it on powerful actions, such as Trick's rocket launcher or Hawk's ability to give an ally another action point.
Blaster pistols are useful for this system. They deal less damage and have shorter range than rifles or sniper weapons, but they can fire several times in one turn. Those extra hits build Advantage quickly.
Backup adds another layer of teamwork. Its holder changes each turn, and that character can assign a nearby ally to support an attack. The follow-up shot always hits, even when the first attack misses.
Check line of sight before using Backup. The support shooter must be able to see the target, and a critical hit can kill the enemy before the guaranteed shot fires.
Flexible builds give every squad room to experiment
Respecialization removes much of the risk
Most characters can be rebuilt between missions. Hawk can switch from medic to sniper, respec every skill point, and change weapons to fit a new role. Recruitable squad members offer much of the same freedom.
This system helps new players test different builds without restarting the campaign. Weapon cosmetics also come with different sound effects, a small but enjoyable detail for gear fans.
The tradeoff is that long-term choices feel less important. A poor class decision rarely stays poor for long when you can change it before the next mission.
Signature abilities keep the main crew distinct
Core characters retain a defining class and a unique ability, even when you respec them. Jay can trigger an automatic execution when her final shot drops an enemy below a health threshold. Cab regains attack points after a melee kill, creating a strong hit-and-run style.
Vi uses a Mandalorian jetpack to set enemies on fire when she lands. Trick can resurrect himself once, while Kela brings a Jedi-focused skill system to a roster otherwise built around blasters.
These abilities make the main crew worth protecting. Keeping them alive matters for both story missions and combat plans.
Bonds and secondary classes add depth
When two teammates grow closer, they gain a bond. You choose one of three random bonuses, and the effect applies to both characters. Each boost is small, but repeated choices can improve key stats over time.
Later, secondary classes let characters split skill points between two skill trees or focus on one. Add weapon mods and utility items, and squad design becomes much richer. Build pairs around clear jobs, such as healing and damage support or crowd control and action-point generation.
Missions and operations shape the campaign
Story missions create memorable battlefields
Major missions often change the usual combat pattern. You may need to destroy the area behind the squad to force a forward push, defend two locations, survive constant enemy spawns, and then reach extraction.
Some missions link several battles in one location. Between fights, the camera shifts into third person and lets you control Hawk directly until he enters the next combat zone. This makes the setting feel more connected than side missions, which often drop the squad straight into a fight.
The environments look detailed, but exploration is limited. Most optional interactions involve walking to a person or object and pressing a button to trigger dialogue.
Operations add risk between battles
Before missions, you spend limited Intel points on offscreen text adventures. These operations can unlock missions, provide credits, or award loot. You choose which squad members to send, but the game often gives little guidance about who fits each task.
That uncertainty can feel like another dice roll. A poor outcome may injure a useful character, though a deep roster reduces the impact. Keep extra soldiers available so one bad operation doesn't damage your next battle plan.
Some choices are more engaging, such as deciding whether to sell a Trade Federation defector to a Hutt for extra credits. The game also includes timed missions that can expire, giving you reasons to try another campaign.
Presentation is strong, but replayability falls behind XCOM 2
Enemy types become familiar over time
There are melee units, snipers, standard soldiers, and several specialized enemies. Coil soldiers add a useful twist because nearby allies can absorb some of their power when they die. Shielded Droidekas are the most memorable non-humanoid opponents.
Still, many bosses are stronger versions of regular humanoid enemies. After several hours, enemy groups can start to blend together. Changing squad roles and experimenting with class synergies helps keep familiar battles fresh.
Cinematic style sells the Star Wars setting
The music, acting, cutscenes, and visual framing give the campaign weight. The presentation carries the same polished style associated with Respawn's Jedi games, while the grounded ensemble cast recalls the tone of Rogue One.
Blasters take center stage, and Force users remain part of a larger group rather than dominating every scene. That focus gives the game a wider view of the Clone Wars.
Technical issues and structure limit repeat play
Repetitive, unskippable loading cutscenes can hitch on PC and PS5 Pro. Graphical bugs appear during missions, and the camera sometimes zooms into a wall instead of showing an attack. Slow-motion Overwatch scenes can also pause for several seconds.
These problems are irritating but rarely harmful. The campaign did not require mission reloads because of a glitch, and it feels more stable than XCOM 2 at launch.
Replayability is lower because maps and upgrade paths aren't procedurally generated. The story is tightly authored, so it can't match the endless variety that keeps XCOM 2 active years later. Missed missions, alternate builds, and harder difficulty still support at least two playthroughs.
Conclusion
Star Wars Zero Company combines cinematic storytelling with aggressive turn-based tactics. Its strongest features are the Clone Wars setting, memorable crew, original villain, flexible classes, and combat built around movement and cooperation.
The game has clear limits. Enemy designs grow repetitive, exploration is shallow, and technical hitches interrupt some dramatic moments. Its authored campaign also offers less replay value than XCOM 2.
Still, the normal campaign lasts about 35 hours, and its layered builds can support another run on hard difficulty. Zero Company won't replace XCOM 2, but it gives Star Wars fans a strong tactical game where mercenaries and blasters matter as much as Jedi and lightsabers. If you want a Star Wars story beyond the usual Sith conflict, this campaign deserves a place on your squad list.
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