Star Wars Zero Company Review: See If Its Aggressive Combat Fits XCOM Fans
A 90% shot can still miss. In Star Wars Zero Company, that familiar XCOM pain matters less than what happens next. Push an enemy off a ledge, knock two droids together, then chain attacks until the whole turn changes.
This Star Wars Zero Company review finds an unusual mix of Respawn's cinematic Star Wars Jedi style and the turn-based tactics of former XCOM 2 developers. The result looks familiar at first, but its smaller maps, flexible classes, and bold combat give it a clear identity.
The 35-hour campaign follows a customizable mercenary crew during the Clone Wars. Strong characters, sharp writing, and stylish missions carry the story. Limited replay value, repeated enemy designs, loading issues, and shallow exploration keep it below XCOM 2, though this remains one of the strongest Star Wars tactical experiences since Rogue One.
Star Wars Zero Company review: A Clone Wars story built around mercenaries
Hawk leads a crew beyond the Republic war machine
The story takes place near the edges of the Clone Wars, away from its famous front lines. Hawk, a customizable former military commander, turns to mercenary work after suffering a major defeat. The setup recalls Han Solo and Malcolm Reynolds, but that familiar shape fits the story well.
Hawk gathers soldiers, aliens, clones, specialists, and Force users into a crew of four. Lightsabers and Jedi powers rarely dominate the campaign. Most fights belong to people with blasters, strong teamwork, and plenty of reasons to distrust both sides of the war.
Fathom gives the campaign a fresh villain
The main threat comes from the Infinite Coil, a Separatist-aligned cult led by the eerie Fathom. She plans to spread a mind-altering plague across the galaxy using disturbing insect-like creatures. The disease may connect to the Force, but the story avoids another Sith-style villain for most of its run.
Fathom stays mysterious for too long, which limits her growth as a character. Her relationship with her son adds needed emotion and keeps her from feeling flat. She also arranges a striking space battle near the end, even though players don't control that sequence.
The crew supplies the campaign's emotional weight
The main companions have familiar roles, but strong acting and personal missions make them memorable. Cab is a powerful alien brawler. Jay is a mining heir whose home was taken by the Coil. Rick is a discharged clone trying to help his surviving brothers, while Vi hunts those responsible for her pain as a Mandalorian.
Kela is an AWOL Padawan investigating the Coil, and Luca is a sharpshooter who distrusts the Republic but hates Fathom more. Their missions include twists and Clone Wars-era cameos. The base cast helps even more: sarcastic Separatist bookkeeper Runa clashes with Republic officer Bennick, while the medical droid MVO and arms dealer Niche add useful humor.
Star Wars Zero Company gameplay rewards aggressive positioning
Small maps make bold attacks safer
The basics will feel familiar to XCOM fans. You control four operators, take cover, manage line of sight, spend three action points per turn, and hope the hit chance behaves. Smaller maps and no fog of war make fights easier to read, though missed high-percentage shots remain a constant threat.
The major difference is the game's push toward aggression. Characters can knock enemies into one another, off ledges, into Overwatch zones, or into the range of explosives. A strong turn often means leaving cover to reach a better angle or forcing enemies into a position where several attacks can land.
The casualty system supports that style. A soldier must go down three times without healing between missions before permanent death occurs. Damage has no lasting effect until the first down causes an injury. A 35-hour normal playthrough ended without coming close to losing anyone, though experienced XCOM players will find the system easier than newcomers.
Advantage points expand each turn
Your shared advantage pool grows when squad members damage enemies or use certain skills. Those points unlock extra actions, such as Trick's rocket launcher or Hawk's ability to give a teammate another action point. They turn each successful hit into a chance to extend the attack.
Blaster pistols are useful here despite their lower damage and range. Their fast fire rate can produce three or more shots in one turn, building advantage quickly. Save those points for key attacks, movement bursts, explosives, or an urgent rescue instead of spending them on every available skill.
The rotating backup ability adds another layer. One character can mark a nearby ally, who then fires a guaranteed follow-up shot after the next attack. Check line of sight for both characters before using it. Backup can be wasted if the first shooter scores a critical kill or the second operator can't see the target.
Mission objectives create pressure beyond kills
Story missions vary their goals well. Some force the squad forward as the area behind them explodes. Others require you to hold two locations, survive endless enemy waves, or fight several linked battles before reaching extraction.
These objectives make movement and reserves matter. Plan the escape route before triggering the final stage, keep mobile operators near likely exits, and hold advantage points for the last wave. Side missions feel less special because they often drop you straight into a fight.
Flexible classes create strong squad synergies
Respecs encourage constant experimentation
Hawk can switch from medic to sniper or any of the other available specialties between missions. Skill points can be refunded, weapons can change, and recruitable characters offer similar freedom. Guns also have several cosmetic looks with their own sound effects, which is a small but fun detail.
That freedom makes it easy to match a squad to the next mission. It also reduces the pressure of long-term choices. The main crew keeps more identity through fixed class traits and unique skills.
Jay can execute weakened enemies with her final shot. Cab refunds attack points when a melee kill succeeds, creating a useful hit-and-run loop. Vi's jetpack attack sets enemies on fire, Trick can resurrect himself once, and Kela has a separate Jedi skill system. Astromech droids focus on action-point support, grenades, and healing.
Bonds and secondary classes reward planning
When two teammates grow closer, their bond grants a choice between three random bonuses. Each boost is small, but repeated choices can improve important stats for both characters. Secondary classes later let you split points between two skill trees or focus on one.
This system creates room for hybrid builds involving weapons, utility items, bonds, and advantage generation. Pair characters who often fight near each other, then build around a shared role. A second playthrough on hard difficulty gives these systems more room to shine.
Cinematic missions look great, but technical flaws interrupt the action
Linked battles feel like real Star Wars set pieces
Zero Company borrows the polished look of Respawn's Star Wars Jedi games. During some story missions, the camera moves into third person and lets you control Hawk between connected battles. Walking into the next zone starts the tactical encounter, giving the location a stronger sense of space.
Detailed sky cities and Clone Wars locations help sell the setting. Exploration remains basic, though. Most third-person sections involve walking to a person or object and pressing a button to trigger dialogue.
Bugs and loading screens break the flow
The repetitive, unskippable loading cutscenes are a major annoyance. Hitching was reported on both PC and PS5 Pro, along with graphical bugs and camera problems. Dramatic animations sometimes frame a wall instead of the attack, while slow-motion Overwatch scenes could pause for around 20 seconds.
These problems disrupt immersion but rarely ruin a mission. The review experience never required a reload because of a glitch or showed a bug that changed a tactical result. That puts the game in better shape than XCOM 2 was at launch.
Replayability falls short of XCOM 2
Operations add choices with uneven results
Before missions, you spend limited intel points on offscreen operations. You choose team members for text-based assignments that can unlock missions and provide credits or loot. The system sometimes feels random because it gives little advice about who suits hostage rescues, hacking, or other tasks.
An injury after a poor choice can feel as arbitrary as missing a 90% shot. Some operations offer better dilemmas, including choices that upset certain crew members. A Trade Federation defector may offer information useful to the Republic or to your company, forcing you to weigh money, loyalty, and relationships.
Keep spare operatives available and treat intel as a limited resource. Check the likely emotional cost before choosing a profitable but cruel option.
A scripted campaign can't match XCOM 2's depth
A 35-hour first campaign offers plenty to see, and expired missions can lead to different content on another run. New class builds, bond pairings, secondary classes, missed operations, and hard difficulty provide good reasons to return.
Still, fixed maps and limited progression variety reduce the long-term appeal. XCOM 2 gains much of its power from procedural maps and random unlocks that reshape every campaign. Zero Company trades that unpredictability for a stronger authored story and tighter cinematic pacing.
Choose Zero Company for character-driven Star Wars storytelling and accessible tactics. Choose XCOM 2 for harsher losses, changing campaigns, and years of build experimentation.
Conclusion
Star Wars Zero Company succeeds as a story-focused tactical game with aggressive combat, flexible squad builds, and a memorable mercenary crew. Its smaller maps reward movement and enemy manipulation, while bonds, secondary classes, and signature abilities create plenty of room to test new teams.
Repetitive enemies, blind-feeling operations, shallow exploration, and technical hiccups hold it back from XCOM 2's legendary replay value. Even so, fans of the Clone Wars, XCOM-style strategy, and authored campaigns should give it a place on their list. Play it for the characters, the cinematic missions, and a fresh take on Star Wars that puts a good blaster at your side first.