Bit Reactor’s new release, Star Wars Zero Company, launched on August 27 across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, offering a fresh take on the turn-based tactics (TBT) genre within the Star Wars universe. Set approximately 20 years prior to the events of the 1977 original film and far from the familiar terrain of Tatooine, the game centers on a small mercenary group known as Zero Company. Players command just three troops battling against an overwhelming force of battle droids on the desert planet Serolonis.

The storyline deviates from the established conflict with the Empire, which has yet to officially exist in this timeline. Instead, players navigate missions as hired guns working off debts owed to a character named Gorge the Hutt, Jabba’s nephew. The mercenaries confront threats including the Infinite Coil, a paramilitary cult intent on spreading a deadly plague across the Republic.

Zero Company must balance resource management and tactical combat, reflecting the dual-layer gameplay common in top TBT titles such as the XCOM series. These influential games, particularly XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) and its 2016 sequel XCOM 2, have long set the template for the genre by combining strategic base management with challenging, turn-based combat scenarios. Like XCOM, Zero Company features no time limits on player turns, encouraging deliberate planning and strategic risk-taking.

The genre’s defining characteristic is its reliance on probability mechanics, where attack success is determined by percentages and players often accept that missed chances are part of the experience. This randomness adds tension and a heightened sense of responsibility toward individual units, especially as players can customize soldiers by name and gear, creating emotional connections over time.

Turn-based tactics games have recently seen varied reinterpretations. Tactical Breach Wizards (2024), for example, earned critical acclaim for blending accessible yet difficult gameplay with strong narrative elements. Its developer, Tom Francis, noted that allowing players to rewind turns encourages experimentation and reduces the often conservative playstyle TBT games can induce.

Other attempts to revisit or extend the core XCOM formula have appeared in recent years, including the 2020 spin-off XCOM: Chimera Squad, the tactical shift in Gears Tactics, and Phoenix Point—created by XCOM’s original designer Julian Gollop. However, none have fully matched the enduring engagement of the originals.

Zero Company introduces features such as third-person platforming segments for real-time exploration and text-based decision points that expand the gameplay beyond combat. While these additions aim to enrich the experience, the game’s overall appeal will depend largely on its replayability and ability to sustain player interest over multiple sessions.

As Zero Company steps into the shadow of its highly regarded predecessors, its success may hinge on balancing innovative storytelling within the Star Wars framework with the demanding strategic depth expected by fans of the turn-based tactics genre.