STAR WARS ZERO COMPANY Might Be the XCOM Evolution That Breaks Strategy Games Wide Open
There’s something really exciting happening with Star Wars Zero Company, and it goes beyond lightsabers and blasters. This isn’t just another turn-based tactics game trying to ride on the legacy of XCOM.
It looks like it’s aiming to crack the genre open for a much bigger audience by blending deep strategy with something far more immersive and accessible. It’s giving off some serious Baldur’s Gate 3 energy.
One of the coolest ideas coming out of the latest preview is how the game handles exploration. Outside of combat, you’re not stuck in an overhead view clicking around like a commander watching from orbit. Instead, you step directly into the boots of your customizable protagonist, Hawks, and explore the world in third-person.
That shift changes the whole feel of the experience. It gives players time to actually exist in these Star Wars environments instead of just using them as tactical playgrounds. You’re not just planning battles, you’re walking through the galaxy.
According to animation lead Hector Antunez, this was a key focus for the team, even if it wasn’t easy to pull off. He tells PC Gamer:
"We pick our battles. The heart of the game is in the tactical combat. But we really wanted to add an element that allows players to spend even more time in the Star Wars environments and not have those spaces be limited by what would make for fun combat."
That philosophy says a lot about what the developers are trying to do here. They’re not replacing the tactical depth, they’re expanding everything around it, and that’s where the comparison to Baldur’s Gate 3 starts to feel very real.
When Baldur’s Gate 3 exploded in popularity, it wasn’t because it simplified CRPG mechanics. It doubled down on them while layering in cinematic presentation, exploration, and storytelling that pulled in players who normally wouldn’t touch the genre.
That same kind of thinking seems to be driving Zero Company.
The developers at Bit Reactor clearly understand that these traditionally “hardcore” genres can grow if they feel more inviting. It isn’t about dumbing anything down, it’s about presentation, immersion, and giving players more ways to connect with the experience.
Studio founder Greg Foertsch said:
"The gameplay is what it is about. But depth doesn’t cost you elegance. You can absolutely have [graphics and storytelling], and not to mention, this genre in particular, you should have those things."
Strategy games have often been treated like they need to look and feel a certain way, mostly catering to longtime fans. But when you combine deep systems with high-end presentation and player-driven exploration, suddenly the door opens to a much bigger crowd.
That’s exactly what happened with XCOM back in the day, and then again with Baldur’s Gate 3 on an even larger scale.
If Star Wars Zero Company sticks the landing, it could be the next big step in that evolution. A game that keeps the tactical brainpower intact while letting players actually live inside the world between battles.
This sounds like a pretty awesome way to experience Star Wars.