Triple Play: Star Wars: Zero Company

"Most of the staff who worked on this game have been furloughed in the weeks leading up to its release," reported Stephen Totilo, a fact that hangs over Star Wars: Zero Company like a dark cloud. The game, a turn-based tactical title set during the Clone Wars, is published by EA—recently bought and taken private by the Saudi Public Investment Fund—and developed by Bit Reactor. Despite the troubling circumstances, the hosts of Triple Click (Jason Schreier, Kirk Hamilton, and Maddie Myers) are unanimous in their praise for the game itself, calling it a near-perfect blend of XCOM-style combat and the character-driven storytelling of Marvel's Midnight Suns.

The Core Loop: XCOM Combat with a Star Wars Skin

At its heart, Zero Company is a turn-based tactical game where players command a squad of up to four soldiers against a larger enemy force. The combat mechanics are deeply indebted to XCOM, including the returning "Overwatch" system, which lets characters automatically fire on enemies who move through a designated zone. However, the game's action economy is its most crucial strategic element. Each character has three action points (AP) per turn, which can be spent on moving, shooting, using items, or activating special abilities. The key to victory is not just dealing damage, but maximizing the number of actions your team can take per turn.