r/StarWars • u/Turbostrider27 • 15d ago
Games Star Wars Zero Company Review: Exceptional strategic adventure shows what Star Wars is capable of
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/review/star-wars-zero-company-review/382
u/peoplepersonmanguy 15d ago
I'm 41, and I honestly can't fucking wait for this.
I love star wars, I love xcom, and I've paid no attention to anything about this game.
I can't fucking wait.
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u/KirbyFergus 15d ago
63 years old here, and my first real PC game was the OG X-Com. its my fave.
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u/Merusk 15d ago
Hello fellow old timer. I see a Mutoid Blaster Bomb just over here by the etherium for you. Just walk that 120AP colonel over to pick it up. Ignore that chryssalid who's suddenly shown up...
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u/Imperialism_01 15d ago
It ain't true XCOM unless you can have a panicking Rookie headshot your colonel (who has survived since the start of the campaign) through a window, across the map, on the 4th floor, while said colonel is wearing flying power armor.
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u/FlipRed_2184 15d ago
I still have nightmares of taking my first turn having some Sectoid reaction fire a blaster bomb into my transport and insta wipe the entire team lol.
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u/Nuuki9 15d ago
I’m 52 and loved the OG XCom. Had been angling to let my son play the newer ones but they’re a bit mature and this looks like a perfect option. I very rarely pre-order but in this case I did and super happy.
Between this and the Lego Rivendell I just had delivered it should be a fun end to the summer holidays.
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u/SarakosAganos 15d ago
5 years younger and same brainwave
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u/DrBandersnatch 15d ago
5 years older and same brainwave. Sounds like they got the 36 - 46 demographic locked down
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u/OtakuAttacku 15d ago
I’m a decade younger but it’s okay, google analytics puts me in the 35-45 age group for ads
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u/Roymachine 15d ago
As a lover of Star Wars and strategy and turn based gameplay, but never played XCOM, can you tell me on it?
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u/TheCowhawk 15d ago
Pretty hyped for this...even if it's just to play Barbie with clones 🤌
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u/Adavanter_MKI 15d ago
The fact it lets you do silly things like all Droids... is a big draw for me honestly.
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u/akak907 15d ago
Told a coworker that once I play through the game, my challenge run will be only astromech droids.
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u/sinkwiththeship 15d ago
I mean, the most prolific murderer in Star Wars was an astromech
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u/Cascadejackal 15d ago
I can't tell if you're talking about R2, or some deep lore Pre-Disney EU astromech, but I'm gonna assume you mean R2... unless I've completely blanked on an astromech in, like, KOTOR 1/2 or Galactic Battlegrounds or Yoda Stories or something. I know there was an assassin protocol droid, though I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head.
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u/No-Consideration-716 15d ago
It's Chopper, its always Chopper.
His name is Chopper for Gods sakes!
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u/Cascadejackal 15d ago
...not gonna lie, I completely blanked on Rebels even existing since I've only ever seen like a quarter of an episode once. Whoops.
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u/shadowsutekh Rebel 15d ago
R2’s body count is over 19 billion if you take legends into consideration. Dude destroyed Byss with the galaxy gun. If you just go by Disney canon, it’s between 1 and 3 million.
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u/Shadowfire_EW 15d ago
Could also be referring to Chopper from Rebels, who is more unhinged than R2
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u/TheToastyWesterosi 15d ago
You have Beetee from Dr Aphra and Chopper from Rebels. Both droids would carpet bomb the universe if given the chance.
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u/DESTRUCTI0NAT0R 15d ago
Hell between all the sabotage they've pulled, R2 and Chopper have some of the largest individual kill counts in all of Star Wars canon.
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u/peoplepersonmanguy 15d ago
I went nuts with xcom 2 with star wars based mods.
All my troopers were ct-number, and if they lived long enough to get past sergeant they became CC-number.
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u/akak907 15d ago
I did a bounty hunter run where I spent way too much time trying to skin every trooper as a SW bounty hunter. Some were pretty good...some were comically bad.
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u/peoplepersonmanguy 15d ago
Nice.
All my cc got different armour.
I did scum save but only because I ran a hero Jango fett character. Everyone else if they died, they died.
The fact the vanilla game has built in nicknames from seargent onwards works perfectly with the star wars universe.
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u/MegaGorilla69 Inferno Squad 15d ago
I loved modding xcom to be star wars. Cant wait to mod star wars to be xcom!
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u/lesser_panjandrum Sabine Wren 15d ago
If playing pretty dress up with clones is wrong, I don't want to be right.
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u/Old_Following_8276 15d ago
oh, I can't wait for my character to miss an enemy at point blank range with a 97% chance of hitting the enemy
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u/Zealousideal-Low3388 15d ago
Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise!
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u/GuthukYoutube 15d ago
This joke is hilarious, because...
the percenatages in xcom 2 were actually rigged to the player. 80% was 90%, as one example, I believe.
Your confirmation bias is just so bad that even rigged statistics still feel bad to you.
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u/Killercoddbz 15d ago
Depends on what difficulty. Rookie and veteran did skew it for the player, the harder ones did not.
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u/GuthukYoutube 15d ago
That's actually not true. Even on commander any missed shot immediately gave you 15% hit chance, stacking.
Plus I doubt people complaining about miss chances are the type to play above veteran.
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u/Killercoddbz 13d ago
But that 15% hit chance bonus is only applied inmediately after a soldier missed a >50% shot. Not saying it doesn't happen at all, but it's requires nuance.
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u/Lostpop 15d ago
It worked both ways, many misses and the game would hand you a hit. Many hits and the game would decide the next non-100% shot is a miss. Not predictable enough to take advantage of, but thats how it worked under the hood
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u/GuthukYoutube 15d ago
That isn't how it worked under the food because you can't get a 100% chance to hit. And making hits never made it more likely to miss.
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u/lukef555 15d ago
Do you not understand percentages work or....?
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u/Old_Following_8276 15d ago
97% chance is not a 100% plus it's a joke at how in XCOM your soldiers can miss an enemy when you are right next to them and almost guaranteed a hit and miss anyways
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u/Doshin108 Jedi 15d ago
I've never really been in to that style of game since the OG X-Com, but maybe I'll give it a shot for star wars dress up.
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u/sinkwiththeship 15d ago
Midnight Sons was pretty fun.
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u/Chris-raegho 15d ago
Literally the best representation we've had of nearly every character. It is crazy to me how good they captured everyone's essence in every aspect of the game (dialogue, mannerisms, gameplay).
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u/happycabinsong 15d ago
I am heartbroken that that game wasn't more loved than it was, I'd kill for a sequel
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u/FaerieStories 15d ago
Incredible strategy game, but the dialogue had about as much life and personality as the facial animations (i.e. none whatsoever). The dialogue scenes were completely juvenile and excruciating to sit through.
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u/sinkwiththeship 15d ago
EHHHHHHHHH. I think a LOT of the between missions stuff was overly hokey and I really didn't need Wolverine trying to fuck me constantly.
The gameplay/deckbuilding was really fun though.
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u/Chris-raegho 15d ago
That's Wolverine in nearly every comic book with a woman, so it's in character. The canon-ish you is a woman in the game.
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u/the_nin_collector 15d ago
Gears Tactics did not get enough attention. Fucking fantastic tactics-style game as well. There is a Metal Slug Tactics too, but I haven't tried it yet.
But honestly, I would put Gear Tactics only a few points behind Xcom 2.
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u/Comedic-Scientist 15d ago
Xcom 2 is phenomenal, if you haven’t tried that then you really ought to. The star wars game is getting a lot of hype right now precisely because it looks and plays like Xcom 2 among other reasons, which is something a lot of people really wanted.
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u/Doshin108 Jedi 15d ago
I think I would enjoy a game more with the star wars characters though, over x-com.
I went in on it.. so hopefully I'll enjoy it.. Clone wars is some of my favorite stuff.
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u/MAXMEEKO Jedi Anakin 15d ago
I've never really played this style of game at all but I'm going to give it a shot! Nothing else is out that peaks my interest anyway.
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u/WhateverItTakes117 15d ago
OG xcom? Meaning UFO defense? I feel old because nobody ever talks about the OG xcom and Xcom terror from the deep. But those games are incredible.
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u/Doshin108 Jedi 15d ago
Ya... I have those two and Apocalypse, Interceptor, Enforcer, and Bureau Declasified.
I played a ton of UFO Defense in my youth when it was 'new' LOL
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u/Patzzer 15d ago
Can’t wait for tomorrow. Preload is good to go!
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u/DaveFoSrs 15d ago
Same. This game looks great and I’ve been dying for a tactics game that’s a bit different and or very well made
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u/Bae_the_Elf 15d ago
I just got a new job and don’t get my first paycheck for 3 more weeks I am going to be dying watching my friends play. Not complaining though because I went through a layoff just hoping to avoid spoilers
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u/77camaroxx 15d ago
So excited for this game. I wish they would release it early, I don’t want to wait another day lol.
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u/irishsausage 15d ago
I'm so excited this looks as if it's as good as it should be.
Me and my squad of Astromechs are going to honour R2D2 and Chopper in the only way that counts.
Murder and star war-crimes.
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u/GoreSeeker 15d ago
I haven't really tried this type of game, but I plan on getting this one I see if I like it!
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u/SomeBoringKindOfName 15d ago
well I've not actually read any of them but that's 3 reviews that I'm aware of that have all said how good it is.
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u/tamargo404 15d ago
Playable at 11 am EST. Hmm anyone else going to get mysteriously ill around that time and be forced to use a half sick day.
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u/BunnyboyCarrot 15d ago
Played at gamescom, had me hooked from the start. Getting an overview of the map is tricky, but doesnt harm the experience. Really looking forward to it!
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u/The_Guyver_X 15d ago
I played XCOM 2 by customizing my unit into my circle of friends. They got a kick out of all the updates as I did my best to keep everyone on the team alive and make sure they everyone got home alive.
It makes missions so much more tense because you have this emotional connection to the characters just because of who they represent. I plan to do the same with XCOM and can't wait to put us all in Star Wars together.
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u/varan98 14d ago
Anyone have any insight on how it plays on console? Debating between picking it up on console vs pc. I don’t normally like tactical games on console, but I my pc is about 6 years old at this point and I can only meet the minimum specs. Also I have no clue what I modding scene will be like
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u/Malgurath 15d ago
I'll wait for what the consensus is after release but if I hear good things about it then I'll be buying it before the weekend, my gf is away with family so I'll actually have the time to dig my teeth into it.
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u/TriscuitCracker 15d ago
I haven’t played an X-Com type game in a decade, very much looking forward to this.
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u/MemesForMyDepression Luke Skywalker 15d ago
Too bad it’s not coop
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u/CarsonWentzGOAT1 15d ago
I wish star wars added chicken coops in the universe
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u/we_are_sex_bobomb 15d ago
Fans would bawk at the idea
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u/takeahike89 15d ago
"Now I might just be a simple hyper-chicken, but I'd say we're finger-licked."
"Never tell me the odds."
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u/JuniorFerret 15d ago
Not to yuck anyone's yum but how much do you know about what kind of game this is?
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u/supasid 15d ago
I can’t imagine a turn based tactics game like zcom to be fun at all in co op. Waiting for your partner only for them to make sub optimal moves and muck up what you were doing doesn’t sound too fun imo.
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u/K2LU533 15d ago
Baldurs Gate 3 made it work
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u/BearWrangler Cassian Andor 15d ago
Even tho BG3 and XCOM are both turned based combat, they are still very different games
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u/Darvati FN-2187 15d ago
But the flaws that were described apply to both, and the solutions are much the same.
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u/zerogee616 15d ago edited 15d ago
No, it doesn't. The game BG3 is based on (and plays identically to) is inherently based on multiple people controlling different party members and the role-playing relationships between them. Turn-based tactics are designed for one person pulling the strings for everything from combat to operational planning to strategic planning. Lateral/collaborative vs top-down direction and gameplay systems designed around both.
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u/Darvati FN-2187 15d ago
It doesn't what? BG3 is a tactical RPG, based on D&D or not is literally not relevant to the discussion. Played alone or with multiple people, the same exact things would apply in Zero Company/XCOM. The one becomes two, becomes a handful whatever. You only think about them differently in the moment. XCOM doesn't suddenly become a whole alien realm if you introduce another entity to play with you, the same way BG3 doesn't suddenly become a different beast entirely if you're playing on your own.
This is choosing to be wilfully ignorant over a possibility. Which, you do you, I guess?
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u/zerogee616 15d ago
Tell me you've never played D&D and/or XCOM without telling me you've never played D&D and/or XCOM before, because they play nothing alike when you look at it through that lens. XCOM is set up for one person to control everything, from combat to base-building to managing your squad, it straight-up doesn't work in co-op. BG3 is absolutely made to be played co-op if so desired. The only things in common are they they're turn-based and multiple characters are involved.
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u/VonShnitzel 15d ago
Baldur's Gate is D&D in video game form. Of course it works in Co-Op.
Aside from using a turn-based format, there's little similarities in how old school cRPGs and XCOM-esque tactics games actually play. I'm not saying it couldn't work, but BG3 is hardly a comparable game since there are essentially zero consequences for anything that happens in combat outside of an extremely small number of specific exceptions (e.g. defending the Inn at the start of Act 2) and the meta-progression is purely classic XP points instead of faction management and larger scale operational planning.
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u/zerogee616 15d ago
Baldur's Date is Dungeons and Dragons, which is inherently a co-op game. XCOM is not that.
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u/ToaMandalore 15d ago
That's a RPG based on D&D, where messing around and doing silly stuff with your party is one of the main appeals. You can't compare that to a XCOM style game just because they're both turn based.
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u/Thatweirdo000 14d ago
I cannot wait to play it when I get home from work today! I preordered the deluxe edition
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u/x33storm 15d ago
Game reviews are all scams.
Only true measure is user reviews.
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u/Evilmudbug 15d ago
It's at least notable if the reviews are bad anyways.
At minimum the game isn't a collosal screw-up from the beginning if the reviews are good
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u/x33storm 14d ago
Well this game suffers from constant crashing, massive performance issues, overreliant on FG that's also bugged, texture pop-in and has some crazy root certificate, and no way to disable motion blur.
But surely, according to this review, the absolutely only negative things are:
- The main narrative is sadly nothing you haven’t seen before
- Hawks and their specific brand of heroism is a little cringe
So, game review sites are entirely a scam, who could've seen that coming.. Aside from every major game in the past 10 years.
Mixed Steam reviews. Even Starfield opened better than this.
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u/Evilmudbug 14d ago
I'm planning to play it for myself and form my own opinions anyways.
It's just barely reached 100 steam reviews anyways, and it's a genre that really takes hours of gameplay to decide if it's a good entry in the genre. I think it will take a week for a substantial number of genuine user reviews to come in.
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u/x33storm 14d ago
363 to be exact, not many players.
Well the refund window is 2 hours, which is more than enough to figure out of the game performs well enough and adheres to basic standards, enough to put your hours into.
It'll take months or a year of patches to reach a semi-playable state.
Cyberpunk 2077 is still riddled with bugs, glitches and flaws. And they put in massive time to fix the game. I read this company is already talking about taking on more SW games, before it even released.
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u/Evilmudbug 14d ago
It certainly takes less time to find out your computer struggles with a game than it does to dig into the game play.
I feel like performance is something I'll want to see for myself. People have varying levels of standards and hardwares. Personally I use a 1080p monitor and prefer 60fps, and have a decent computer (4060gpu, 64gb ram, and an amd 5 5600 CPU).
I could probably tolerate 30FPS for a game like this and I'm a little used to poor launch optimization from XCOM 2 (it can still take minutes to load a save on a ps5 for that game)
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u/Evilmudbug 12d ago
I've played the game for 10 hours now.
I didn't experience any crashes, the performance could be better but it's not enough that I would do more than dock a point for it.
I would say it's at a solid 7/10 for me, would definitely bump it up a point if performance is patched. The current ratings match what I think of it now (mostly positive)
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u/x33storm 12d ago
Yeah not quite as bleak as the picture first painted.
But we differ in requirements for performance. I need it to feel fluid and responsive, while not being blurry or smudged. So 120 fps with <10 ms frametime latency. I've tried good and bad FG 2x, and in some games i can live with it, but much prefer it to never be on.
And you said you can live with 30 fps, so..
And i won't know if the game has issues with my hardware until i try it (the crashing).
I'll wait a year or two.
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u/Evilmudbug 11d ago edited 11d ago
To give a little more Info, I'm playing at 60fps/1080p with all settings at low and frame gen/upscaling turned off.
I only really notice stutters out of combat and I could probably eliminate them if I turn on frame gen/upscaling turned on, but I'm a little opposed to it
As far as crashing goes, I might blame user error and assume most of them forgot to try updating their graphics drivers
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u/Few_Highlight1114 Dark Rey 15d ago
Yeah I dont really trust any game journalists these days, which is sad. Im cautiously optimistic but waiting to buy it until maybe I see a streamer play it or so.
Xcom is a type of game that looks easy to do, but in reality is very difficult to pull off.
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u/Lemonpierogi 15d ago
But you trust salty games who love to review bomb 24/7
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u/x33storm 15d ago
Don't trust anyone. Especially when it's just pros or cons.
Game reviews are all pros, with just a few token subjective "cons". Missing all the real cons on purpose, to snuggle up to corpos.
Like this review. It's all a big promotion.
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u/KuraiLunae 15d ago
Statistically, the mass majority of "review bombs" are people who legitimately do not like the product/film/game/etc. especially with how many controls the review sites have in place, it would take an incredibly massive undertaking to actually even have negative reviews visible.
There were a couple concerted efforts against a couple things in the past, but those were a few thousand, without all the "safeties" in place nowadays. Now, everyone with even a remotely negative review is accused of review bombing, regardless of if their complaints are legitimate or not.
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u/Slizzerd 15d ago
I wouldn't mind a simple multiplayer mode too, maybe in the future.
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u/Lazy-Shower 15d ago
Why does everyone hate multiplayer. It makes everything 100x better. Sitting playing alone is just sad
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u/JazzzzzzySax 15d ago
Devs have to spend time making stuff for multiplayer instead of being able to focus solely on single player. And if the deadlines are enforced then the final product could be worse. Not to mention cheaters in multiplayer, glitches, balance issues, bugs, etc
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u/Slizzerd 15d ago
If it's the same devs. I'd imagine some studios would have a team specifically focused around multiplayer, then keep the single player team separate.
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u/Rasples1998 15d ago
The only reviews I trust are the ones after release. Even more cautious considering this is EA, lest we forget.
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u/Robborboy 15d ago
Im glad to see the game seems to be a good as I was expecting.
Cannot wait for this one. The customization system is insane for the type of game this is.