Star Wars and turn-based tactics feel like an obvious combination, but Star Wars Zero Company could be something much more.

When Firaxis was working on what would eventually become Marvel's Midnight Suns, the project was very different from the game that ultimately released. The original concept combined XCOM-style tactics with Marvel characters, while adding the deckbuilding and social systems that became central to Midnight Suns.

Several developers behind XCOM: Enemy Unknown, XCOM 2, and Marvel's Midnight Suns eventually left Firaxis and formed Bit Reactor. When the new studio announced that its first game would be a Star Wars turn-based tactics title, it immediately became an intriguing prospect.After spending time with a preview build of Star Wars Zero Company, it is clear why that combination is so promising.

Back to Square ZeroBit Reactor was founded in Maryland in 2021 by several former Firaxis developers. Co-founder and director Greg Foertsch spent 22 years at Firaxis and was joined by other veterans from Civilization and XCOM, along with developers from a range of other studios.

That mix gave Bit Reactor plenty of experience from the beginning. The studio was also founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote development was the norm, but Foertsch says the team's existing history together helped them avoid many of the problems that normally come with starting a new studio.

Many of the developers had already shipped four or five games together and had worked alongside each other for decades. That shared experience created a level of trust and communication that would normally take a new studio years to develop.Bit Reactor was always interested in making a turn-based tactics game for its debut. The Star Wars connection came through the late Vince Zampella, who encouraged the studio to pursue the franchise.

Foertsch was already interested in working with an established intellectual property because it allowed the team to spend more time focusing on the game itself rather than building an entirely new universe.

Zampella ultimately connected with Foertsch about the studio's plans, and the two quickly found common ground. Electronic Arts eventually signed on to publish the game, with Respawn Entertainment supporting Bit Reactor during development.

While Respawn's Star Wars Jedi games explore the period between the Prequel and Original Trilogies, Bit Reactor chose a different point in the timeline.Star Wars Zero Company takes place during the Clone Wars.

It is a period that has already received plenty of attention through films, television, books, and comics, particularly through the long-running Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. Rather than seeing that history as a limitation, Bit Reactor saw it as an opportunity.

The Clone Wars provides a familiar backdrop filled with recognizable characters, factions, locations, and events while leaving enough room for Zero Company to tell its own story.

That balance could work particularly well for Star Wars fans. Players who know the universe will have plenty of references and details to discover, while newcomers can still follow the story without needing to know every corner of the franchise.My preview gave me access to the first several missions, eventually leading to a major battle that connects directly with the wider Clone Wars era. That mission was one of the strongest moments of the preview, but it was far from the only highlight.

Telling You the OddsStar Wars Zero Company puts players in control of Hawks, a fully customizable leader commanding a group of mercenaries known as Zero Company.The squad initially takes jobs for the Republic, but their missions soon lead them toward a much larger mystery involving a fanatical cult called the Infinite Coil.

The group is led by Kundri Fathom, who infects members and initiates with a plague that dramatically increases their physical strength while seemingly stripping away their free will.The Infinite Coil quickly establishes itself as a serious threat. The cult is organized, relentless, and connected to the Separatists and their army of battle droids, giving Zero Company a conflict that goes well beyond a series of straightforward missions.

Hawks begins the story alongside Aurelio, a Rodian, Trick, a Clone Trooper, and Kabb Uppercut, a retired Felshi boxer.

As expected from a game built by former XCOM developers, turn-based tactical combat is at the heart of the experience. Positioning, teamwork, abilities, and careful planning all play a major role.Good decisions are rewarded. Characters can gain experience, earn focus points that improve their abilities, and develop bonds that provide useful stat boosts.

But the game is also perfectly willing to punish mistakes.

Zero Company uses permadeath, which meant that by the end of my preview, only Hawks and one other member of the original squad were still alive. Some of the replacements were there because I had expanded the roster. Others were there because I had made some questionable decisions during missions.

I could have restarted those missions, but doing so would have taken away some of what makes this style of game interesting. There is something compelling about continuing after a disastrous battle and seeing how the story develops around the consequences.

That philosophy also extends to the characters. Bit Reactor wanted the squad members to feel recognizable and approachable without giving them so much predetermined history that players could not form their own connections with them.The result is a roster that can sit alongside the heroes players create themselves without completely overshadowing them.

Building the CompanyCombat is only part of the experience.Between missions, players can spend intel points on operations that provide credits, regional reputation, additional tactical missions, and other rewards.

Credits can then be used to improve the company's base, unlock new modules, upgrade squad members, purchase equipment, and send injured characters to the medbay. There is also a Black Market where players can pick up new weapons.

These systems give the campaign a sense of progression beyond simply moving from one battle to the next.

The game also occasionally steps away from its usual isometric camera. During certain sections, the view moves behind Hawks as he explores different Star Wars environments.

These sequences are generally short, but they add some variety and make the world feel more tangible. The effect is especially noticeable when exploring the company's base.

Walking around the base in third person, speaking with teammates, and interacting directly with its different modules reminded me of Mass Effect. That comparison works particularly well because Zero Company appears interested in giving its characters and relationships room to breathe outside of combat.

A New Audience for TacticsBit Reactor believes the time is right for a major tactics game to reach a much wider audience.The genre has traditionally been treated as something of a niche, but games such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Firaxis' own XCOM titles have shown that strong mechanics and memorable stories can attract players well beyond the traditional strategy audience.

Adding Star Wars to that formula could give Zero Company an even bigger opportunity.

The game has the pedigree of developers who helped establish the modern XCOM formula, the backing of Electronic Arts and Respawn, and one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world.That does not guarantee success, of course. The tactics genre still has its challenges, and Star Wars fans will expect the game to respect the universe while delivering something that feels fresh.

From the preview, though, Star Wars Zero Company appears to understand what makes both sides of that equation work.

It has the tactical foundation you would expect from former XCOM developers, but it is also building its own characters, systems, and story within the Clone Wars era.

Whether that combination can deliver a truly great Star Wars game remains to be seen.

Star Wars Zero Company launches for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 27.