Video summary

I BEAT Star Wars Zero Company... my honest thoughts.

Main summary

Key takeaways

Gaming

Game overview & storyline (no spoilers)

  • Star Wars: Hunters / Zero Company (Bit Reactor’s first Star Wars-universe entry, set during the Clone Wars) is a turn-based tactical squad strategy game.
  • The story is described as mostly self-contained, with surprising but fitting connections to the wider Star Wars universe.
  • The creator highlights that you can fully play as and/or interact with notable Clone Wars-era characters, including Captain Rex.
  • The main story appeal is less about “plot twists” and more about character-driven engagement, plus the potential for future expansions of this “Zero Company” corner of the Star Wars setting.

Gameplay highlights (what it plays like)

Core gameplay loop

  • Take a squad of four into battles with objectives such as:
    • Detonating devices
    • Eliminating enemies
    • Targeting an MVP
    • Capturing/rescuing civilians
  • Battles use a turn-based, tactical format (described as XCOM-like).

Character diversity & synergy building

  • Each squad member has distinct mechanics, for example:
    • A Jedi character is always useful in the lineup.
    • The Mandalorian can use advantage points for movement rather than action points.
    • Hawk (main character) is a sniper/scout focused on marking enemies and using heavy attacks.
    • An Astromech droid can grant extra turns to characters.
  • Teamwork emerges through combinations such as:
    • Mandalorian-like offense/support pairing with other kits
    • Status/defense reduction tools (e.g., jetpack “set enemies on fire” style approaches, weapon-mod scaling as you fire)

Customization & building variety

  • You can recruit and heavily customize characters, including:
    • Main skill
    • Specializations
    • Skill tree
    • Equipment
  • The game encourages experimentation and “min-maxing,” especially with:
    • Weapon modifications
    • Stacking upgrade bonuses
  • Base upgrades allow multiple modification slots per weapon (the reviewer notes they didn’t reach all four slots during their run).

Key strategies / tips discussed

  • Plan around team mechanics, not just individual strength

    • Build synergy between kits (e.g., mark/sniper pressure paired with defense shredding plus extra-turn support).

  • Use difficulty intentionally

    • The reviewer played mostly on Hard for about two-thirds of the campaign, then reduced difficulty to “beeline” the ending.

  • Understand Ironman/Beskar-style constraints

    • In Iron Man / Beskar mode, you can’t save scum—if a character dies on a fail-possible mission, you effectively lose and must restart.

  • Expect “XCOM-like” pacing quirks

    • Even when you’ve essentially won, you may still need to mop up many low-threat enemies before the mission ends.

What worked well vs. what needs improvement

Positive takeaways

  • Refreshingly close to its advertising / expected tactical formula.
  • Authentic-feeling Star Wars integration, including strong character moments (notably Captain Rex).
  • Characters are the strongest element; Hawk’s voice performance is singled out as excellent and likable.

Criticisms / issues

  • Replay pacing & variety concerns

    • The reviewer wants more environment/enemy variety as the campaign progresses.

  • Difficulty scaling problems

    • Enemies can become bullet-spongey and overwhelm you with numbers (an “XCOM-like” curve but frustrating).
    • A late boss battle on Hard is described as extremely difficult.

  • Squad size limitation

    • Typically limited to four operators on each side (with some exceptions like autonomous allies or enemy infighting).
    • The reviewer wants bigger squads in future entries.

  • Technical/performance notes

    • A few instances where the game seemed to hang during a ~25-hour run (the checkpoint system helps).
    • Possible PC performance issues and turn/cinematic hitching, such as:
      • slight delays when issuing commands late in turns
      • longer enemy-turn waits
      • camera/cinematic glitches during certain shots
    • Cinematic camera breaks were annoying but not described as gameplay-breaking.

Run time / difficulty pacing mentioned

  • Campaign length: about 26 hours (estimated ~30 hours for slower players)
  • Difficulty: mostly Hard, then lowered near the end

Gamers/sources featured (mentioned at the end)

  • Justin (reviewer/creator)
  • Zach (editor whose footage is shown for parts of the video)
  • EA team (mentioned as having a pre-launch Discord server)
  • An unnamed person from an EA pre-launch Discord (credited generally; no name provided)
  • No other explicitly named gamers are included in the provided subtitles.

Original video