Star Wars Zero Company Review: Better than X-Com?

Some games click because they do one thing well. Star Wars: Zero Company clicked because it gave me the tactical tension I wanted, then wrapped it in just enough Star Wars flavor to make every mission feel bigger. On PlayStation 5, this strategy RPG is one of the best games I have played in years.

My rating is easy: 5 out of 5, Excellent.

Zero Company works because every mission feels like a careful gamble.

It scratches the XCOM itch in all the right ways

The best way to describe Star Wars Zero Company on PS5 is simple: it satisfies that XCOM itch without feeling like a pale copy. The appeal is the same kind of turn-based pressure. Move too far and you risk exposing a unit. Play too safe and the battlefield starts closing in. Every choice feels loaded.

That is what I want from a strategy RPG. I want to pause, think, second-guess myself, then commit. Zero Company understands that rhythm.

There is a special thrill in lining up a plan, watching it almost fall apart, then saving the mission with one smart move. It captures the best part of tactical games: the story you tell yourself after the fight is over.

The Star Wars setting adds real personality

A tactical RPG can live or die on its setting. Here, the Star Wars side of the game does more than add familiar sounds and sci-fi scenery. It gives the squad-based structure a stronger sense of adventure.

Blaster fire, alien battlefields, armored enemies, and that constant feeling of a galaxy at war all fit naturally with tactical play. A small crew taking on dangerous missions feels right at home in this universe.

The Star Wars influence gives each choice a strong sense of place.

What surprised me most is how well the tone works. It does not need to lean on nostalgia every second. The game succeeds because the tactical foundation is strong first. The Star Wars flavor makes that foundation more exciting.

It feels great on PlayStation 5

Strategy RPGs can sometimes feel awkward on a controller. Zero Company avoids that problem. On PS5, the experience feels smooth, readable, and comfortable. I never felt like I was fighting the interface more than the enemy.

That matters more than it sounds. In a tactics game, the player needs to understand the board quickly. Where can I move? Who is in danger? What happens if this misses? When the controls and presentation get out of the way, the strategy becomes the star.

The PlayStation 5 version also benefits from the simple pleasure of playing a big tactical game from the couch. It is the kind of game where one mission can easily become three.

Zero Company feels natural as a living room strategy game on PS5.

The verdict

Star Wars: Zero Company is an easy recommendation for anyone who misses the tension, planning, and chaos of XCOM-style strategy games. It delivers that same satisfying loop of risk, reward, and rescue, then adds a galaxy-spanning sci-fi setting that makes each mission more memorable.

It is not just a good Star Wars game. It is a great strategy RPG.

The best moments come from leading a small crew through impossible odds.

If you have been waiting for a PS5 tactics game with real bite, this is the one. 5 out of 5, Excellent.