When we first got a look at Star Wars Zero Company, it was incredibly easy to point at its turn-based squad combat, as well as its ex-Firaxis development lead and say that it's just Star Wars XCOM. This, while mostly true, isn't the sum of Star Wars Zero Company's whole. Not by a long shot.
PC Gamer recently got to spend some time with the game, highlighting the separation between main story and side missions. In the main story, you'll jump from tactical combat encounters by experiencing third-person exploration areas, allowing you to further immerse yourself in this particular Clone Wars story.
Back at your home base, you'll also be able to talk to your main squad mates, which is very Mass Effect, as well as take part in some side activities like gathering intelligence. "We wanted to capture the feeling of running an intelligence unit," said lead designer for operations Grayson Scantlebury. "I've spent a lot of time poring through books or going on Wookieepedia and going, 'OK, I have a story I want to tell. What's a planet that makes sense during the Clone Wars era that I could tell that story.' Or vice versa: I'm just browsing through and going, 'Well, what happened on Bespin at this time, or Lothal at this time?'"
The game's narrative comes from the lead on the stories for the Star Wars Jedi games, Aaron Contreras, so it shouldn't surprise us this title looks to offer more narrative depth than an XCOM game. You'll be able to customise your protagonist, Hawks, as you see fit, and as you gather your crew you'll see friction develop that apparently feels reminiscent of the companion dialogues seen in games like Mass Effect and Baldur's Gate III.