Star Wars’ Jedi Problem: Can Zero Company Balance the Force (and Gameplay)?

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The project called Star Wars Zero Company is quite fascinating for numerous reasons. It’s exciting to notice that this massive science fiction intellectual property is venturing into the strategy genre of turn-based tactics, even though the game’s setting in “the twilight of the Clone Wars” isn’t entirely uncharted territory. The main character, Hawks, a “former Republic officer,” shares a striking resemblance with the lead character from Andor, Cassian Andor, at least in the game’s key artwork. Almost every well-known corner of the Star Wars universe is represented by a playable character type that is confirmed to be associated with Zero Company: Trick, a clone trooper; Cly Kullervo, an infamous Mandalorian from Clan Verminoth; Luco Bronc, an Umbaran marksman; and Tel-Rea Vokoss, a young Tognath Jedi trainee.

The main artwork for Star Wars Zero Squad includes an as-yet-unnamed or undetermined R-type astromech robot.

In the turn-based tactics game, each character created by the authors will likely be well-written and impactful in their own right. However, it’s Tel-Rea who stands out among them, particularly due to the widespread appeal of Jedi characters. A quick glance at Tel-Rea’s data profile on the Star Wars website indicates that she is dedicated to preserving the legacy of her deceased Jedi Master, a theme echoed in Cal Kestis’ journey in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. It’s worth noting that the inclusion of a Jedi character within Zero Company could significantly influence both the storyline and gameplay aspects of the game.

Star Wars Zero Company’s Jedi Padawan is a Fish Out of Water

Regardless of the circumstances that lead Tel-Rea Vokoss to join the Zero Company, having a Jedi with an extraordinary level of self-control and drive on the team will significantly impact the gameplay dynamics. In many tactical turn-based games, players must sometimes set aside their desire for complete immersion in order to maintain a delicate balance between strategy and enjoyment.

In other words, although characters like Scarlet Witch, Hulk, and Deadpool might seem underpowered in comparison to how strong they are in the Marvel universe, this was intentionally done in Firaxis’ Marvel’s Midnight Suns to ensure that gameplay remained strategically complex and challenging, even when battling weak Hydra minions.

It’s not hard to envision that a Jedi could become excessively powerful in the “Star Wars Zero Company,” and more so among an eclectic group of individuals from diverse corners of the Republic, where the Force choke is particularly oppressive. As for Tel-Rea, we need a convincing explanation as to why she has chosen to ally herself with this team.

Star Wars Zero Company Has No Easy Task in Balancing Tel-Rea

In their individual domains, Hawks, Trick, Cly, and Luco are highly skilled professionals, whether it’s sabotage or warfare. However, none of them can possibly rival the immense power that Tel-Rea possesses due to the Force she commands, not even close. As of now, her only demonstrated ability is a Force push as shown at the end of the story and gameplay teaser for Star Wars Zero Company. Yet it’s clear that she will be capable of deflecting blaster shots and slicing through enemies with her dual lightsabers.

Bit Reactor boasts an extensive array of Jedi abilities that make Tel-Rea quite formidable in Tel-Rea’s solo missions, and it wouldn’t be surprising if she could conquer entire stages on her own. That said, every other playable character or custom recruit in the game Star Wars Zero Company should aspire to be equally enjoyable to command during combat. However, Tel-Rea might not have as much of an edge in strategic moves, or may possess immense abilities with significant cooldown periods instead.

In contrast to other players, the unique design of Tel-Rea by Zero Company significantly impacts the overall cooperative and strategic gameplay experience. Notably, it’s said that you can build, recruit, and deploy a whole team of completely customizable heroes. This means that players can potentially assemble a squad consisting only of Jedi characters, where the lack of character diversity might not be an issue given that a horde of lightsaber-wielding Jedi could easily overpower Star Wars’ B1-series battle droids. Alternatively, if you choose to field no Jedi characters, then your strategy against Zero Company would have to change drastically.

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2025-05-11 05:32