This tactical game does not want to be just another XCOM-style Star Wars title, and that is not going to be an easy line to walk.

Does a tactical game need story or spectacle? Greg Foertsch, creative director of the upcoming XCOM-like Star Wars Zero Company, clearly believes it does. The former XCOM developer recently spoke to PC Gamer about what the genre still gets wrong. Tactical games are often praised most when people say they are “basically just puzzle games”, but Foertsch argues that this should not be used as an excuse to strip players of strong storytelling. Fans of the genre may still be perfectly content with the spartan presentation of the original 1994 XCOM, yet he says there is still a huge amount of untapped potential in tactical games when it comes to striking visuals and genuinely absorbing narrative design.

“How do we make something that makes you feel something as a player and not just think through a problem? That’s where I think the genre can grow. That’s where I think we can innovate. We’ve forgotten the things we did before, and we’re focused on making the next thing better. That’s where Zero Company was born. I have an axe to grind with the genre. Fans of the genre wear it like a badge of honor: ‘Oh, the art doesn’t matter. The graphics don’t matter. The story doesn’t matter. It’s all about gameplay.’ And yes, gameplay is the core of it. But depth doesn’t cost you elegance. You absolutely can have all of those other things. In fact, this genre especially should have them. It’s a single-player game. We should have better stories, more immersion, and better visuals. We’re here to tell you that you can have both, and that’s what we plan to deliver.” – Foertsch said.

He also argued that if you turned off all of Zero Company’s flashy camera work, the gameplay itself would still function exactly the same. What those higher production values add, however, is extra momentum and texture to the whole experience. It is hard not to agree after playing Marvel’s Midnight Suns, where Foertsch served as art director, because that game already felt like a strong case study for how this approach can work.

According to Foertsch, this is not an “either-or” situation. He added that he does not really understand why so many fans came to accept the idea that strategy games are somehow not allowed to look impressive or tell memorable stories. Star Wars Zero Company is scheduled to launch this year for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC.

Source: PC Gamer