Summary
Respawn Entertainment and Bit Reactor have announced the upcoming gameStar Wars Zero Companyat Star Wars Celebration. Scheduled for release in 2026, this turn-based tactics game will take place during the Clone Wars. Players will command a squad of customizable, diverse characters who are engaged in a shadow war, offering a fresh experience compared to most otherStar Warsgames.
While fans wait to playStar Wars Zero Company, there areother games available that provide similar strategic experiencesto fill the void. Some feature nearly identical gameplay in the same genre, while others present different types of strategy games that blend engaging gameplay, challenge, and fantastical worlds.
While it wasn’t the first game to do it, with games likeFire Emblemand the originalXCOMbeing made prior,Final Fantasy Tacticshelped make turn-based tactics games popular. It still featured the mix of high fantasy and sci-fi elements and iconic character classesthat theFinal Fantasygamesare known for, but with new strategy-focused gameplay.
Characters move in a grid-like pattern, and the player chooses the right time to strike. That is not always an easy choice to make inFinal Fantasy Tactics,as gameplay grows more complex with every battle. The 32-bit visuals maintain the pixel artwork seen in the franchise’s JRPG games, but 2.5D graphics allow for different perspectives that can make or break an entire battle.
Despite war being a central part of the universe, and even in the title,Star Warshasn’t had very many strategy games set in a galaxy far, far away.Star Wars: Empire at Waris not only one of the few exceptions to that, but is also considered a classic,providing a real-time strategy adventurein the same vein asWarCraftandCompany of Heroes.
Star Wars: Empire at Warmay not be a reinvention of the wheel, but between spawning armies, building bases, and accomplishing missions, it executes nearly every RTS trope masterfully. It even expands on the lore with its own non-canonical take on how the Rebels acquired X-Wings during the Galactic Civil War and introduced the Zann Consortium as a playable faction.
The gameplayof theFire Emblemgameshas undergone many variations, but it always returns to being a tactical RPG set in a fantasy world, complete with knights, archers, mages, monks, and more. InFire Emblem: Three Houses, the units that can be trained and sent out onto the battlefield are students of Garreg Mach Monastery.
Players spend as much time being a teacher at the Monastery as they do being a leader on missions, which is unlike most video games where players would normally play as students. This allows for more diversity in the gameplay while also providing a sense of solace for players who are stressed after a tense battle.
Firaxis Games, the creators ofXCOM, took on the Marvel universe in their own way withMarvel’s Midnight Suns, which blended turn-based tactics, RPG elements, and deck-building. The result is a niche but well-made experience thatcreated a Marvel superhero gameunlike any other, featuring characters from the Avengers, X-Men, and Midnight Suns working together to stop the demon mother known as Lilith.
While it contains bits and pieces ofXCOM,Marvel’s Midnight Sunsis its own thing, with so many gameplay aspects that it is difficult to label as one particular genre. The tactics are employed through cards, and relationship building with all the heroes between missions adds to the RPG aspect. There is even side content that allows for exploration of the hub world.
Some turn-based tactics games are unforgiving when it comes to difficulty, so it can be hard for newcomers to get a feel for the genre, but thankfully,Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hopeis available. It still features the grid-based movement and coverage for enemies and heroes alike that tactics games are known for, but adjusted to allow younger players to enjoy them.
As a sequel,Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hopetakes what the first game established and expands on it with new characters, abilities, weapons, and fantastical Mario locations based aroundSuper Mario Galaxy. It’s also more challenging than the firstMario + Rabbidsgame, providing something closer toa classic turn-based tactics gamewhile featuring the cartoon-like visuals that have enchanted gamers for decades.
Inspired byfilms likeAliensandIndependence Day,XCOMgames likeXCOM: Enemy Unknownhave definedthe turn-based tactics genre. This reboot of the series centers on a military organization dedicated toprotecting Earth from extraterrestrial invaders, with every soldier recruited and managed by the Commander, who is controlled by the player.
They must plan and monitor their squads carefully becauseXCOM: Enemy Unknownis merciless, especially in Ironman mode. When a soldier is killed, that loss is permanent, and facing the enemy requires patience and timing, utilizing the right positions and angles to enhance the chances of landing hits.
Many games have attempted to provide players with a way to live out their dreamDungeons & Dragonscampaign, butBaldur’s Gate 3has emerged as the definitive example of that endeavor. From rolling dice to perform actions to engaging in real-time, turn-based combat in a world populated by elves, dragons, tieflings, and Eldritch monsters from another planet, almost anything players would expect to find in aD&Dcampaign can be found in the branching narrative ofBaldur’s Gate 3.
InBaldur’s Gate 3, every decision matters, especially regarding dialogue, and small actions can have significant consequences down the road. Even hitting the wrong switch inside a building can lead to an entire storyline being locked away, and that kind of story branching,combined with unforgettable characters, has transformedBaldur’s Gate 3into an award-winning and iconic modern RPG.
Gears Tacticscan best be described asXCOMwithGears of Warcharacters and visuals, but that’s not to its detriment. The apocalypticGears of Waruniverse fits that same format, with just as many variants on the COGs as there are for the enemy Locusts, allowing for a diverse array of classes on the turn-based battlefield.
In the expansiveGearsuniverse,Gears Tacticstakes place twelve years before the events of the firstGears of Wargame but afterGears of War: Judgment. It follows Gabe Diaz on his mission to assassinatea Locust scientist named Ukkon. The player levels up a squad of characters and sends them on missions, with plenty of challenges to contend with, all while providing the cinematic style that the franchise is known for.
Beyond offering more than double the amount of content as the first game, adedicated fanbase full of modderscontinues to makeXCOM 2an exceptional and ideal sequel in nearly every way. Battles against the alien invaders are more cinematic, alien technology is used for new upgrades, and there are so many new enemies to fight, especially with all the DLC content included.
The modding community on PC has enabled the creation and customization of soldiers to be more in-depth than ever before, allowing for the replication of characters from all forms of media. Even without mods,XCOM 2remains a strong sequel that portrays a world where human and alien civilizations have merged after the invaders infiltrated and conquered the world through false promises of peace and prosperity.
