R2-D2 is proof that the humble astromech droid is the unsung hero of the galaxy far, far away. During every climactic space battle, bombing run, and ill-considered marriage between dignitary and warrior monk, there was a heroic animate trashcan nearby guiding the course of history.
Star Wars wouldn’t be the same without the astromech’s nobility and valiant conduct—and Star Wars Zero Company lead missions designer James Brawley says he’s eager to see you prove it with an all-astromech playthrough once the game launches.
“The four astromech challenge is a gauntlet I threw down in early development,” Brawley said in an interview with PC Gamer. The challenge, which he now offers to the world at large, was inspired by his “fondest gaming memories” of completing the original Final Fantasy with a party of four white mages—something that “made the game phenomenally difficult in the first four to five hours,” but eventually became extremely satisfying.
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“I always wanted astromechs to be a playable unit in the squad. I always wanted to give them a special place as the king of support units, basically,” Brawley said. “But in the back of my head, I was like, ‘what if you played through the game with four astromechs?’ I wanted that to be possible. Granted, it might not be a very easy thing to do.”
Brawley admits that there’ll have to be an asterisk on any eventual all-astromech challenge runs: On primary story missions, you’ll have to bring Hawks—the player stand-in protagonist character—as an honorary droid. Otherwise, he says “a lot of missions you can run with four astromechs, and it’s going to be pretty interesting.”
Brawley says that, as support units, any successor D-Squad will need to rely on utility items, because “that’s where all of your offensive capability is going to come from.” In other words, an astromech-only mission will involve the rolling mayhem of four droids “lobbing grenades around, using flamethrowers, and using support items” to keep your wheely squad in fighting shape. For your enemies it’s sure to be the most confusing combat scenario of their rapidly shortening lives.
“I think it’d be a lot of fun,” Brawley said.
While I’m sure mass murderer R2-D2 would approve, I suspect it will be somewhat less fun for the astromechs themselves, considering that Zero Company does indeed feature squadmember permadeath. Their sacrifice, and whatever silly droid wailing accompanies it, won’t be forgotten.
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