naiwa 2026-03-30

Greg Förtsch questions why fans overlook narrative and graphics, arguing that depth does not sacrifice elegance.





The creative director of Star Wars Zero Company, Greg Förtsch, expressed bewilderment that strategy fans have grown accustomed to dismissing story, graphics and art as unimportant in the genre.He noted that fans often pride themselves on reducing everything to gameplay alone, overlooking other aspects of a game.Förtsch believes depth and polish do not preclude elegance, and a strategy game can blend tactical gameplay with beautiful graphics and a memorable narrative.According to him, Star Wars Zero Company already shows these qualities: besides XCOM‑style tactics, it offers third‑person exploration reminiscent of Star Wars Jedi and hub‑areas that evoke Mass Effect.He stressed that the project is a single‑player experience, not multiplayer, and that this format is essential to achieve the desired depth and style.Greg Förtsch previously served as lead artist or art director on titles such as Civilization, XCOM and Marvel's Midnight Suns.He is confident that the collaboration between Bit Reactor and Respawn will refresh the strategy genre, raising the bar for visual and narrative quality.