(Image credit: Bit Reactor / Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts)
Video games are all about second chances. Respawning, restarting and reloading are fundamental pillars of the medium, and most “game over” screens offer the option to try again instantly. Star Wars Zero Company, a new turn-based tactics game set in the iconic sci-fi universe, is technically no different. But it can be, if you opt to turn on the permadeath setting.If you want to play this game with the comfort blanket that any wrong moves can be rectified with a quick reload, developers Bit Reactor won’t stop you. But trust me, this Star Wars game goes from good to great if you’re willing to embrace failure and select permadeath from the start.Zero Company is not the first game to incorporate permanent failure. For example, Watch Dogs Legion offered a similar mechanic. In that game, I’ll admit, I played with permadeath switched off; in the case of Zero Company, I’ve found that enabling it makes every decision feel extremely high-stakes.Star Wars Zero Company permadeath explained
(Image credit: Bit Reactor / Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts)Set during the Clone Wars era, Star Wars Zero Company is a game about assembling a ragtag crew of operators, then heading out on missions as part of the eponymous Zero Company. Mission types include destroying an enemy base, rescuing an ally, or stealing important data. It’s your usual assortment of Star Wars-themed mission objectives.If you play without permadeath, if one of your operators falls, they’ll be in an injured state until you revive them, but won't actually die. However, with the setting on, if they receive three “injuries,” they will die, and I mean, die for good. There’s no coming back, as the name suggests; it’s permanent. You can heal squad “injuries” at your base’s medical bay, so even with permadeath turned on, the game gives you tools to keep your squad healthy, but even the threat of permanent consequences is enough to raise the stakes. Plus, the start-up screen notes the game was designed with permadeath in mind, so it offers the developer’s intended experience.Permadeath brings Zero Company alive
