The Best Games Where Permadeath Is An Optional Mechanic

Summary

Adding permadeath can add realism and a sense of achievement for players.
Permadeath is not for beginners and poses a challenge, often leading to a new gameplay experience.
Games like Watch Dogs: Legion and The Last of Us Part 2 offer more permadeath customization options.

As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the digital world of gaming, I must confess that the concept of permadeath has always intrigued and terrified me in equal measure. The idea of losing a character forever, not just for this mission or this chapter, but for good, is both exhilarating and nerve-wracking.

In many video games, death is usually not significant or bothersome, as players simply respawn or return to the last saved point without much fuss. Although losing some advancement or needing to redo challenging parts may be frustrating, it also provides a protective mechanism that allows gamers to carry on playing with minimal interruptions.

Certain video games incorporate a “permadeath” feature, where a character or an entire game session is eliminated upon death. This can be quite distressing since countless hours of progress can vanish in a flash. However, this concept is central to the roguelike genre and has garnered significant popularity. In some other games, permadeath is optional, with numerous players preferring the high-stakes, all-or-nothing approach when playing these titles.

10. Diablo 2

The First Diablo Game To Feature Hardcore Mode

As a film enthusiast might put it, cranking up ‘Hardcore’ mode in Diablo 2 instantly gives my gaming experience an edge over others. It’s not just about choosing a character; it’s about picking a warrior whose name flares up bold and blood-red. The character is then poised in a more combative stance, ready for battle.

When creating Diablo 2, members of Blizzard’s team were initially reluctant to incorporate a ‘Hardcore’ mode featuring permadeath due to concerns about negative fan reactions. However, this feature ultimately gained widespread popularity and has continued to be included in subsequent Diablo games. Many players argue that it enhances realism and provides a genuine sense of accomplishment when they conquer the game with only one life.

9. The Long Dark

Cheat Death, But There Is A Catch

For several years, death was an inevitable aspect of gameplay for fans of The Long Dark’s challenging Survival Mode. However, many players were hesitant about altering this core element since it forms a crucial part of the game. Yet, in 2024, Hinterland Studio introduced a workaround called “Cheat Death” as an optional feature, with some conditions attached.

Activating this feature allows players to attempt to revive up to thrice after death, but with each respawn, the game grows more difficult. A ‘Rebirth’, however, comes with significant drawbacks like reduced strength, torn clothing, and loss of items. Often, it might be wiser to concede defeat and begin a fresh game instead.

8. Watch Dogs: Legion

If The Last Operative Falls, DedSec Falls

Initially, Ubisoft intended for ‘Watch Dogs: Legion’ to feature permanent character death as a standard feature. However, they decided to make it an optional feature to cater to both novice and experienced gamers. If you opt for the “Ironman” setting, you can’t disable permadeath at all. On the other hand, choosing the Standard setting allows you to turn off permadeath during gameplay, but once turned off, it cannot be reactivated in that playthrough.

In a standard game setting, agents may be apprehended or harmed, but when only one life is allowed, they are deceased, implying that the game concludes once players exhaust their agents. The ‘Resistance Mode’, however, maintains Ironman mode indefinitely, and even intensifies enemy strength while making the gaming environment feel more repressive, thereby elevating the overall challenge throughout the game.

7. Remnant: From The Ashes

Permadeath In A Soulslike

In a Soulslike game like Remnant: From the Ashes, the creators have chosen to incorporate permanent death, which might sound impossible or unappealing to some gamers. Unlike other games where this feature becomes accessible after finishing the game at least once, in this instance, it’s available right from the start. However, it is suggested that only seasoned players attempt the Hardcore Mode.

In this game, there are numerous exceptional benefits waiting for those willing to take the risk, and occasionally, multiplayer participants may be given a second chance, but that’s never the case in single-player action. It’s definitely not designed for novices; understanding the game mechanics, its adversaries, and the layout of its levels is essential before diving in.

6. Fire Emblem: New Mystery Of The Emblem

This Japan Exclusive First Introduced Casual Mode

Platform: Nintendo DS
Released: 2010-07-15
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Genre: Tactical Role-Playing

As a devoted connoisseur of the Fire Emblem series, I must say that the concept of Permadeath has been an integral part of every game in this captivating franchise. However, in more recent installments, this feature is only applicable when you’re playing the game in ‘Classic Mode.’

Originally launched exclusively on DS in Japan, this is a remake of the third part of the series. The new feature allowing fallen units to come back was aimed at attracting potential players who disliked the permanent death mechanic. However, it stirred controversy among the game’s developers. In this mode, when units fall, they don’t die permanently; instead, they withdraw from battle and reappear for the next mission.

5. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Choose ‘Mein Leben’ For Only One Life

In prior “Wolfenstein” games, even the hardest setting was a formidable test for numerous gamers. However, in “Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus,” MachineGames opted to introduce an extremely challenging mode called ‘Mein Leben,’ which is designed specifically for the most dedicated players. This mode significantly ramps up the difficulty and provides players with just a single life to complete the entire game.

If you’re up for it, this game mode requires completion in one continuous session without any saves, and if you die, you’ll need to start from the beginning. Given that the game takes around eleven hours to finish, anyone aiming to complete it on this difficulty level will need a great deal of patience and a clear schedule.

4. Minecraft

No Respawning In Hardcore Mode

Back in 2011, the hardcore spin was introduced to the sandbox construction game, Minecraft. This twist transformed Survival mode into a life-or-death scenario, stripping us players of the chance to resurrect when we met our untimely demise. Instead, we were left with a solitary delete world button, the only recourse for terminating our digital existence. Fast forward to now, and we can observe others’ games, but the option to respawn remains as elusive as ever, leaving us to painstakingly erase our own worlds when disaster strikes.

By default, the game is set at a challenging level (Hard), which might make it tough for some players to endure. However, they can opt for Creative Mode as well, though they’ll still encounter the same ‘Game Over’ screen if something unfortunate happens. Although there are cunning methods to circumvent death in Hardcore, such practices aren’t exactly approved.

3. DOOM (2016)

Only One Life In Ultra-Nightmare

2016’s revamp of the first-person shooter game, “DOOM,” introduced a challenging mode called ‘Ultra-Nightmare.’ This mode offers all the tough attributes of ‘Nightmare,’ including fiercer and smarter adversaries. However, it also restricts players to just one life. Interestingly, this feature persists in the subsequent game, “DOOM Eternal.

Although slightly less demanding than Wolfenstein, it lets players save their progress at the end of levels instead of requiring them to play the entire game in one go, it remains incredibly challenging. In fact, many gamers find it hard to complete even the first level, and the game itself advises that it’s particularly harsh when choosing ‘Ultra-Nightmare.’

2. The Last Of Us Part 2

Custom Grounded Difficulty Gives Many Permadeath Options

In “The Last of Us Part 2” and later included in the remastered version of “Part 1”, there’s a challenging feature called permadeath. This feature is one of several difficulty options for Custom mode. You can activate permadeath when starting a fresh game, and upon selecting it, you will find three choices:

Per Chapter: Restart the chapter upon death.
Per Act: Restart the act upon death.
Whole Game: True permadeath, must restart the whole game from the very beginning.

Players have the option to challenge themselves with a permadeath mode, ranging from the simplest level, Lightweight, to the most challenging, Grounded. It’s important to note that there are no manual saving features in this game. If you happen to close the game during a potentially dangerous situation, it will be counted as a game over to discourage save manipulation.

1. XCOM 2

Lost Units Stay Dead In Ironman

Without a doubt, the games frequently associated with optional permanent death are strategy titles like “XCOM: Enemy Unknown” and its sequel “XCOM 2” due to their challenging Ironman Mode. In this mode, autosaving is turned off, ensuring that only one campaign save file exists. This prevents players from easily reloading to an earlier point or starting a mission over again.

In XCOM games, it’s nearly unavoidable for players to commit errors, and the Ironman mode ensures they face the repercussions, including when a character meets an untimely demise due to unfortunate luck. Because soldiers can be tailored uniquely by players, they frequently develop emotional bonds with their operatives, which makes their death in combat all the more poignant.

2024-12-28 07:04