Following the Xbox Games Showcase, in which we finally caught a glimpse of State of Decay 3 gameplay, albeit mixed in with cinematics, long-time fans have questions. Namely, how does multiplayer work in State of Decay 3? I’m curious to know, as someone who spent countless hundreds of hours playing the first and second games.
What Can We Expect From the State of Decay 3 Multiplayer?
In State of Decay 2, the cooperative mode felt like more trouble than it was worth, as only the host made significant progress. The co-op partner retained some items and maintained the experience gained during multiplayer gameplay. However, only the host kept the mission and progress of the world state.
Everything changes for the better in State of Decay 3. The team is working alongside The Coalition and Obsidian Entertainment to deliver a seamless open world for multiplayer players.
The system will work similarly to Grounded, Obsidian’s recent backyard survival game, in which one player hosts the world, and up to four players can simultaneously play in said world. All progress remains within the world itself. So, let’s say the host must leave early. In that case, the game doesn’t simply shut down. The other three players may continue progressing, acquiring resources, and completing missions, eventually saving the game and quitting. The player who saves may host the same world next session; everyone may join and retain their progress from the last.
Overall, it’s a massive departure from the previous game, and I’m looking forward to playing it! I may even make a friend or two to play with a full group!
Related: Do We Know the State of Decay 3 Release Date? – Answered
Will State of Decay 3 Feature Permadeath?
Since day one, a big part of the core gameplay experience is permadeath. Your characters have a finite amount of health, ammunition, and luck. If you run out of any of these three, you’ll be in dire straits.
Speaking on the topic of things going wrong in everyday gameplay, Studio Head and Head of Product Philip Holt said:
One of the things that we talk about a lot in the franchise is that ‘state of decay’ is the thing that happens when you run out of gas. Or when you run out of ammo. When things go badly is when you must improvise.
And so, we tried to pick something that felt like one of those moments. Somebody is in trouble. They call their friends. We need help and everybody converges on that [location] to protect that person — and then somebody dies.
After all, this is the zombie apocalypse. It’s a dangerous and ever-changing world, and as the new trailer shows, it has evolved for the worse since State of Decay 2. It’s deadlier, meaning new emergent gameplay, such as character deaths.
The Guide Hall wants to play State of Decay 3 above all else, but we’ll wait patiently for Undead Labs to finish cooking. But you can bet we’ll have day-one guides!