DayZ

Battle zombies in a former Soviet state post apocalyptic wasteland!

DayZ is a post zombie apocalypse survival game set in a fictional former Soviet territory called Chernarus. The game is a first person shooter, in an open world setting.

The game began life as a "mod" (independent player modification) of ArmA II. This mod eventually morphed into a separate, professionally developed stand alone game initially known as "DayZ Standalone", eventually abbreviated to DayZ by the developers at Bohemia Interactive. Using the ArmA II engine as a base of development, the standalone DayZ updates the Chernarus map and offers a plethora of gameplay and technological improvements that delivers a chillingly realistic zombie apocalypse survival struggle.

The game offers players a chance to go solo through the wastelands of Chernarus, or team players can interact with their friends in multiplayer mode. Helpful video tutorials are made available for first time players who may need tutoring in specific aspects of the game like foraging for food, treating injuries and wounds and even eating and drinking. It is advisable to talk to other players for advice in surviving the difficult early stages of the post apocalyptic game.

There are a wide selection of (damaged and rusted) vehicles available, both civilian and military. Buses, pick ups, tractors and amusingly a Skoda Octavia are left lying around in various states of disrepair. Further foraging is required to obtain the missing parts to get the vehicles motoring again. Military hardware like Hummers, ATVs, off roads and helicopters are also available in later levels.

The game boasts a wide variety of weaponry, but the inventory system feels somewhat counter intuitive and cumbersome. To pick up a melee weapon like a crowbar or a hatchet, the mouse must scroll over the weapon while it is on the ground. An indicator mini screen asks if the player wishes to store the weapon in the inventory, but it is not ready to be used against the zombie hordes until right clicking the weapon and pressing "R" to reload. Ranged firearms are common place and diverse, from crossbows and Glock 17s to Lee Enfield and AK47's.

Pros

• Brutally realistic and detailed
• Excellent graphics
• Impressive weapon choice

Cons

• Already available to owners off ArmA II
• Game seems to get hacked easily
• Requires patience to master the game play