Recent reviews by adnoz

I love you dad.

<Review based on 0.3.3.0>
<Review will recieve updates when/if necessary>

Pre 0.3.3.0 was LOTS of fun - I easily clocked 500+ legitimate hours (not AFK), and bought the game for 2 of my friends.

Post 0.3.3.0 is a grindy, boring mess, and the devs are either clueless or could care less to do anything about it.

One minute the devs talk about wanting to create fast MOBA like gameplay, with quick server resets (days - not months) and fast game play, and the next minute, they're nerfing a vital end game item, taking every other end game item with it and creating servers that never wipe - completely killing their stated game concept by slowing its pace down to something a snail would laugh at.

Essentially, the devs removed the whole point of the game, and replaced it with a grind worthy of an established MMO.

I won't recommend this game to anybody again until the devs work out what it's going to be, and what they want it to be - Early Access is not an excuse for lacking in game design concepts/documents, and hiding behind poorly thought out changes doesn't hide the lack of concept - it completely proves it!

5/2/2016: Patch 0.3.3.3 has dropped and has a lot of QoL changes. I will update my review when I have had a chance to play it properly.

Nearly 1000 hrs in - Review time.

The game is in early alpha, and is in a constant state of development, so I am only going to talk about what DayZ is, and how it brings its idea/concept forward.

- You begin life in a random location, somewhere in the 225km2 expanse. You have a T-Shirt, Jeans, Shoes, a Flashlight and a Battery. There is no pressing 'M' for a map, no tutorial. It begins.
- You will make your way to houses/towns/cities, looking for every and anything to help you survive (food, drink, weaponry, clothing, backpack). You may find something, or nothing, there is no guarentee.
- You will worry about being Hungry, Thirsty, Stuffed (over full), Cold, Hot and Sick (with different sickness types - Cholera, Food Poisoning, Blood Poisoning etc)
- You will find Infected, everywhere. These guys will see and smell you from ages away, and chase you down with the speed and ferocity of a cheetah! - DO NOT APPROACH.
- You will value gear for how much it can carry and how much it can protect from the environment.
- You will cheer at safe water to drink is like it is nectar from the gods!
- You can farm your own food from the land, but finding the equiptment necessary is difficult enough!
- Player interaction in this game, is on a whole new level. The game does not send players into any direction (in terms of how they must play) and every new encounter with another player, is COMPLETELY different!
- Most players are bandits, and bandits are everywhere. Some may want to rob you, others may want to just kill you and eat you. Some will handcuff you and keep you prisoner.
- Sometimes you meet someone nice, you may quickly exchange words/items, you may have an adventure together, or you may part ways instantly.
- The map is amazing. I felt lost for so long, and sometimes, I still find myself wondering where the f**k I am!
- The dev team on this release updates almost monthly (adding a couple weeks sometimes) and when an update comes, it brings big changes. This can completely change "fundamentals" and shakes everything up a little, but Survival = Adaption. Bugs are usually introduced with patches, and that is all part and parcel of the territory we are in. The devs are very quick to make fixes when problems are apparent, and they're in touch with the community 100% of the time.

Summing it up:

All in all, I feel the place that DayZ is in now, since starting (just under) 1000 hrs ago, is a great one.
- The game itself is absolutely immersive. The map is large enough, and with enough locations to keep exploring for what feels forever! (and getting more locations).
- I actually feel a connection to my character, pride in their long lives, and sadness when they die.
- Surviving is not the only point, but thriving.
- Finding other players to have awesome times with, and forming long relationships that last (nothing is more bonding than relying on your friend, and have them relying on you, to make it through!)

11/10 - STILL buying copies for friends and family who see how into it I am! Still recommending it to anyone that listens!