Zero Punctuation: DayZ

[Doogan]

I can't wait for the next steam sale and I can finally afford the bloody game!

 

[GonzoGamer]

I feel the same way about this as I do about every zombie game since Resident Evil 1: I'd rather just watch someone who's really good play.

 

[Erttheking]

Day Z is one of those hugely flawed games that I love anyway.

Although it does get dull after a while. Once you've got a handle on the mechanics, survival is a cinch. I've taken to hunting other players with a crossbow (despite having an assault rifle) just for something to do.

Also, too much hiking through random woodlands. The people who call Bethesda RPGs "hiking simulators" would spontaneously combust if they saw what Day Z is like.

Really? Ok, that kind of turned me off the game, it didn't help that I would have to buy special software for my Mac to run it. Damn it this thing sucks at playing games.

 

[Woodsey]

Huh, never thought I'd see him reviewing this. Lets see where this goes...

EDIT: Honestly, having played DayZ, there needs to be some sort of tutorial mode to help new players. Because what Yahtzee says in the beginning about slipping about on your face is probably how a large majority of DayZ players got started.

Play the ARMA tutorials to learn how to deal with the hud, inventory, movement, what have you. There should be no tutorial for DayZ itself. It'll lose what makes it super-spesh as soon as it's treated like a normal game.

 

[Thoric485]

One word: MineZ

It's a thing, look it up.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Scotchman in an itchy kilt...oh dear.

Eh, another zombie thing, how many of them do we need.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Eh, not really. You will definitely see an occasional spawn camper dbag, but it's not all that common really. Now entering one of the southern cities, that's the meat grinder for sure. Stay away from Cherno/Elektro unless you are well armed! Of course, it only gets worse in the main northern towns, hah!

I imagine it will become more common the more players there are.
These problems start out small, and escalate.

Virtually every online shooter that's gotten some degree of popularity in the past is subject to this behavior. At least among those that I've tried/played.

 

[Joriss]

Yatzee thinks he's mad? Tell us something we don't know!

 

[jpoon]

Eh, not really. You will definitely see an occasional spawn camper dbag, but it's not all that common really. Now entering one of the southern cities, that's the meat grinder for sure. Stay away from Cherno/Elektro unless you are well armed! Of course, it only gets worse in the main northern towns, hah!

I imagine it will become more common the more players there are.
These problems start out small, and escalate.

Virtually every online shooter that's gotten some degree of popularity in the past is subject to this behavior. At least among those that I've tried/played.

They are already up to about 1.25 million players and it's still rare occasion (at least on my favorite servers). I'm not that worried about it at this point, and all it really takes is to find a good server and a group or guild to run around with. It will make the game so much better to play and adds a lot to immersion when you can move around with communication and act as a hunting pact.

 

[Atmos Duality]

They are already up to about 1.25 million players and it's still rare occasion (at least on my favorite servers). I'm not that worried about it at this point, and all it really takes is to find a good server and a group or guild to run around with. It will make the game so much better to play and adds a lot to immersion when you can move around with communication and act as a hunting pact.

Well obviously playing with innate friendlies is superior to just wandering around getting shot by random assholes. I've been able to endure otherwise insufferable, broken games (mostly MMOs) due to having friends.

But going solo sounds like it'd do nothing more than piss me off.

If you enjoy the game, I'm not trying to disprove that, but this certainly does not sound like a game for me, or people who have dealt with too many griefing assholes.

 

[Woodsey]

Eh, not really. You will definitely see an occasional spawn camper dbag, but it's not all that common really. Now entering one of the southern cities, that's the meat grinder for sure. Stay away from Cherno/Elektro unless you are well armed! Of course, it only gets worse in the main northern towns, hah!

I imagine it will become more common the more players there are.
These problems start out small, and escalate.

Virtually every online shooter that's gotten some degree of popularity in the past is subject to this behavior. At least among those that I've tried/played.

Maps have 50 players max and are 225km2 in size. The spawn point is the entire southern shoreline and much of the eastern one.

In other words: it's not very likely. Some people do it, but new players start out with so little it's not worth it.

 

[jpoon]

I ran around for at least a good month not having a group to play with and I still enjoyed it quite a bit. You will find people in the game that aren't bandits, there have been quite a few occasions where I grouped up with someone naturally so it does happen. You will cross paths with griefers given enough time but it's just not what it's being made out to be.

 

[Hawk of Battle]

Gota admit, this is by far the funniest review in a while.

 

[Shadowstar38]

Huh. Having Yahtzee describe it kind of makes the game sound more like a chore than fun. Though the story of his play time was interesting.

 

[blackrave]

My main problem with this game is that you cannot clear the area
at least locally, maybe temporary
Because my point of disbelief comes from the moment when there were like bazillion zombies walking around an old barn and when I ran out of ammo bazillion+1 zombie got me

Also axe wielding is an art in this game
and not that kind of art you want to learn

Besides the griefers are just shit
I was there once in Elektrozavodsk and climbed on the highest point to check if there were some players in area (maybe team with them)
After receiving head piercing in a form of bullet I knew there were other players around
And the saddest part was that I later found my old equipment intact, so whoever killed me did it for fun

Although I still managed to enjoy this game pretty much

captcha:umbrella corporation
I knew I smelled familiar virus in the air!

 

[RedmistSM]

Really enjoyed this one. The story you told made it seem all exciting, and makes me want to try it. I felt similarly after the Fallout: New Vegas roleplaying video.

 

[Shnazz]

I can't wait for the standalone version to come out. I guess Bohemia Interactive realized that Arma II didn't have a flood of sales because of the core game. On the other hand, I was playing Arma II before DayZ /hipster.

Arma III is going to be great. The game is so realistic that the developers were arrested in Greece earlier this week for espionage. This may set things back for a while.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

Someone needs to find that player and give him many thanks and gifts for making Yahtzee's weekly video series more entertaining than usual!

Preferably a box full of blood packs. Real ones. Sent to his house.

This.

And while we're on the topic, does Yahtzee play undercover or just go by "yahtzee19" when playing online? Because fuck knows he doesn't need the attention if everyone figured out it's THE Yahtzee they just headshot from 5 miles away. Or blew up his ship in EVE.

 

[Admiral Skeybar]

Your best review in a long time. I'm a DayZ player myself and your description of the game describes very well how I started out as well.
It's hard to play the game as an honest player now, to many psychopaths and hackers running amok in Chernarus nowadays.
Even so, if you find a nice quiet server, this game is just uhm... "great".. as you say it is.

 

[Alumatine]

Lol the game is more a chore than fun... but it's still alot of fun.

I love the transfusion followed by a broken kneecap, it's pretty much what happens all the time. The entire game is based on the phrase, "I'M SAFE!... maybe not."