DayZ

Day Z for PC is a survival game set against the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse. It is located in a fictional area, the post-Soviet Chernarus (a portmanteau of Chernobyl/ Russia perhaps?), where the outbreak has seen most of the population become infected. The game is both first person and third person shooter multiplayer game.

About the Game

The premise is simple: the player must survive and achieve his or her mission without being infected by the aggressive zombies. As with many survival games, the player starts off with the bare minimum: the clothes they stand up in, a road flare and a rag. Using these, the player must explore the large world around them, venturing (carefully) into buildings and houses in search of supplies which include food and water that are vital to staying healthy and alive.

Finding other garments allows the player to increase their carrying capacity so they can carry extra food, items to stay warm and weapons. Weapons tend to be melee weapons, but there are a small number of firearms to be scavenged too, so do keep your eyes open and explore each building and area of interest thoroughly

Stay Healthy

It is not only the zombie outbreak that players have to worry about, there are many other diseases waiting to strike down the unwary player. These include hepatitis, cholera and dysentery which are caught by drinking unsanitary water or eating rotten food. These conditions must be cured with the appropriate medications, which must be scavenged and saved until needed.

If injured, players will bleed which will weaken them – losing clarity of vision and even becoming unconscious, which is not an ideal state when zombies are roaming about – unless bandaged promptly to stop the blood flow.

Players can build shelters in which they can be safe while recovering or while making plans for future missions. There are hundreds of open access games for players to read embedded in the game too.

Stay in Communication

The multiplayer aspect of the game is highly important with communication with other online players paramount. When your character is within hailing distance of another, you will be able to talk to each other using the microphones in your headset:

If you do not have a mic through which to speak, you can still communicate via a text box which will pop up on your screen

Players can also communicate on a basic level with body movements and hand gestures – for example, if you want to surrender, you can raise your avatar’s hands over their head in the traditional submissive pose

A ‘Whisper Channel’ is in production, which will allow allies to talk to each other without nearby enemies being able to overhear the plan. This will allow subtle stealth campaigns to be planned and executed, raiding camps and buildings that are controlled by others, without your plan being broadcast to the nearby world – including the people you are about to pounce on!

Radios, too, are being considered, mainly as a form of two way communication, but also with the possibility of a player run radio station being incorporated into the game so if you have a budding DJ inside you, watch out for the introduction of this feature so you can entertain fighters and zombies alike with your wit, erudition and good taste in music