Many gamers remember the release of Dayz. Back when an intrepid designer known as Rocket began to strive out in the ARMA 2 engine to make "the most realistic zombie survival game ever". Something that probably wasn't ever achieved to be fair. But It was a simpler time. It was a time when the market wasn't saturated with survival games, Minecraft was in its infancy and if anything the genre could scarcely be called anything other than niche.
That's why it caught my eye. Here was a game doing something very different. Bandaging after being shot, eating and drinking to avoid a slow death, giving others blood transfusions...we'd never seen things like this before.
The First of a Thousand Steps
The niche appeal was what drew me to buy ARMA 2 and its DLC in order to play the original Mod... following a Total Biscuit video starring its creator. Those early days of DayZ were a magical time for PC gaming. It was a sandbox that was unparalleled in its brutality, revelled in its realism and practically boasted about its bugs. Seriously, several of the games features were out right broken. I mean you could stand behind a thin veneer of conifer spines and the zombies would be completely powerless to hurt you. And yet, the early days of the Dayz mod were some of the most enjoyable days in gaming ever.
It began growing in popularity after a handful of early youtubers covered it. Including TotalBiscuit, FrankieOnPCIn1080p and Jackfrags. The latter two's shared series is still, to this day, one of the most original pieces of content ever created on the platform. You should check it out if you haven't seen it or if you just fancy some warm nostalgia.
So, when the Mods exposure increased so did peoples expectations. Unfortunately, a lack of proper methods for dealing with the bugs, within its dated engine, left it feeling broken for way too long. The team behind it were fighting a losing battle and inevitably caved. After this they decided to start fresh with release of DayZ Standalone in 2013.
Returning to Suffer
The standalone version didn't have a smooth release either though and the player base steadily dwindled. However, I discovered recently the hardcore fans have been playing consistently, in their thousands, for almost a decade. I joined them once again this month to see how far the game had come in my years of absence.
In short... the game feels exactly the same to play as it always has. It's functional and always exceptionally quirky but the realism is where the game still shines most. The effort required to go from a shovel toting walking meal to a vigilante murderer is almost unparalleled. It's equal parts genuinely frustrating and outstandingly rewarding . It's one of the main draws of the game and as always its still an incredible feeling to gear up... and equally as devastating when you lose it all.
If you're looking for a unique challenge then this maverick of a survival game deserves your attention.
Its on Steam, Xbox One and PS4. Give it a go !!!!
