DayZ – Part Game, Part Social Experiment

The moans and groans of undead monsters are always present as I crawl through this now decimated town hunting for supplies. I make my way into an abandoned church, and luckily enough it turns out to be my saving grace. Inside I find a can of sardines, which I quickly eat to fight off my ever increasing hunger. As I make my way back outside I see a large building with a ladder up ahead. I decide to climb to the top and scout out the area. As I scan in all directions, I see a silhouette of another survivor in the distance atop a parking garage. I open up voice chat and make him aware of my presence. We decide to meet. I crawl through a living minefield, zombies in all directions. Thankfully the grass gives me some concealment. I meet up with my fellow man and have a brief discussion. The town isn’t safe he says, too many zombies and worse – too many survivors. We decide to make a break inland for the hills, but first we needed to quench our thirst and prepare for the trip ahead. We make our way to a nearby pond to fill our canteen. My partner fills up his water bottle and passes it to me. As I prepare to drink, a gunshot roars, loud and defiant. Then another. My friend falls to the ground yelling and screaming. I panic. My mind races. It takes me only a second to realize what’s happening. One second too late. I try to run away only to get shot from our unseen attacker. I pass out momentarily. Upon waking up I try to bandage myself and stop the bleeding. As I claw through my backpack to find bandages, one final bullet rips through me. I am dead, and all the supplies I worked so hard the last two hours to acquire are gone. Welcome to DayZ.

Part game, part social experiment, DayZ is a mod for the military simulation game ARMA II on PC that is growing more and more popular every day. After making a character and joining a server, you take part in a zombie survival simulation. Players have to gather food and water to survive; else they will starve to death. Zombies are a constant danger, and players must use stealth to sneak by them. Even if you do find a precious gun and ammo, the loud gunshots often attract more zombies. But perhaps the deadliest enemy of all is other players. Just as in real life, people aren’t always the nicest in dog eat dog situations. Finding other players and teaming up can be a blessing, but more often than not a player will simply murder you and take your valuable supplies. Then you respawn, in a new location with only your starter items, and try again.

DayZ is strangely addicting. Despite having died numerous times, I learn something from every death, each lesson allowing me to survive a little longer the next time around. I’m currently playing with a friend of mine, making our ways into the hills. Sadly we are slowly starving to death and can’t seem to find any food. But if I die then I’ll just start over and play again. I have yet to murder another player, though I could have on multiple occasions. I have heard players literally begging for their lives at gunpoint, as I crawl through the shadows and attempt to sneak by. Begging rarely helps. Zombie fights are rare, but can happen if you are careless. Every zombie could result in your death, so it doesn’t help to go out seeking to kill them. The majority of the game is played crouching walking or crawling through destroyed cities scavenging for supplies, praying that a man with a gun doesn’t find you and decide he wants your stuff.

The mod is currently in Alpha, and it shows. Glitches are numerous. The game UI and controls are terribly complicated and not easy to use. But if you can overcome these shortcomings (which will improve with time) DayZ is a game, and an experience, like no other. It does what games do best, immerses you in another world, a giant what if situation. Everything happens organically. There are no scripted moments. It’s simply human beings doing what human beings would do, for better or for worse. For that DayZ is one of the most important multiplayer experiences in a long time, one that every PC gamer should experience.

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