A challenge lasting seven days or the game DayZ experience.
A challenge lasting seven days or the game DayZ experience.
You might enjoy 7 Days to Die. It fits the open world zombie survival vibe you're after and has a creative feel. I'm leaning toward it, though I'm cautious about its early access status on Steam. Others have tried it and shared their experiences—any thoughts would be helpful!
DayZ is set to rise in value once the Steam Sale concludes. Without it, the game would have already reached its peak. 7 Days to Die resembles Minecraft but emphasizes zombies with a more serious tone, while still retaining the arcade vibes and unique abilities of the undead. It can be quite intense. I own both titles. I invested over 300 hours on the DayZ Mod and around 50 on DayZ SA, and by then I was done. I’ve played roughly 10 hours of 7DTD. Not a fan of Minecraft, but I thought zombies might sway my opinion. They won’t. DayZ is planning significant updates next year (assuming the roadmap holds), featuring many exciting additions. Here’s what they’re working on:
- Q1 2015: Basic vehicles, central economy with advanced loot distribution
- New renderer
- Basic zombie AI and stealth mechanics
- Disease tracking
- Q2 2015: Advanced vehicles, repair options, advanced animal life cycles
- Player stats and dynamic UI (stamina, fatigue)
- New events and traps
- Q3 2015: Barricading systems, character longevity, animal predators, birds, and aerial transport
- Q4 2015: Beta version with dog and horse companions, Steam community features (achievements, modding tools)
- Construction tools for building shelters and walls
If you doubt their progress, remember they’ve been refining the core engine for years. The ARMA engine can break a player’s leg easily, yet they’re striving for realism. It takes considerable time to develop an engine, which explains the limited feature updates so far. The 2015 plan suggests they’ll soon add more, and their developer team appears committed to continuous improvements. This roadmap feels promising. While they don’t publish a detailed plan beyond their Kickstarter page, their developer blog is available here: http://joelhuenink.tumblr.com/.
I enjoy open-world zombie titles and dislike Minecraft for its short lifespan, so I lean toward DayZ. Still, 7 Days to Die offers a solid experience if you prefer more realism and aren’t a fan of Minecraft. Ultimately, it’s up to your taste for realism versus the fun factor.