I am not really a fan of zombie games. No big surprise there. I don’t enjoy horror, or blood or killing. Why on earth did I find myself playing H1Z1? Well, first of all the game came as a gift, and that always helps. Second of all, I do really enjoy survival games, exploration, and crafting, and H1Z1 has all of those built into it. Right now it’s in alpha on steam, and you can get access for a $20 or $40 purchase. I know I said I wasn’t going to buy into any more alphas, but this was a gift, surely it doesn’t count!
You start off in the middle of no where, with very few belongings on you. The clothes on your back, a flashlight, and your fists. The game at the moment could be called attack of the wild blackberries, because you’ll be spending a good portion of your time wading through bushes collecting enough food to stay alive. Hydration and energy are supposed to be tweaked in an update so that they don’t drain quite so fast.
Right now the zombies have very little AI. I ran right up to a large group of them and they barely even looked at me. They didn’t attack, and either they thought I was one of them, or they were already full on brains and couldn’t eat another mouthful. Either way, there isn’t much to fear in this zombie ridden land (at the moment) aside from starvation.
I found a branch on my travels and used that to kill a wolf, who also did not attack me or fight back. I tried to break into some shacks that players had set up but they were not one of the few who used 1111 or 1234 as their pass codes. I did also manage to come across an airdrop taking place, but it was packed with players and zombie and it was only a matter of seconds before I died to both.
Whewps.
I didn’t get into the crafting yet but it seems like it’s a pretty simple method. You can discover items to craft by dragging them through a menu system and attempting to unlock patterns that way. An example would be using blackberries and water to make juice.
I spent most of my time wandering around and just taking in the lovely scenery. It’s fun, and would probably be more fun with friends. I like supporting game companies in what they’re creating, even if it isn’t something that I’ll play long term. I’m looking forward to following the game updates and seeing what happens next.