The War Z is a recently announced zombie survival game, exclusively for PC, due out later this year. The game features some pretty intense survival mechanics including the need to find weapons, ammunition, food, shelter and a place to rest and restore their stamina.
If this is all starting to sound familiar, you're probably thinking of the rapidly growing ARMA II mod, DayZ. Not only do the games share incredibly similar names, but the premise is just about identical. This raises the question, is The War Z simply moving in to cash in on DayZ's success?
It certainly seems that way, although Hammerpoint Interactive stresses that their game has been in production since before DayZ came into being. In a recent interview, Hammerpoint goes in-depth with their upcoming zombie survival game The War Z, discussing the finer points of survival and some of the game mechanics. The game was in development before DayZ, but after seeing the massive interest in the mod, Hammerpoint recently stepped up production on the game.
There are a fair share of differences between the two games, including the option to cycle between first- and third-person perspective. The War Z is also a proper MMO whereas DayZ simply supports a large amount of players on the game map. In The War Z, players will be able to enter Safe Settlements, where PvP is discouraged (although allowed) and where you can access stores, message boards and spend some time socializing with other players.
Hammerpoint is hoping that the game world in The War Z feels real, as there will be up to 250 players coexisting or battling in the same game world. Like DayZ, cities will be overrun with zombies much more than a simple farmhouse out in the country. Unlike DayZ, however, The War Z is much more story-based and features a full mission system in each game world. As you travel the map, exterminating zombies and foraging for supplies, you will find echoes or memories. These are 'diaries left by people who died fighting zombies.' When you find one, you can play it out as a cooperative mission with friends online.
Undoubtedly, The War Z will be put up against DayZ, due in part to the unbelievably similar names and to the nature of both games. The War Z looks great, and the opportunity is there to cash in on some of the shortcomings of DayZ. Where DayZ is a mod, The War Z is a standalone title.
We're curious; do you feel that The War Z is nothing more than a DayZ clone or do you think there is room for both games to coexist? Let us know in the comments.
Visit http://www.thewarz.com/ to register for the closed beta! For more on the game, make sure to drop by http://www.warzwiki.com/!
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