[Preview] The War Z: Zombies, Horror, Survival, OH MY!

SBFord

We recently had the opportunity to get some hands on time with the alpha build of Hammerpoint Interactive's War Z. We've got a great preview of all the terrific features and hair-raising game play that will arrive when War Z is released. Keep reading and then leave your thoughts in the comments.

There are going to be three areas of gameplay in The War Z: the first being exploration. Players will be able to explore a map roughly 160 kilometers wide, everything from forests, to small towns, to big cities are scattered across the land. Colorado is their first map, but more maps are also in store.

Read more of Ripper X's War Z: Zombies, Horror, Survival, OH MY!

nadrian3k

This will be a very interesting mmo to watch for/play to be honest. Not many "survival" mmos out there. It's a totally different play style and it requires a lot of teamwork. From the screenshots and vids, the world is huge...zombies are scatered...it's not like 99% of the mmos out there where u get atleast 50 monsters in 1 room and u grind them. It's a survival..u need to dodge them from time to time...kill them..pay atention to details and so on. Just like in the movies.

I for one will 100% play it...it's like GW2 1 time pay and from their FAQ resulst they don't want it to be a p2w game which is a major + considering there's no monthly fee and i am sure to get the value for my money just like GW2, compared to any other game i buy (1 time buy single players or close)

 

rankor2

Might give it a shot if b2p. Need to research the mechanics a bit first cause I've not been following.

roo67

I love the Zombie genre so this is a must for me . Also I'm sold on buy to play being a far better buisness model than subscription and freemium games . Its funny how many people I've seen say GW2 players are freeloaders because theres no sub . If you follow this logic every person that plays a single player game is also a freeloader . Some MMO players are just plain weird .

Caldrin

not an MMO so of course there is no sub.. but could turn out to be a good multiplayer game... tho i must admit the early vids i have seen have not been that good..

Azaron_Nightblade

Originally posted by roo67
I love the Zombie genre so this is a must for me . Also I'm sold on buy to play being a far better buisness model than subscription and freemium games . Its funny how many people I've seen say GW2 players are freeloaders because theres no sub . If you follow this logic every person that plays a single player game is also a freeloader . Some MMO players are just plain weird .

It comes from players who are way too attached to the old buy the box and then pay a subscription model, while it's pretty obvious that it no longer works for most MMO's - people have tons of options nowadays.

 

kaiser3282

Originally posted by Caldrin
not an MMO so of course there is no sub.. but could turn out to be a good multiplayer game... tho i must admit the early vids i have seen have not been that good..

Considering each server is its own persistant world, and the ability to have 200 players per server, I'd say it qualifies as an MMO. Sure it wont have thousands of players running around together like some of the more popular MMOs, but its more like playing an indie MMO that only has a few hundred players anyway, except instead of that being all there is, theres actually many mor eplayers than that just on seperate servers.

As opposed to co-ops like Diablo, where there is no persistance at all, and limited to very few players. You leave the game and rejoin it resets everything. But in WarZ its persistent wether youre still in it or not.

Its just a different sort of design / take on an MMO. Every server is unique with various spawns, loot locations, etc depending on which server youre on as opposed to every server being identical and only reason for being split up is server limitations. At worst its a hybrid of co-op & MMO, leaning more in the direction of an MMO. And if succesful, will also likely result in later improvements to allow more players together on each server.

fallenlords

Sounds interesting, I hope they go for reasonably slow moving zombies not ones that run after you really fast.  With a survival game you need a bit of time to think so getting the balance right might be quite difficult.  You want the main problem to be volume of zombies, pressure in confined spaces, lack of weapons ... things like that.  Not something undead running after you faster than Usain Bolt.

 

I like the idea of Hardcore mode that could make the game very edgy.  Even normal mode sounds interesting having death on a timer.  

Caldrin

Originally posted by kaiser3282

Originally posted by Caldrin
not an MMO so of course there is no sub.. but could turn out to be a good multiplayer game... tho i must admit the early vids i have seen have not been that good..

Considering each server is its own persistant world, and the ability to have 200 players per server, I'd say it qualifies as an MMO. Sure it wont have thousands of players running around together like some of the more popular MMOs, but its more like playing an indie MMO that only has a few hundred players anyway, except instead of that being all there is, theres actually many mor eplayers than that just on seperate servers.

As opposed to co-ops like Diablo, where there is no persistance at all, and limited to very few players. You leave the game and rejoin it resets everything. But in WarZ its persistent wether youre still in it or not.

Its just a different sort of design / take on an MMO. Every server is unique with various spawns, loot locations, etc depending on which server youre on as opposed to every server being identical and only reason for being split up is server limitations. At worst its a hybrid of co-op & MMO, leaning more in the direction of an MMO. And if succesful, will also likely result in later improvements to allow more players together on each server.

it certainly has MMO aspects but to me its missing the main one.. massive.. but yeah i guess yor right its certainly more of an MMO than some of the games on here..

You will be able to rent your own servers so in the respect its more like other FPS MP just on a larger scale with a certain amount of persistance like DAYZ has..

 

Still i would not class this type of game as a game that would have a sub even back in the days when subs where the only thing MMOs did. So im not sure why people are gonig on about it being b2p and how all mmos are gonna have to go b2p... because this type of game would never have had a sub..

 

LOL now im ranting..

 

 

Anyway ill be keeping an eye on this like i said.. early vids dont look the best but its still very early on

 

Whiplash931

The games sounds like someone has taken the arma 2 mod Day Z and added in talent tree's and leveling, and some more interesting goodies. The game sounds amazing cause I love Day Z. If you play on a hardcore server you will definately have more fun IMO. Thats what makes this type of game so much fun, the threat of death.  I will definately be buying this in october when it goes to closed beta and preorder.

TsaboHavoc

hmm.. a 25% hp boost for players that choose hardcore mode would be an interesting feature.

fallenlords

Originally posted by fallenlords

Sounds interesting, I hope they go for reasonably slow moving zombies not ones that run after you really fast.  With a survival game you need a bit of time to think so getting the balance right might be quite difficult.  You want the main problem to be volume of zombies, pressure in confined spaces, lack of weapons ... things like that.  Not something undead running after you faster than Usain Bolt.

 

Slow traditional zombies according to the forum, move slightly slower than you. So you should be able to run away if you run out of ammo. Also they can't climb ladders, scale walls or open things.  So you can barricade yourself inside a structure and be safe.

Inlor

Sounds too good to be true!

marz.at.play

Can't wait.

BillMurphy

Just FYI, I've already asked their PR to give us a bazillion Beta Keys when they're able, because you nuts will eat them up.    Here's hoping we can land some for you lot.

drgran

this sounds like a good game. B2P little item shop and a rent a server plan

ok now ill wait for this one.

Alalala

Very excited to hear the awesome progress for this game, especially since its competitor, DayZ, is a hackers' and griefers' paradise where adolescents rule and BI and Battleye are impotent. Whatever goodwill DayZ built initially - gotta say, it's gone now. Go WarZ!!

ShakyMo

Is this the day z standalone thing or a separate game altogether?

Astropuyo

Originally posted by BillMurphy
Just FYI, I've already asked their PR to give us a bazillion Beta Keys when they're able, because you nuts will eat them up.    Here's hoping we can land some for you lot.

This is why we love you Bill.

Drakaden

Would've been funner if they added an option for a world to be PvE only, open PvP, in a first person shooter, with a long timer like that, is asking for griefer players.

redrip

Some Zombies will be slow, some will be fast from what I hear...:)

Ozmodan

My first impression, these developers are just attempting to jump on the bandwagon of Dayz.  Have to wait and see if they have the skills to make a better game.

orbitxo

Originally posted by BillMurphy
Just FYI, I've already asked their PR to give us a bazillion Beta Keys when they're able, because you nuts will eat them up.    Here's hoping we can land some for you lot.

FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ME WANTS!

Id be nice if they throw in an mmorpg server!-lol 80.00 bucks a month!

SneakyRussian

Doesn't look like an MMO. Looks more like a DayZ ripoff.

 

Just because it "can have" 200 players on a public hosted server doesn't make it an MMO. If that were true than Arma2 by itself, or IL-2 Cliffs of Dover, would be MMOs. They aren't, so neither is this.

 

However, I will say we need more Zombie Sim co-op games to show an interest for a REAL zombie sim MMO!

tman5

I realize it is very early in development, but this game concept sounds like it will be griefer magnet.  Battling hordes of undead, only to get whacked from behind by some anonymous turdbomb? Yeah, that's fun.

 

We shall see.

Arglebargle

From what I have read from their devs, War Z was in development before Day Z hit the scene.  They were really pleased with the interest in the genre though.   And Day Z is the best argument for interest in sandbox play in years.  We'll see if War Z can design it well enough to withstand the hackers, and give it legs vs the greifers inevitable attempts to screw things up.

 

Hope it does well, never can have enough good zombie games....