There’s no doubt that H1Z1 and DayZ share many similarities. Sony Online Entertainment has even said as much. In fact, H1Z1 even follows the DayZ Twitter account. This isn’t mobile gaming, though. It takes more than a play on words and a cheap knockoff to be successful. With that in mind, here are six reasons that H1Z1 and DayZ are not mirror images of one another.
Build a Base -vs- Sleep in the Woods
Yup, H1Z1 will allow players to build a base in just about any location they can think of. While we’re not sure of the details or whether those bases can be destroyed, it does add a bit of comfort knowing that we have somewhere to hang our hat at night. As exhilarating as it can be, stuck in the pitch black forest with zombies grumbling in the distance, everyone needs a breather once in awhile. Hopefully bases will provide that comfort, yet still allow for some incredible sieges between rival groups. Woodbury -vs- The Prison 2.0?
American Midwest -vs- Povrly, Czech Republic
While DayZ seems to be modeled after a specific location, anyone who’s played it knows that it doesn’t feel like home. Well, unless you’ve been there, then disregard that last part. H1Z1 doesn’t represent a specific city or town, yet the developers were looking for that Midwest feel, like something you’ll find a few miles outside of a major city. Although player counts will likely be high across North America and in Europe, it’s nice to see the zombie survival genre making an appearance in small town U.S.A. It’s nice so long as it remains fictional. We seriously need to work on our cardio if it becomes a reality. You remember Rule #1, don’t you?
$30 and Up -vs- $20 and Under
If you want get in on the DayZ alpha it will cost you a cool $30 on Steam. While two million people have found that to be a good deal, the price is only going to go up when the final release comes around. That is where H1Z1 is special. Sure, you need to drop $20 to get into the alpha (when it releases), but when the final build goes live it will be free to play. We expect there will be some sort of transactions for the studio to make money, but no details on exactly how that will play out have been released, other than to say you won’t be able to buy weapons.
Double Digits -vs- Triple Digits
We’re not talking about a small gap here, but to be perfectly honest we don’t have a player count on the H1Z1 servers. Anyone who played DayZ will know that it’s maxed out at 40 in the alpha. It’s still not clear if that number will rise, fall or stay the same when the game officially launches, but it appears that H1Z1 will have the upper hand here. Sony Online Entertainment stated that its servers are able to host thousands of players. While we’re not sure if that will become a reality, it sounds like it should clock in at more than 40. That’s an awfully big map considering the goal is to have players feeling alone, rather than always bumping into each other.
Server Hopping -vs- No Server Hopping
We need to get something off our chest. We have, at times, logged into an empty DayZ server just to get our hands on some loot, then hop to another server to find some more. In fact, it’s a very common thing in DayZ, with only true purists avoiding this practice. Well, you can kiss that goodbye in H1Z1. As it turns out, characters are locked to servers, meaning if you wanted to find another one you’ll have to create an entirely separate identity. Well done, Sony Online Entertainment… well done.
Vehicles -vs- No Vehicles
Have you ever made the long trip from Svetlojarsk to the Northwest Airfield in DayZ? Well, we’ve made that trip about five or six times in the last four days. It’s a long trip. Without exaggeration, 30 minutes of flat sprinting might not get you there. Should you stop to loot, shoot bandits or eat beans, it’s a couple of hours at least. While that’s fantastic, the possibility of driving that route has a certain appeal. While it isn’t likely H1Z1 will have a car rental for everyone too lazy to walk, it’s nice to imagine that someday we might take a Sunday drive. Let’s hope nobody puts Miley Cyrus on the radio. If that’s the case, we’re walking. Bandits are nowhere near as scary as Wrecking Ball.
