H1Z1

Pros

• Nice crafting system
• World is well-built
• Playing with others is a blast

Cons

• Derivative
• Concept is a bit played out
• Experience depends on other human players

H1Z1 is a zombie survival game that pits players against zombies and humans in an open world.

The zombie genre is a bit like its eponymous monster. It comes back from the dead every so often, and it's much harder to kill than it should be. One of the games that seeks to take advantage of the fad is H1Z1, a game that can charitably be called a riff on the game play of DayZ. The game pits players against humans and zombies in an open world, forcing players to rely on their own wits and on one another to survive. As a survival game, it's got promise. As a zombie game, it at least features a good crafting system to separate it from the crowd.

This is a game that's very dependent on other people to play, though. If you have a good group, you'll have a great time. If you are alone, you'll find the game lonely and aimless. The game clearly lifts a lot of its design inspirations from DayZ, and what it doesn't lift outright from that game it steals from others. This means that you'll find everything the game does well done better elsewhere and that some of the systems just don't mesh quite as well as they should.

If you need yet another zombie survival game, H1Z1 may be a good fit for you. The game is still changing, so you might find some surprises around the corner. At the very least, you'll find some familiar zombie action that will let you play out your fantasies of being one of the last survivors among the walking dead.

Pros

• Nice crafting system
• World is well-built
• Playing with others is a blast

Cons

• Derivative
• Concept is a bit played out
• Experience depends on other human players