Infestation vs DayZ

So I purchased and played DayZ and Infestation, formerly known as WarZ. I know of all the DayZ hype, but always wondered why nothing for Infestation. So I wanted to do a side by side comparison and then a summary of what I feel each game brings to the table. Each game is in alpha/beta so things probably will change at some point for each game.

Graphics:
Side by side comparisons show the age of the ARMAII engine. WarZ has a more vibrant feel while DayZ has a much more toned feel, like someone tool a white piece of cloth and threw it over your face while you played. Both games have good terrain generation as you can see the various heights of grass and some of the detail in map generation. However, you can still see the age of the ARMAII engine with some of the pixelated textures whereas WarZ has more of a matted feel. In the end it depends on what you prefer but my money has to go with WarZ on this one. The look and feel is much more vibrant and dark in contrast to the ultra bright and sun faded DayZ.




Display:
While we have the two images one can really see the difference in core mechanics in the GUI. WarZ has a much more structured system which feels reminicent of an MMORPG, while DayZ has considerably less. Swapping weapons and items in WarZ feels a bit easier as you can simply click rotate from your hotbar, while DayZ uses key commands. WarZ definitely feels more intuitive for the newer players, but DayZ does take up less screen space with things you may not find necessary. The GUI on WarZ is preferred by me as it looks more professional. DayZ feels like someone needs to hire a new person in the graphics department. WarZ wins this category for the simple and sleek design implemented. The inventory system is easy and simple to understand. In fact inventory is so bad in DayZ the developers have acknowledged this and have promised to rectify it.

Customization:
Between face masks, backpacks, and outfits DayZ clearly has an advantage with tons of each in variant; more than enough to differentiate between people. WarZ simply doesn't offer a good variety within the world and outside of purchasing it with real money you are stuck looking like everyone else.

Sound/Noises:
Both WarZ and DayZ have awful zombie noise, but at least DayZ offers a solid system for interpreting sounds. WarZ and DayZ both have crisp and wonderful sounds when walking or swimming, however, WarZ trips up sometimes and walking on gravel in certain areas can sound like you are walking on metal. Is this a huge thing? Not necessarily, however, it does break immersion and can confuse you when you hear sounds from afar. Gun shots in both differ based on magnitude, but in DayZ I found it easier to distinguish where a shot was coming from than in WarZ. All in all both are very close, but due to some errors in sound coding DayZ wins the sound category.

Combat:
To simply summarize it WarZ has much better melee combat with focus on being able to defend yourself if you need to while DayZ offers a clunky version of melee combat with limited options. So in DayZ you had best hide and stealthily run around whereas in WarZ if you turn a corner and meet a zombie you can dispatch it with a weapon assuming you can hit while avoiding the zombies attacks. So to this degree DayZ is more survivalish while WarZ is more action oriented. I prefer the survival feel of the game, however, there are times when I really dislike playing a game for an hour just to find a basic melee weapon.

For gun combat the difference can be condensed into realistic shooter ala DayZ and arcade style shooter like WarZ. I want to point out that I prefer the combat of WarZ because it is much easier for those that do not like in FPS world where gun sway and wind speed are an actual factor in DayZ thank to the ARMAII engine. There is gun sway and the accuracy has since been reduced in WarZ to give it a more realistic shooter experience, but in comparison it still falls short. So if you prefer ARMAII style of gameplay then DayZ will give you better combat. If you prefer PS2 style combat then WarZ will give you better gameplay.

Fluidity:
WarZ simply has a more fluid feel to it. When I am running in DayZ and decide to stop the animations are horrid. In fact almost every animation in DayZ is god awful from swimming to climbing to jumping. Commands make little sense and you will have to remap most of the hotkeys. Since when is spacebar used for something other than jump? Seriously! WarZ is simple and easy to grasp with most commands being reminiscent of either FPS or an MMORPG. You will still have to rebind keys for preference, but even then they layout of rebinding the keys is much better. It really just seems like DayZ is on the most tight budget for GUI and display.

Map:
WarZ has a pretty large map when you factor in the number of players that can fit on a server. So large that you can find yourself alone quite a lot outside of major loot areas like cities, tows, military installations, or downed aircraft; however, DayZ takes this and multiplies it. The size of DayZ is ridiculous. It is a massive monster that will allow for much longer periods of exploration. Most of the areas can be desolate, but that happens in WarZ as well. DayZ feels like a more natural and true example of what life might be like in the event of a zombie apocalypse, whereas WarZ offers a lot of its content within a relatively short distance - at least when compared to DayZ. The winner here is DayZ. The vast map is simply better and it feels more realistic than WarZ. That being said if you can get over the fact there is a Walmart randomly placed in the middle of nowhere then the map size of WarZ should be more than sufficient. Also, I want to touch up on the payment model of WarZ which allows you to purchase ammo, and accessories for weapons and customized looks. I feel this detracts away from the world which makes it feel less

Vehicles:
Both WarZ and DayZ have vehicles currently; however, DayZ offers more of a challenge in getting one. First you build it from parts found across the map and then you need gas. In WarZ you find them scattered and rare, but they degrade over time. I am not sure how to replenish the health, but based on what I know you have a better chance of finding a vehicle in WarZ than making or findign one in DayZ; although not by much.

Zombies:
Zombies in DayZ feel stupid. They leap and charge like monkeys more than zombies. That being said they do feel more challenging than WarZ zombies - probably due to the lack of aggro range. In WarZ aggro is reduced some which makes the difference between pulling 10 zombies and 30 like in DayZ. Also since WarZ has better equipment spawns you are better equipped to fighting the zombies, whereas in DayZ you practice running. I found the zombie aggro mechanics to be better in DayZ, but I found the zombie animations to be much better in WarZ.

Other Thoughts:
WarZ offers sparse safe areas to unload and load your gear which is better if you are on a limited playing time frame, but is less realistic. DayZ is the opposite relying on tents which can be accessed by anyone so it relies on your ability to hide your tent and stay alive - both of which can prove challenging. DayZ offers no map and poor grouping options while WarZ is the opposite. So if you want realism DayZ is your best bet. If you want a more MMORPG and polished game WarZ will be your game. At the end of the day I like aspects of both games. WarZ feels much more polished and professional, but the content doesn't seem as solid. You can place barricades, group up easier, and can coordinate because of this. WarZ also has clan creation so finding friends is even easier. DayZ offers more survival content which can keep your entertained or bored for hours on end. Both WarZ and DayZ have their fair share of hacking and anyone who has played either can attest to this. WarZ uses punkbuster while I am not sure what DayZ uses. Some have pointed out that WarZ is a ripoff of DayZ which can be an issue - so much so that they renamed WarZ to Infestation. However, at the end of the day as a customer and consumer I want the best product. We are in a competitive market and who came first is irrelevant when compared to who can do it best. DayZ shows a lot of promise, but it is far, far from WarZ level currently. Also, the rumors of WarZ being a scam are unfounded it seems as they are still hard at work making the game (as evident with the addition of vehciles); however, they did lie and exaggerate about what their game had to offer via screenshots which got them into trouble. You can get both for $20 each and can trial WarZ. I hope this helped some. I have both and would enjoy playing with others for either game so if you want to just hit me up in TS.

 

Also you can buy Infestation for $7.99 on steam right now if you have already played the trial and/or like what you have seen.

 

Actually that game does look kind of interesting. I'll wait for them to bang out some of the details. I have DayZ and WarZ I can play.

 

Both screenshots are old, but both still show a clear representation of the game. DayZ is still more pixelated and whitewashed than WarZ. I have both games so it's not like I am making things up. Granted the standalone is new so I am not sure about vehicles, etc. But 90% of the information is correct. Would you like to elaborate on what is incorrect? I tried to take a screenshot, but the game wouldn't capture. Even on very high WarZ still looks much better IMO. The GUI is still awful, controls are still bad, and the fluidity is still bad. Everything else I listed was a pro for the game, even if not out yet like vehicles (no idea about that yet).

I gave DayZ a fair shake on it's review and I still believe what I have said is accurate. If you are a fan of the game then you will perceive it differently though. For the record I have played both games in their current state TODAY.

I do not think one is better than the other for anyone, but there are aspects to the game I personally feel are better or lacking in each as described above. If we wanted to be technical WarZ has also recently updated their game zombie AI to include flankers and sprinters to make the game much more challenging as well. DayZ has a more realistic survival feel to it while WarZ has a more arcade PS2ish feel to it with it being a bit easier to find items, although more dangerous due to player combat being more frequent in WarZ IMO.

 

It does have a GUI. The inventory screen counts and miles improved is still awful when compared to WarZ IMO.

I was lamenting on how intuitive the game was. The game is simply harder to learn than WarZ. The spacebar is just one of many things. This is due to ARMAII being a compelx game in itself via leaning left, right, head roll left right, etc. You will find yourself frequently hitting the wrong button when you start. Do you not understand what intuitive is?

The animations have been redone. Good for them. You do realize I have played the standalone right? When compared to WarZ they are still very lacking. This is painfully obvious for anyone who has played more than 2 seconds.

There zombies, while I agree not as plentiful, are still much more jerky and less natural feeling.

Vehicles & tents not being in the game isn't a plus, but I haven't gotten far enough to where I have seen those yet. So I concede to this point.

Regardless of how you feel about the dev team that does not impact the game itself. People have discussed the developer for some time now and said the game was even a scam. A year later...it is still around and being improved. Liking or disliking a developer has nothing to do with it for me. I reviewed the game. Not the dev team.

I turned my graphics to max and it is still far less vibrant to WarZ. Again if you have never played Infestation then you have nothing to compare it to. I am not saying the graphics are awful in DayZ in itself, only that they are worse than Infestation...by a lot.

Comparing what the games will be in a month or two is irrelevant. I cannot speak as to what each developer promises. WarZ has added vehicles and changed a ton of things from the AI to GUI. So I am not sure what you mean by identical. DayZ will add plenty of things as well, but they are not out yet so I cannot comment on them. WarZ has strongholds planned, but they are not quite finished yet so I didn't mention that either.

TBH you sound like a fan that is angry over the fact I do not think DayZ is the greatest thing since sliced bread. You are harping on me as if I slept with your mother. DayZ is a great game. It has better overall gameplay since it requires much longer to explore and acquire resources. There are pros and cons to each game as I pointed out. I stand by my points whether you agree or not.

For the record I have been wanting to play DayZ with people, but no one is around. Anyone playing either game hit me up in TS after the holidays.

 

I am not saying one is inherently a better game. The point is that as they stand now, not what will come, I find each game to have their benefits. They both play differently, and it's like I said WarZ is more arcade style like Planetside 2 while DayZ is more survival.

The information isn't all that outdated either. Look at my steam profile and you will see I have played both games today. The only thing I didn't nail on the head were the pictures (didn't care to look for new ones but the graphical point still stands) zombies which are now far and few between in DayZ to the point where I question it as a zombie survival game and more of a survival game. I much prefer the added zombies and hope they add them back. WarZ on the other hand over-tuned the zombies to polar ends. On one end you have a beginner with a flashlight getting raped by the new zombie AI whereas anyone with a weapon can kill a zombie easily because most zombies in the game are still easy - even with the added flanking and sprinting zombies. I still find DayZ to be harder simply because the gun mechanics are harder. You cannot instantly swap items, etc.

Also on that graphical part by vibrant I do not mean brighter and less scary. To the contrary the setting and mood is better IMO because the grass looks green ,the dirt looks brown and the skies look blue and gray. The coloring looks to be perfect whereas DayZ looks to use toned colors almost faded.

For minor details about improved graphics in the images you are sure digging into the "outdated information" idea.

I have been in TS for about 5 hours now and have only seen Bishop there. I think you guys are playing at different times which I cannot be online perhaps.

Anyways I wasn't trying to spam my own thread with an argument over minor details. The point still stands that when compared side by side currently the aforementioned is correct IMO - aside from perhaps the zombies and vehicles/tents which IMHO makes DayZ standalone a bit worse gameplay wise than the mod. Also I want to point out that I very much enjoy playing both games - otherwise I wouldn't own and play both.