The zombie franchise was once thought to be all but forgotten about, but the overall success of Dying Light 2 is seemingly keeping it alive. On top of that, Bohemia Interactive's DayZ is still going pretty strong. It emphasizes getting by in a brutal environment with scarce resources and is one of the biggest survival game maps out there, which only seems to up the difficulty even more. Alongside that, the studio continues to pump out new updates, and this latest one adds not only new items, but also kickstarts some festivities.
According to a recent post on the DayZ website, patch 1.17 has started rolling out for all platforms and features a number of changes as well as the addition of some new weapons. Key to the update is the ability to adjust the sensitivity of the controls, which includes steering, moving, and aiming. There's also the implementation of an "alternative control scheme," which allows players to adjust controls but without "affecting the existing scheme" in any significant way. This could be changed further depending on user feedback.
Patch 1.17 also comes with some new DayZ weapons. Firearms have been expanded and now include the CR-550 Savanna, which is a powerful bolt-action rifle, a .308 Longhorn pistol, and a P1 9 mm. However, one of the more interestings thing about this update is it begins the "Walpurgis Night" event, which runs between now and May 9. It's based off a real Christian celebration that's designed to ward off witches and often features bonfires. With the event, the update brings the return of burning stakes, a cauldron, a witch hat, and other witch-based accouterments.
With patch 1.16 rolling out for DayZ in February, it's clear that Bohemia is looking to keep things ticking in its difficult open-world title. Many people who have played the game know the harsh reality of trying to survive each day, scraping whatever resources can be found without succumbing to all manner of ailments, whether it's zombie bites, broken legs, or even dysentery from drinking dirty water.
DayZ is also one of the best open world survival games available, stacking up alongside the likes of No Man's Sky, The Forest, and even Minecraft. The zombie theme may be dying a little bit these days, but what DayZ does better than others is implement the undead as an additional threat to the player rather than the entire focus, emphasizing general survivability over zombie attacks.
DayZ is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: DayZ
