Mini Standards
Going into Mini DayZ 2, I kept my expectations at—what I thought—was a fair standard, given that the mobile game still sits in beta. Turns out, keeping them at a minimum was being too generous. Bohemia Interactive’s sequel to Mini DayZ disappoints in its plodding gameplay and lack of resource gathering without spending actual money. For a game meant to capture your attention and keep you engaged, I spent more time putting the game down than actually playing. And there was little to attract me back beyond my desire for something to pique my interest.
Zombie survival games, as a general rule, have a certain point and purpose. Survive, build, defend. Make allies and enemies as you go, and kill a lot of undead. By all intent and purpose, it is a rule Bohemia Interactive grasped before, in their first iteration of this game: Mini DayZ, which holds a solid four stars on Google Play. However, somewhere along the way from one zombie apocalypse to the next, they lost their vision. This gamer will not attempt to understand how or why.
Dead On Arrival
Not all games require plot. However, most games require story. In Mini DayZ 2, we are not granted even this boon. Instead, the tutorial moves slower than a shambling zombie and once gameplay starts, the player is still left wondering how to do basic tasks.
Building up a campsite where you can regroup is near impossible with resources that are below scarce. Going on raids achieves some hunter/gatherer rewards, but the player spends most of a raid just looking for something to pick up while avoiding rabid dogs. That’s right. Not zombies; rabid dogs. Woof. The auto-raiding option in Mini DayZ 2 is no better: for twice the time, you get half the resources. Given the cost of buying resources with real money, it feels like a player’s options are to take forever progressing forward or pay up.
Early DayZ?
Is everything about Mini DayZ 2 abysmal? No. The music is lively, the graphics are fun, and the ambient noise is pleasant. The user interface is sensitive to the touch, a big necessity for any mobile game. Although, the layout of the controls and menus could be better placed. The game is in beta, so we can only hope that these—along with Mini DayZ 2’s gameplay—can be salvaged. Until then, keep putting your minion on auto-raid and go do something else with your time. Or, just pass this apocalypse by.
Is It Hardcore?
Is It Hardcore?
No. The game’s brokenness expands beyond any beta stage technical issues. It is just tedious.
