DayZ Standalone footage shows axing virtual zombies is as tiring as axing real ones

DayZ Standalone Bohemia Interactive

The release of DayZ’s standalone version has at times seemed like a distant pipedream, perpetually pushed into the next year. Well, to prove that the game is no figment of our collective imagination, Bohemia’s development lead, Dean Hall, has released eight minutes of unbroken footage.

It shows that the game is running extremely well. You’ll see zombies given the axe to the head treatment and that Chernarus is looking prettier than ever.

“Been a while so here is a raw, unedited, roughly 10 minute gameplay video taken after spawning into a multiplayer test today,” writes Hall in the video’s description. “This is pre-alpha footage, so it makes no effort to mask the variety of bugs. Our whole focus is on getting the alpha out, which means focusing on Multiplayer (server) performance. Enjoy and see you soon!”

There are some great little bugs on show. My favourite is the bullet noises the axe makes when it hits a wall, and the bullet hole decal it leaves behind. Others include floating items, glossy lens flaring walls, and clipping animations. This video isn’t meant to show the game’s lack of bugs though, only to show that the stable performance of the game.

Earlier this week Hall wrote on Reddit that “We don’t foresee any delay in release once performance has been achieved.” In that light this video becomes particularly encouraging. Bohemia aren’t too far from an alpha release.

Of all the systems on show, I’m really taken by the inventory. It may seem small but having the player’s equipped items visible in that manner is a great means of making their avatar part of the world they’re playing in.

Hall’s talked up the inventory in previous videos but it’s always an impressive sight to see it in action.

(Yes, I am easily impressed.)