It was a dark and stormy night, when I learned version R for Project Zomboid was released for Public Testing. The specific version I speak of is 0.2.0R, which was meant to include the 3D animations, pistols and other goodies. Many have been losing their patience, since the R version was coming along slowly, yet steadily. Today, those who have access to the full version of the game will also have the opportunity to take part in the Public Test of “R”, and see for themselves how things have changed, especially since the last official release.

I was pleasantly surprised, by a lot of things in “R”. The zombies and survivors in Project Zomboid move much more smoothly, and instead of looking like an army of clones the variety is rich enough to make the world feel far more varied. The weapon animations also look great. Seeing you survivor enter a deserted house, armed with a baseball bat, then pushing back an ambushing zombie to finish it off with one more swing has that “Fight or flight” feeling. The combat system rework sets a much more demanding level. You are no longer capable of taking down thirty zombies, at the same time, with a nailed Baseball bat. Taking down a single zombie will be a challenge, especially if you lack a proper weapon.

Another major change, in my eyes, is that both you and the zombies can now travel over obstacles. This means that you will be able to “jump” over fences, as well as crawl inside a building through an open or broken window. This does mean the zombies will have a much easier time getting inside your safe house, but you will be able to escape a building or enter it, through alternative routes, not just front doors.

The Video that you are about to watch aimed at showing off the graphics, as well as some of the stuff mentioned here. You are bound to spot glitches and bugs, because “R” has only recently been released, and it is still going through its tweaking process. On top of that, there is a discussion regarding the number of zombies that should be present on the map. On one hand, I agree that the current number of zombies can be too demanding for a beginner, who still needs to figure the game out. On the other hand, I say “Bring ‘em on!”.

Alex “WriterX” Bielski