Project Zomboid + DayZ

I bought this game for my wife and me since we both love Project Zomboid and 7 Days to Die. Unfortunately, it was a big letdown.

Before buying it, just try eating dog food — you'll get the same level of satisfaction.

Crafting: Very basic. So basic it feels lazy.
Combat: Clunky and buggy. Enemies don’t stagger or react — you hit them, they hit you back, that's it.
Survival Mechanics: Health, hunger, and thirst are barely relevant.
Durability: Items break after just a few uses. Hit something three times, and it’s gone.
Ranged Weapons: Guns and bows are okay, but actually hitting anything is a challenge.

One positive: Sound attracts zombies, which makes sense and adds some tension.
Everything else: The game doesn’t even have a proper pause or invite menu

The quality reminds me more of an amateur mod than a real game. It wastes your time by making you run large distances when you die. You can't even revive your coop partner. It literally leaves you sitting in the dark, without explaining how to pass the night fast. And once you googled it, it still leaves you for minutes more in the dark, every time. And most annoying of all, are the janky controls. There also is a little dot, which you also use to aim. However, it is always present and if it reaches the border of the screen, it messes with the control of your character. So you got to permanently watch out for it. Without those points fixed, there is no way to recommend the game. Right now the three words that come to my mind, are tedious, annoying and awkward, where tedious is definitely the best word to describe the game. The game needs a massive QOL overhaul and a completely redone start.