H1z1: King of the Kill is one of those games that you’ll either love or loath. The game comes with a steep learning curve that may turn newcomers off at first glance.
King of the Kill has been on Steam Early Access for a very long time. The game has come with its fair share of cheats, exploits and glitches that gamers used to their own benefit. When we first received H1z1: King of the Kill for review, it had just entered Early Access. At this time, I felt the game hadn’t received enough time to improve to give it a fair review.
After a rocky launch on Steam, H1Z1 finally went live with a brand-new GUI (i.e. Graphic User Interface) and new gameplay mechanics. When these changes occurred, it really took gamers by surprise. The game they had played for the better half of a year transitioned into something they didn’t recognize at launch. Gamers were upset with the new changes, but that is how Early Access works — sometimes a developer will release a game and then implement major changes before releasing it. As you can imagine, this caused quite an uproar in the H1Z1 community, therefore giving the game a bad reputation. Once the dust settled – and after the game received multiple patches – H1Z1 re-emerged a better game with a fully functional GUI and stable controls that allow you to snipe from miles away. While the steep learning curve still exists, all the major issues that plagued the game have been ironed out.
For those of you that are not familiar with H1Z1: King of the Kill – it’s an online team-based/solo-based survival game that has an enormous open-world to explore. This game world is fashioned after the original release of H1Z1: Just Survive, sans the zombie apocalypse premise. Originally, both H1Z1: Just Survive and Battle Royale (KoTK) used to be a single game. But during Early Access, Battle Royale was separated from Just Survive and was released as a separate game (i.e. King of the Kill).
Unlike H1Z1 Just Survive – where its co-op gameplay has the player working in a team to overcome the zombie apocalypse – King of the Kill’s gameplay is PVP-based via Deathmatch-style excursions. The action starts almost immediately, as you parachute from the sky into the open world map.
Once on the ground, it’s a mad dash to the nearest weapon that is available. If you’re lucky, you’ll find one before another player parachutes in and steals it away.
King of the Kill includes the following game modes – Solo, Duo, and Five-Man teams. This is where things start to get dicey. If you’d rather not play with friends, the game will choose a group of players for you. The only problem with this feature is that you can end up with a group of players that refuse to work together. Like with most online multiplayer games, it’s impossible to win when you have teammates that like to run off like Rambo, only to get themselves (and the team itself) killed. Good teams can be found through random match ups (I’ve had a few during the course of this review), but it’s like any online game — unless you play with gamers you know, it’s a crapshoot.
With deathmatch aside, the game also includes ‘tourneys’ and other special events that will pop up periodically on special dates. One feature that never gets old is the ability to acquire crates and other special loot boxes just by participating in the aforementioned events. Some boxes and crates require keys to open, and these can be purchased from the game’s online store (i.e. along with clothing, weapons, etc.). While random, these special boxes will sometimes contain rare items.
Most of the items obtained through the box/crate system can be sold via the Steam Marketplace. There are a lot of items that don’t sell for much on Steam, but every little bit counts. Plus, whatever you make can be used to purchase keys from the H1Z1 store instead of using your own money. So essentially, King of the Kill is one of those games that will pay for itself if you devote enough time to grinding items.
Character customization is a fun, but seamlessly endless task. There’s always something new to add to your character, whether it’s clothing or gear. And since the developer is constantly patching the game, new content is being added on an almost weekly (if not) daily basis.
So if you were unsatisfied with the original Early Access release of H1Z1: King of the Kill for a specific reason (or never purchased it due to bad reviews or negative posts), then I strongly suggest giving the game a second chance. The new GUI, play-style and updates that have been added to the game in the past few months have really changed everything for the better.
If you are looking for a Player versus Player experience that rewards your efforts – and plays even better than it did initially – then H1Z1: King of the Kill is that game.
James ‘Daripp3r’ Pittaro
Platform: PC
System Requirements
• Minimum:
◦ OS: Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 (64 bit only)
◦ Processor: Intel i5 Quad-Core
◦ Memory: 6 GB RAM
◦ Graphics: nVidia GeForce GTX 280 series or higher
◦ DirectX: Version 10
◦ Network: Broadband Internet connection
◦ Storage: 20 GB available space
◦ Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Sound Card
Developer: Daybreak Game Company
Publisher: daybreak Game Company
ESRB: N/A
Price: $19.99
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| The complete overhaul dramatically changes (and improves) the look and feel of H1Z1. | |
| Sound | |
| Everything from footsteps on the ground to each weapon has its own distinctive sound. | |
| Gameplay | |
| The most fun I’ve had with a deathmatch, PVP game in a very long time | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| So much has changed over the course of multiple patches and updates. Players that were on top of the online leaderboards are now finding themselves on the bottom as new gamers are being attracted to H1N1. While veterans will have to relearn the game, H1Z1 is finally ‘noob’ friendly. | |
