When comparing Project Zomboid vs Unturned, the Slant community recommends Project Zomboid for most people. In the question“What are the best survival games on PC?” Project Zomboid is ranked 14th while Unturned is ranked 19th. The most important reason people chose Project Zomboid is:
While you can turn the difficulty down, PZ can present a true survival horror experience for those that are interested in it. In PZ zombies pose and actual threat, crafting is not easy, fortifying your shelter is hard and a the tiniest mistake can be fatal. And there are so many tiny mistakes you can make - forgetting to change your bandage might get your wounds infected, leaving the stove on could burn your house down. The odds are stacked against you and you won't win, but let's see how long can you survive.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Can truly challenge your survival skills, creating an environment where you must adapt fast in order to survive
While you can turn the difficulty down, PZ can present a true survival horror experience for those that are interested in it. In PZ zombies pose and actual threat, crafting is not easy, fortifying your shelter is hard and a the tiniest mistake can be fatal. And there are so many tiny mistakes you can make - forgetting to change your bandage might get your wounds infected, leaving the stove on could burn your house down. The odds are stacked against you and you won't win, but let's see how long can you survive.
Pro Zombies pose an actual threat, keeping the player always on their toes
Unlike many other games in the genre, Project Zomboid manages to instill fear of zombies pretty quickly. You are considerably outnumbered and the smartest move in many cases is to run away from an encounter. You're not superhuman in this game, zombies will overwhelm if you're not careful.
Pro Well-realized bleak atmosphere that suits the game perfectly
You truly feel like your survival is at stake. You are constantly reminded of the ever-present danger of zombies everywhere with sound cues. And even though it's a top-down game, your field of view is limited - zombies could sneak up on you or you might run into one around a corner. Any move you make could be your last one.
Pro The competent weather systems gives a feeling of realism to the game
There is randomly generated weather in the game, which can effect your character such as getting sick from being wet and cold. This offers a level of realism that makes perfect sense in a survival title.
Pro Feels more realistic compared to other survival horror games
Project Zomboid feels less arcadey compared to similar games. You are not an all-powerful character capable of carrying the town's arsenal in your backpack and taking on hordes of enemies alone. If you break a window to get into a house, you might get cut, if you decide to stock up on food and not use it, it will rot, etc.
Pro Easily adjustable difficulty creates a game that anyone can feel confident in trying, no matter their skill level
You can adjust the difficulty in sandbox mode, which can greatly impact the way the game plays. You could make it extremely easy to survive, but the opposite can also be accomplished with the with a more difficult setting.
Pro Character traits add more fun to the game, allowing you to customize to your liking
You can level traits as you play like strength, carpentry, cooking, etc.
Pro True sandbox gameplay where you are always free to do whatever you like
There are no missions in Project Zomboid, meaning the player can do anything they can think up, at anytime they want. This gives a level of freedom not always found in games, but of course makes for a great way to just waste time screwing around and testing the limits of the sandbox.
Pro Plenty of things to do in-game, including combat, crafting, and exploring
The game includes combat, a crafting system, a housing system, lots of items, and varied landscapes to explore. Taken together, there’s plenty to keep you busy.
Pro Fair F2P model where no single person has a false advantage over anyone else
The game’s free-to-play model allows anyone to play free of charge; those who are willing to spend $5 get access to a separate server that grants double experience. So while it is not pay-to-win, spending some money will increase how quickly you can advance in the game.
Pro Active developer who listens to their community
Unturned is developed by Nelson Sexton. He is very active and always listens to feedback from the player community. He is constantly updating the beta; check the community hub for more info.
Pro Selection of weapons allows anyone to find something they enjoy using
The game includes a number of guns and melee weapons, giving the player plenty of choice as to how they would like to attack.
Pro Works great on low-end hardware
The game runs well on older hardware because it does not have very advanced graphics. This makes it compatible with many low spec systems.
Pro Easily mod or add custom maps through Steam Workshop
With Steam Workshop support players can create your own custom maps and mods as well as use others, thus giving the player never ending amounts of extras for the game.
Pro PvP winds up being very tense as the resources in the game are very limited
Scarce resources lead players to compete ruthlessly. This creates a scenario where it is all of nothing, show no weakness, give no benefit.
Pro Fun and intuitive crafting system allows the player to explore tons of combinations of items
The crafting system can be used to easily and intuitively make hundreds of items. Combine two sheets of metal to make a saw, combine two sticks and a nail to make an arrow. Basically you can play around and test what kind of combination make what items, which is fun in and of itself.
Pro Well made maps where each is designed with purpose
Unturned is slightly different from other open world survival games, because it doesn't use randomly generated worlds. This actually is a pro, because the existing maps are very well made, well thought out, and overall having better design choices for worlds than say, Minecraft, Terraria, or 7 Days to Die.
Cons
Con Slow development prone to setbacks
Project Zomboid development has been going on for several years now and has hit quit a few snags that have set back its full release.
Con Weapon and weapon crafting systems could use some work
The weapons (mostly guns) in the game could use some work. They are oversimplified compared to the rest of the mechanics in the game.
For example, to repair used guns the player uses other guns, which feels wrong. It would make much more sense to use cleaning kits to maintain them.
Con Difficult
Survival in Project Zomboid is pretty difficult, which makes advancing in the game something to be relished when accomplished.
Con Childish community
Many of the community-run servers are managed by immature administrators who can make the game unbearable.
Con Way too easy
You can literally leash (mmo term) a zombie and kill it without taking damage. How can you take this game seriously?
Con Poor graphics
Overall graphics of the game have been improved greatly over time, but still it looks like Minecraft.
Con In early access
The game is not yet officially completed, which means that it may still contain bugs, and that features may change or be removed before final publishing.