TL;DR: If you're okay with a very early access game that still has a lot of issues then I say get it! It's a load of fun when issues aren't happening. When they do happen though, it will frustrate you to no end.

If you do decide to get it, I would highly recommend getting the base edition first to see if it's the right fit for you. The edition upgrades are classed as DLC so they are not eligible for a refund if you decide you do not like it.

I still cannot recommend it to the average gamer yet however so as of now, it will stay as not recommended.

--- EDIT: 5/2/24 ---

After two days, I finally was able to obtain my supporter edition items after a character reset.

I anticipated this would be the fix, so I haven't really played since the first night, but I will update my original review after the hotfixes to see how things have been improving.

--- EDIT: 5/8/24 ---

After Hotfix 3, a major issue where servers would depopulate after 30-45 minutes has been resolved.

This game has been making major improvements within the first weeks of it's release.

My review will still remain as Not Recommended until they get a handle on server performance, crashes, and optimization.

-- END OF EDIT --

THE BAD:

During the first few days, I encountered issues with getting my supporter edition items and loot from missions, however this was fixed with a character reset introduced in Hotfix 2.

PERFORMANCE: Performance and Optimization is not good. I have an i7-12700kf and a 3070ti with 32GB of RAM, and I struggle to get 60 FPS on high settings. (On the latest drivers).

SERVER PERFORMANCE: Audio constantly cuts in and out, and rubber banding is a constant issue, which gets worse the longer you're in the server. Server performance definitely needs improvements. AI dying is delayed, sometimes they drop a couple seconds after being shot

TEAM DYNAMIC: Teamkilling is slowly getting better, but is still a more common than it should be issue. I still stand by the idea that teamkilling needs to either have punishments or maybe if you get teamkilled, your loot cannot be taken by friendly forces. Removing it completely however does not make sense for this kind of game.

Some servers, you get Seal Team Six qualified teammates, other times you get teammates that blast you after you announce yourself 5 times and then act shocked. It really depends.

GAMEPLAY: The Movement, gunplay, and AI needs a lot of work. AI is pretty tanky and inhuman. They just stand there, and then when they aggro, unless you get a nice clean headshot, sometimes you clear an entire mag before they drop. On this note, AI can see you through bushes and start blasting even when you haven't laid your eyes on them yet.

They definitely need to add a reaction to AI when they are shot, I completely understand that a shot to the vest won't kill them, however, they should at least fall/kneel over in pain.

To add to this point, it's also frankly very frustrating when AI insta one-taps you to the head. It's clear that there isn't a suppression effect for AI.

Movement is very choppy, buggy animations, and teleport vaulting (I just appear on the other side of the wall with no animation periodically).

LOOTING: This is a hard topic to really give an answer on, with looting, I feel like I don't come back with much new gear even after a successful run. The looting needs work, but this is out of my scope to give an answer on what should change.

GENERAL BUGS: The headless glitch seems to have been fixed in Hotfix 3, I haven't seen anymore headless characters yet.

Another issue I noticed is that completing the first mission for the medic lady (forgot her name off the top of my head) I handed over the required item, and it took it from my inventory but still asked me to hand it over and the mission remained incomplete. I'm going to run the mission again and see if it works the second time around.

BEWARE: edition upgrades are classed as DLC so you can't get the money back if you decide to refund.

The OK/GOOD:

GUNPLAY: Gunplay isn't TERRIBLE but it's not great either. For the type of game this is, I was expecting guns to feel a little more powerful. Gunplay is in an "arcady" state right now IMO.

The M4 power wise is great, the AK on the other hand, I'm not really sure if it's bugged, but it just feels so much weaker than the M4. I've noticed it takes a lot more hits to kill with an AK vs M4 even using FMJ.

Reloading the base SKS, your character must have arthritis in his hands or something because dear lord is the reload painfully slow.

Pistols also need a lot of work power wise, they look and sound great, but it shoots like it's a toy replica.

GRAPHICS: Frankly, The graphics are good. They are satisfying and immersive visuals. The only gripe I have for graphics is targets downrange can be VERY hard to see. Grayzone is frankly a beautiful game.



HEALTH SYSTEM: The health system is really cool as well. It's immersive enough that you have to take a second to decide the best treatment of your conditions, but not too immersive to the point of needing a PHD to understand it

EXTRACTION: The Base and LZ systems are also good. I like that you get the emotional satisfaction of physically extracting the AO.

The UI/Inventory system, is passable for an Alpha build. No praises but no gripes either as of now. It's just very barebones atm.

Conclusion:

Grayzone is a promising game that released a little earlier than it probably should have for it's own good. With time, I feel like it will be a great game.

At this time however, I cannot recommend it for the general gamer. For gamers that are okay with very early access, I say go for it. If you're the type of gamer that likes a little bit of polish, this game isn't there quite yet.