Why is DayZ The Most Realistic Zombie Game You're Not Playing?

The quest for ultra-realistic zombie games is a double-edged chainsaw. It sounds awesome, but do you really want to have to monitor your food, water and health while running around a gigantic open world scrounging for parts in preperatino for the zombie apocalypse?

First off, DayZ is a mod based on the PC multiplayer shoot Arma II. The main game takes place in a European country in the middle of civil war, which allows players to assume the role of Marines that are trying to quell the situation. Instead, it opens up a 50+ multiplayer situation that's ripe for the infecting. The gameplay structure follows you spawning into an area with other survivors mulling around. You're limited to the amount of material you can carry and the emphasis is on sneaking rather than going all Resident Evil 6 on the shambling zombies. Because the second you fire your gun, you're running for your life from whichever zombie you didn't shoot.

And if they catch you, it's going to get worse. Get bitten? You'll start losing blood, which you have to keep track of or else you uncontrollably shake. If you die, that's it. No respawn, no checkpoints. When you die you have to start over the entire game. Which sounds incredible, but folks aren't as thrilled as they claim to be as Dean Hall, creator of the mod, told Rock Paper Shotgun:
"Mainly, that people can't handle it. The biggest one was that gamers say they want this stuff, but they don't actually want it. They say they want permadeath or this or that, but if you actually give it to them, they'll reject it. And I don't know - I'm a gamer. I know what I want. My friends and I have talked about it. And who hasn't talked about what they would do in a zombie apocalypse? Even at parties and stuff after a few drinks."

The guys at Rooster Teeth even did a "This Is..." showcasing the features, especially how terrifying night time can be:
So what do you need to get started in this hyper-realistic zombie world? Three things according to the DayZ guys: ARMA II CO, the DayZ mod and Balls.
Good luck.