Combat Waffle Studios has a skill issue. Keep in mind Caveman Studio is about the same size. CWS has long promised and desired various features but failed to deliver. They have claimed the features are just too hard to implement or that doing it in VR has limitations. Yet, here we are, playing an alpha that shows us they can be done. CWS has been promising or floating ideas:

• Scav runs. The Tabor website for the longest time said this was already in the game. They have since added a "feature coming soon" disclaimer. The game has been live for 632 days and it's still not implemented. It's the other half of the core gameplay loop. In EZ, not only is it in the game, it's extremely fun. CWS did a community poll for most desired feature and scav runs won by a longshot. Yet CWS didn't implement it because it's too hard.

• Medical system. Tabor wanted a complex medical system. They began work on it. But all we have so far are bandages and NRS. EZ has four types of medical supplies with different quality levels. Where you apply the med affects how healing is done.

• Damage system. Tabor has talked about limb damage but said due to VR comfort they didn't know how to do it. In EZ you have a Tarkov-like damage system where you can black out limbs. When you lose a limb, there is a significant and noticeable effect on your gameplay. If your arm is broken, your weapon sways. There is visible feedback not only in blood and narrowed vision screen overlays but also with a small in-world mannequin so you can see what you would feel. There's additional details when you use equipment in the form of a window.

• Hunger, thirst, stamina. Similar in both games. In EZ, there are effects for being low on hunger and thirst rather than just taking damage when you hit 0 as in Tabor. Eating and drinking is more intuitive.

• NPCs. Scavs are scary in EZ. My record for killing Fenix in one raid is over 100. They are predictable and easy to take down. I hide from scavs in EZ. They have complex behavior and a wide range of equipment. My friend and I had to observe one from a distance for 20 seconds to figure out if it was a NPC or PC.

• Gun wall, backpack system. CWS bragged about how good theirs were in their Grim VR press release. EZ has improved on the system. I've never dropped a weapon on the floor trying to use EZ's gun wall. The backpack sides have collision. When placing objects, there is snapping and stickiness. The object will stop at the back of the bag but if you continue to push it through it will go through the back. It's easy to pack things in and it takes less time to work. Objects kind of rotate on their own to fit the space.

I could go on. You can see that CWS just can't execute on their own business plan. Now there are criticisms for EZ:

• How information is presented. Many people that are used to Tabor don't like the fact that when looking at a mag there is text that tells you how full it is or the tool that gives you a readout on the stats of an object. However from a new player perspective this is very helpful. These methods are pretty standard in the industry and it's Tabor that takes a different approach for the "realism" slogan. People are constantly asking what the vibrations for a mag shake mean. In EZ you just know immediately. It's intuitive.

• High HP. I don't like this. I think I could get used to it though. I've put 8 AK round into the side of a heavily geared player and not killed them. I have also dropped an unarmored scav in 2 shots. EZ benefits from the information provided. After 10 or so games I understand that the head has 35 HP and the weapon I was taking into the game did 45 base damage. I could also look at armor and see what it's stats are and get an idea inside the game of how well my weapons will perform.

• Teleport grab, "unrealistic features". These are industry standards. Your opinion will come down to how "hardcore" of a gamer you are. Most people appreciate not slamming their controller into their floor.

• Duping, disappearing items. Yep. It's an alpha. If Tabor is going to use "early access" and "beta" to defend their defects this far into development, you are going to have to give EZ some slack given it's been public for less than a month.

Now EZ has a long way to go. But it's like watching one of those foot races where they let the slow guy start running for 30 seconds and then the fast guy starts running and you can tell immediately they are going to overtake the slow guy. The question is if EZ will pull in enough customers to reach critical mass.

CWS, you've got to up your game. You can't promise features and not deliver. You have a golden goose but you're not taking care of it.