I have never once snuck around in the game. I don't think its needed. But you do need to play carefully. If you're going to run towards a horde of zombies like its Dead Rising, make sure you have snacks for stamina and some type of health pills. At least 3 of each. Also,try to use guns as little as possible while your character is still low level and weak. Guns just bring a lot more zombies.

Use vehicles to get everywhere. Running zeds over is way easier than beating them to death. If zombies aren't coming after you or in your path towards whatever objective you're on, ignore them. Engaging them just makes noise and leads to more zombies. You get PLENTY of zombies to kill just by completing missions and scavenging.

The game is addicting and fun as hell, I agree. It is amazing how quickly things can go from ok, to chaotic and the shit hits the fan.

What's the closest you guys have come to dying? I am about 10 hours into the game and shit, I'm still in the first little town area and have not even explored every building in it yet. This morning I leaped into a house and found two survivors. They asked for help hunting a feral zombie so I accepted the mission. I didn't even notice they'd fallen way back behind, by the time I got out into the field where it was, I was alone controlling Myra or whatever because Marcus needed a rest and he is my main character. Anyways the feral zombie leaps out of the brush and tackles me. It was then I realized I only had half health and only 2 painkillers. Next thing I know the feral zombie and a horde are after me. The feral knocks me down again and I am down to 1 painkiller and half health. I dart towards a building, hop the fence, and another horde by the building is alerted. I run inside hoping to find a good place to blow them all away but 2 more zombies are inside and it's just a workshop with a restroom and a window. They trap me in the restroom and make me use my last painkiller but I am able to leap out of the window..right into the first horde. I am attacked and down to virtually no health. Suddenly I see a vehicle icon, run for the fence. Climb it, but another zombie does too and right before I get to the door of the truck I am attacked again and down.

But luckily the game has a sort of "last stand" feature where you can tap A repeatedly and get back up so I do so. I run some over in the van then go back out for the feral. I kill him with a shotgun, which alerts one of the hordes. I make a break back for the workshop but this time run to the other side. There is a propane tank there so I let the two hordes of zombies converge towards me than BAM blow it up taking out at least 10 zombies. The rest were a breeze. I took the truck and went back to home base. Game is amazing. Had this been a typical game where if I died I would just respawn, I might allow myself to die just to get my health and ammo supplies back at the last checkpoint and go after the feral zombie with a better plan. But since each death is permadeath, it gives you a connection to the characters.

I am currently looking out for a new place to make home base but it is becoming a pain in the ass to get the building materials.