Watch on
Stalkers 2 was voted the most wanted game by a jury of experts, appointed for the first time PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted in 2023. I wasn’t one of those experts, but Stalker 2 is definitely at the top of my most wanted list as well, so I was very excited to finally get an in-depth look at the game in a new 35-minute video consisting mostly of gameplay videos shared today by developer GSC Game World.
This is the most in-depth look at Stalker 2 yet, covering everything from a comprehensive overview of the sequel to specific aspects of development. Most importantly, a nearly complete walkthrough of one of the game’s missions: accessing the abandoned base of Clear Sky, one of the game’s factions.
It didn’t click for me immediately, but as the mission progressed I thought to myself: damn, that sounds familiar– which turned out to be a good decision on my part, since the mission takes place in the swamps, a location from Stalker: Clear Sky.
GSC Game World wants to give players an “authentic” Stalker experience in the new game, and I’m happy to say that, as far as I can tell, that means two things: the freedom to explore the game world as you please, independent of the story, and that Stalker 2 has no qualms about kicking your ass if you get too caught up in it.
“We didn’t want to make the game too easy for the player because we believe that would destroy the connection to reality,” says Stalker 2 game director Ievgen Grygorovych in the video. “If the player can easily make mistakes, can’t die, can’t regenerate their hit points… no, then it’s not a Stalker experience.”
This is nothing new for the series, or for FPS games in general, but level art lead Dzmitry Anoshka noted that there are no player levels in Stalker 2 either. Instead, “your progression is reflected in better knowledge of the environment (and) faster reactions.” I’m glad to see this, because even though it was a long time ago, it echoes my memories of the original Stalker experience: the organic progression from a terrified newbie in a dark tunnel wondering what the heck that noise was, to a terrified veteran in a dark tunnel with a rough idea of what the heck that noise was, and an accompanying dread, knowing that despite all the miles I’ve put on it, it’s very likely to kill me.
“It’s very similar to scuba diving,” says Ingwar Dovgoteles, head of the film crew, using a scary yet strangely appealing analogy. “The first few meters are sunny and beautiful, and the zone doesn’t seem so scary. But the deeper we dive, the colder and darker it gets.”
“We begin to hear how hard and loud our hearts are beating. The descent never ends. At some point we will realize that there is no way back. We are too deep. The only thing left for us is to continue diving in the cold darkness under extreme pressure. There is little chance of survival. The only hope for a miracle lies deep down in the abyss.”
The other good news in the video is that the November release date is still valid. The game has been postponed several times, most recently in Julywhen the “final release date” was pushed back from September 5th to November 20th. Now that GSC Game World is apparently ready to reveal the game in earnest, that date seems to be set. I’ll be there.
