S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

[Ryzer]

Russian has that extra flair that makes it sound cool.

You mean 2 carton of cigarettes for extra bass voice?

 

[ADL]

Impressions by someone who played the original trilogy and lots of mods. This made me feel a lot better about it.

Unlike its predecessors, the world map in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has no barriers. In those games, you could aggravate enemies and run away to load into the next section of the map to evade them. But with an open world, I wondered if bandits would simply chase you down from one end to the other, or if they would back off before encroaching on hostile territory.


Curious, I pressed Kulyk.


"It basically depends on the faction, and it definitely depends on the monster type you met. So some of them are protecting their territory, because our A-Life system, 2.0, is built, first of all, on several pillars."


The A-Life system in the original games was revolutionary at the time, and truly helped bring the world to life as NPCs would go about their business regardless of the player's actions.


"First of all, they have [offline mode]. [Constantly] some events are happening in the back end. So you may notice that during your gameplay. And of course, you may notice [the] results of maybe some firefights or maybe some mutant encounter that was attacked by NPCs or vice versa."


In terms of how the county lines are formed so to speak, Kulyk went on to describe how the NPCs exist in the Zone.


"So they have their, like, let's say natural habitat areas, and some of these factions, or some of these monsters may roam around the map and try to catch the players. So there's constantly life in front of the player, and, of course, behind their eyes."

https://www.radiotimes.com/technology/gaming/stalker-2-preview/

 

[randir14]

I'm glad they're dedicated to modding. In the video the GSC guy said the tools they release will allow for anything, including huge total conversions.

 

[ferratilis]

They got the ambiance right.

 

[Konjad]

For those who are unsure whether it's actually worth buying, apparently it will be available day 1 with Game Pass Ultimate. If you don't plan to play it for more than one playthrough that's a third of the price (for 1 month game pass).

 

[ferratilis]

Game Pass Ultimate

Not needed. You only need Ultimate if you're also playing on console. PC players can get Stalker 2 with just PC game pass, which is cheaper.

 

[Perkel]

For those who are unsure whether it's actually worth buying, apparently it will be available day 1 with Game Pass Ultimate. If you don't plan to play it for more than one playthrough that's a third of the price (for 1 month game pass).

or you could wait a week or two and buy it from key resellers for 1/4 of price

 

[Iucounu]

They got the ambiance right.

Sounds are a bit too trebly, no? Like they're in your face. And maybe too much going on at the same time.

 

[ferratilis]

Sounds are a bit too trebly, no? Like they're in your face. And maybe too much going on at the same time.

Trebly, yes. They didn't balance it well. But too much going on? I don't think so. Have you ever been to a swamp, frogs and insects are annoying af.

Also, the sound at 0:48 is a nostalgia hit.

 

[Iucounu]

But too much going on? I don't think so.

There's also wind(?) noises, but no visible wind movement on screen. Also lots of low frequency monster(?) noises that sound synthetic.

SoC's ambience sounds were very restrained, with just a few (more natural sounding) monster sounds. CS used more ambience sounds, but less monster sounds. Stalker2 seems to use all at once.

Have you ever been to a swamp, frogs and insects are annoying af.

Never to a Ukrainean swamp. I suppose it depends on the season/climate, maybe it's summer in the game?

 

[NecroLord]

But too much going on? I don't think so.

There's also wind(?) noises, but no visible wind movement on screen. Also lots of low frequency monster(?) noises that sound synthetic.

SoC's ambience sounds were very restrained, with just a few (more natural sounding) monster sounds. CS used more ambience sounds, but less monster sounds. Stalker2 seems to use all at once.

Have you ever been to a swamp, frogs and insects are annoying af.

Never to a Ukrainean swamp. I suppose it depends on the season/climate, maybe it's summer in the game?

Call of Pripyat had the Zaton swamps.

 

[Iucounu]

But too much going on? I don't think so.

There's also wind(?) noises, but no visible wind movement on screen. Also lots of low frequency monster(?) noises that sound synthetic.

SoC's ambience sounds were very restrained, with just a few (more natural sounding) monster sounds. CS used more ambience sounds, but less monster sounds. Stalker2 seems to use all at once.

Have you ever been to a swamp, frogs and insects are annoying af.

Never to a Ukrainean swamp. I suppose it depends on the season/climate, maybe it's summer in the game?

Call of Pripyat had the Zaton swamps.

Do you mean the one in Yanov, at the concrete factory? It's very quiet in-game.

 

[NecroLord]

But too much going on? I don't think so.

There's also wind(?) noises, but no visible wind movement on screen. Also lots of low frequency monster(?) noises that sound synthetic.

SoC's ambience sounds were very restrained, with just a few (more natural sounding) monster sounds. CS used more ambience sounds, but less monster sounds. Stalker2 seems to use all at once.

Have you ever been to a swamp, frogs and insects are annoying af.

Never to a Ukrainean swamp. I suppose it depends on the season/climate, maybe it's summer in the game?

Call of Pripyat had the Zaton swamps.

Do you mean the one in Yanov, at the concrete factory? It's very quiet in-game.

The area around Skadovsk.

 

[Stavrophore]

Im convinced now - the game will feature simple missions, nothing with elaborate plot, mechanics or impressiveness of uncharted franchise car chases. It will be your typical 6/10 AA game that you get on kickstarter or other indie platform, with maybe a little more polish to it. You will also have to wait few weeks up to months until all bugs are patched to get consistent gameplay. Devs might try to sell DLCs as additional areas where you will be transported to do some mission for another yet unknown organization, something of 6-10h gameplay length.

 

[Iucounu]

But too much going on? I don't think so.

There's also wind(?) noises, but no visible wind movement on screen. Also lots of low frequency monster(?) noises that sound synthetic.

SoC's ambience sounds were very restrained, with just a few (more natural sounding) monster sounds. CS used more ambience sounds, but less monster sounds. Stalker2 seems to use all at once.

Have you ever been to a swamp, frogs and insects are annoying af.

Never to a Ukrainean swamp. I suppose it depends on the season/climate, maybe it's summer in the game?

Call of Pripyat had the Zaton swamps.

Do you mean the one in Yanov, at the concrete factory? It's very quiet in-game.

The area around Skadovsk.

That one was quiet too, not a single mutated frog.

 

[ferratilis]

impressiveness of uncharted franchise car chases

Nigger, what's impressive about watching a cutscene? Is that your idea of a good game?

It will be your typical 6/10 AA game that you get on kickstarter or other indie platform, with maybe a little more polish to it.

Yes, please. 6/10 AA > any 9/10 AAA goyslop that's released these days

You will also have to wait few weeks up to months until all bugs are patched to get consistent gameplay.

Not a problem. When I played SoC on release, the game couldn't even be finished because of bugs, not to mention all the promised content that was cut. And it was still one of the most mindblowing gaming experience I've ever had.

 

[NecroLord]

Not a problem. When I played SoC on release, the game couldn't even be finished because of bugs, not to mention all the promised content that was cut. And it was still one of the most mindblowing gaming experience I've ever had.

It was the atmosphere and the great sound design. Not quite on the same level as Thief, but still really good.

Anyway, Call of Pripyat was the most polished of the bunch, never had any major problems aside from a few bugs every now and then.
Clear Sky on the other hand...

 

[Hag]

Anyway, Call of Pripyat was the most polished of the bunch, never had any major problems aside from a few bugs every now and then.

The final mission may be the buggiest moment without crashes I have ever encountered in all my gaming life. I still don't understand what was suppose to happen then.

 

[NecroLord]

Anyway, Call of Pripyat was the most polished of the bunch, never had any major problems aside from a few bugs every now and then.

The final mission may be the buggiest moment without crashes I have ever encountered in all my gaming life. I still don't understand what was suppose to happen then.

The one where you have to

?

Keeping all those fucks alive (especially Strelok) is a challenge. However, Strelok gains a massive Health boost if you give him all those three notes you find in those secret stashes.

 

[Stavrophore]

Nigger, what's impressive about watching a cutscene? Is that your idea of a good game?

There's no cutscene, you have control, and yes i expect games that tout to be AAA to have SOME cinematic missions, that you will remember for long after you end the game.

Yes, please. 6/10 AA > any 9/10 AAA goyslop that's released these days

That doesn't even make sense a six can't be better than nine, just by logic alone...

Not a problem. When I played SoC on release, the game couldn't even be finished because of bugs, not to mention all the promised content that was cut. And it was still one of the most mindblowing gaming experience I've ever had.

It is a problem, and stalker games become enjoyable solely because of community fixing the bugs and taking out the jank from these games. Some people like jank, i don't.

 

[NecroLord]

Slav jank is the best jank.

 

[Hag]

The one where you have to

?

Keeping all those fucks alive (especially Strelok) is a challenge. However, Strelok gains a massive Health boost if you give him all those three notes you find in those secret stashes.

The challenge I had was more understanding the broken AI and scripts and swimming through a 3 FPS blur trying to find my way around.

 

[Ol' Willy]

SoC was finishable on release, I definitely did a couple of runs on 1.0

 

[Hace El Oso]

…yes i expect games that tout to be AAA to have SOME cinematic missions, that you will remember for long after you end the game.

What I remember most from STALKER is shadowing groups of stalkers around the city at night and watching them get into firefights, having men I’m supposed to find end up dead or besieged for one reason or another not of my doing, and sitting around the fire listening to some guitar tunes and comradely chatter.

Cutscenes and story that wasn’t told in datapads or my own exploration didn’t come into it.

 

[AlwaysBrotoMen]

Game of the year