Stalker is probably the only series in existence, where i don't really mind traversing wider stretches of empty wilderness. It just feels so good to immerse yourself in those eastern environments, with nothing but their ambience and some occasional ruins here and there. On the other hand, 64km² sounds like a total overkill even with that idea in mind. That's where A-life 2 should really come into play and shine, by making everything far less predictable. It's not only about factions, but also about randomizing anomalies and artifact placement, making more frequent mutants migrations and population growths, and just tuning every encounter with strangers to feel tense as hell. Well adjusted A-life should force us into some sort of guessing game- does this gopnik, making his way down there in the scrapyard, really belongs to freedom or maybe he's some hostile loner/ bandit. should I approach him right away and ask to drink Cossacs with me or shoot him from afar/ leave him be, waiting patiently till he steps on that anomaly. Without this kind of events/choices, it's gonna be just another typical open world shooter.