S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl - coming September 5th

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

"I just want to explore the zone, not follow some story" -> Fuck off Anomaly fanboys, the original game was mainly story driven. If anything, I assume the zone will be bigger and more open than in SoC.

Bullshit. You could take a break from the main story and just explore the Zone. In fact, most of my playtime was focused on me just wandering around (S.T.A.L.K.E.R. had great atmosphere that suited exploration). You could finish the story part really quickly if you beelined for it and it wasn't even that good (I'd call it serviceable, at best).

the original Stalker was non-stop shooting

True, but Stalker at least had semi-realistic take on shooting compared to more mainstream shooters out there (bullets could go off target, you had headshots, different ammo for different weapons, etc.), at least before you were in the endgame. You also had some light survival elements (I am including anomalies in that).

I must have played a different game. The locations in SoC were too small and had too little non-story content to offer meaningful exploration. It was a nice break of pace to loot stashes or do some side missions between the story progression. But the idea that exploring the zone was something substantial that you could do alternatively to the story seems absurd to me. It is not like in open world rpgs where you can ignore the MQ and still have tons of meaningful content. All underground "dungeon" locations were also story-gated and story-related. All side-quests are trivial „fetch that“ or „kill that“ affairs.

I actually hope that they make the zone significantly bigger in Stalker 2.

 

[soutaiseiriron]

Bullshit. You could take a break from the main story and just explore the Zone. In fact, most of my playtime was focused on me just wandering around (S.T.A.L.K.E.R. had great atmosphere that suited exploration). You could finish the story part really quickly if you beelined for it and it wasn't even that good (I'd call it serviceable, at best).

i did most of the side content in SOC out of force of habit and all of it was utterly meaningless. CS and COP were a little better though. stalker never struck me as a game that functioned at all as an open world walking sim. if anything i began to hate the walking sim part since SOC had no fast travel and the meaningless side content forces you to cross 2 loading zones each time. the only fun exploration that stalker had was around buildings and figuring out the goofy jumps to find secret stashes.

True, but Stalker at least had semi-realistic take on shooting compared to more mainstream shooters out there (bullets could go off target, you had headshots, different ammo for different weapons, etc.), at least before you were in the endgame. You also had some light survival elements (I am including anomalies in that).

what mainstream shooters are you even comparing it to? crediting a FPS game with anything resembling a realistic gun with having bloom/spread and headshots is like crediting a lake for having water. the bullet spread is also so fucking fake in SOC because all of the low tier rifles will shoot the same as a makarov so long range combat is impossible and you can't hit a torso at 50m without 2/3 bullets missing, even while crouched and still (oh and crouching also magically decreases the bullet spread by like 50%)

 

[Harthwain]

I must has played a different game. The locations in SoC were too small and had too little non-story content to offer meaningful exploration.

I guess that depends on what you mean by "meaningful exploration" or "little non-story content". I just liked getting into various places. And the number of locations was large enough to provide variety, even if locations themselves weren't big (I would still consider them to be reasonable in size though):

https://lost-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Zones

But the idea that exploring the zone was something substantial that you could do alternatively to the story seems absurd to me. It is not like in open world rpgs where you can ignore the MQ and still have tons of meaningful content.

It wasn't an open world game, but you could walk between hubs freely (granted, up to a certain point) without needing to concern yourself with the main quest. There were also optional quests to spice the exploration:

https://stalker.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_optional_missions_in_Shadow_of_Chernobyl

i did most of the side content in SOC out of force of habit and all of it was utterly meaningless.

If by "utterly meaningless" you mean "it had no impact on the main story", then I agree. But that should be expected by most games that are narratively driven (including RPGs, by the way, games that pride themselves on player's choice). Shadow of Chernobyl wasn't supposed to be as player/faction-driven as it was originally intended. Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat tried to actively do something more meaningful with the concept of dynamic factions, although the results were mixed at best.

stalker never struck me as a game that functioned at all as an open world walking sim. if anything i began to hate the walking sim part since SOC had no fast travel and the meaningless side content forces you to cross 2 loading zones each time. the only fun exploration that stalker had was around buildings and figuring out the goofy jumps to find secret stashes.

Well, like I said before, I simply enjoyed walking the Zone and checking out places. I would struggle to name another game where I was as excited to explore dark areas with a flashlight as I was with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Throw in anomalies and mutants/zombies, and it can be pretty interesting experience. Hell, even fighting regular Stalkers was fun to me in that game.

what mainstream shooters are you even comparing it to? crediting a FPS game with anything resembling a realistic gun with having bloom/spread and headshots is like crediting a lake for having water.

I had Battlefield: Bad Company 2 in particular in mind. I stopped playing Call of Duty after the first game.

the bullet spread is also so fucking fake in SOC because all of the low tier rifles will shoot the same as a makarov so long range combat is impossible and you can't hit a torso at 50m without 2/3 bullets missing, even while crouched and still (oh and crouching also magically decreases the bullet spread by like 50%)

I will take fake bullet trajectory when firing at long distances over being able to land hits precisely where you are aiming without regard to what kind if weapon you are using. The fact that I had to adjust my aim and control my fire was something I actually liked about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Hitting enemies in the head for the insta-kills in order to conserve ammo was another interesting aspect of it (especially if you were using NATO weapons, because ammo to these guns was less commonplace than ammo used by the Warsaw Pact weaponry).

 

[Ol' Willy]

what mainstream shooters are you even comparing it to? crediting a FPS game with anything resembling a realistic gun with having bloom/spread and headshots is like crediting a lake for having water. the bullet spread is also so fucking fake in SOC because all of the low tier rifles will shoot the same as a makarov so long range combat is impossible and you can't hit a torso at 50m without 2/3 bullets missing, even while crouched and still (oh and crouching also magically decreases the bullet spread by like 50%)

- every bullet is physically simulated, no hitscan shit
- bullet drop
- ricochets (you can kill people with ricochets too)
- penetration values for different ammo types
- bullet velocities
- grenade physics: game engine actually simulates shrapnel from grenades

Spread and damage distribution for weapons are bollocks, but this is the input values by the choice of game designers because MUH BALINCE, the core system is nothing but solid

Few things more satisfying than headshot with Vintorez against moving target from 100m

 

[Silva]

"I just want to explore the zone, not follow some story" -> Fuck off Anomaly fanboys, the original game was mainly story driven. If anything, I assume the zone will be bigger and more open than in SoC.

Bullshit. You could take a break from the main story and just explore the Zone. In fact, most of my playtime was focused on me just wandering around (S.T.A.L.K.E.R. had great atmosphere that suited exploration). You could finish the story part really quickly if you beelined for it and it wasn't even that good (I'd call it serviceable, at best).

the original Stalker was non-stop shooting

True, but Stalker at least had semi-realistic take on shooting compared to more mainstream shooters out there (bullets could go off target, you had headshots, different ammo for different weapons, etc.), at least before you were in the endgame. You also had some light survival elements (I am including anomalies in that).

I must have played a different game. The locations in SoC were too small and had too little non-story content to offer meaningful exploration. It was a nice break of pace to loot stashes or do some side missions between the story progression. But the idea that exploring the zone was something substantial that you could do alternatively to the story seems absurd to me. It is not like in open world rpgs where you can ignore the MQ and still have tons of meaningful content. All underground "dungeon" locations were also story-gated and story-related. All side-quests are trivial „fetch that“ or „kill that“ affairs.

I actually hope that they make the zone significantly bigger in Stalker 2.

SoC is really like that.

But CoP changed it and infused the kind of exploration you're talking about.

 

[Iucounu]

Is some mild trolling taking place in the thread? It's a known viral marketing tactic to post intentionally silly things, in order to provoke corrections and reactions from other members. Just curious, please don't stop.

 

[Iucounu]

I must have played a different game. The locations in SoC were too small and had too little non-story content to offer meaningful exploration. It was a nice break of pace to loot stashes or do some side missions between the story progression. But the idea that exploring the zone was something substantial that you could do alternatively to the story seems absurd to me. It is not like in open world rpgs where you can ignore the MQ and still have tons of meaningful content.

Thankfully SoC is not filled with soulless set pieces and relationship drama in every corner, that's exactly the kind of content that makes me avoid certain games, like The Witcher 3.

I think the main fun in exploring SoC (besides the joy of sight-seeing) is finding all the high-end artifacts, rare NPC dialogs about the lore, and sometimes unique loot in NPC stashes (along with the nice stash descriptions in SoC and CS, sadly missing in CoP). Some players also like to track NPCs wandering around the Zone (such as Wolf or Poker). And of course being able to shoot things without restrictions (somewhat removed in CS).

It also pays to return to previous areas multiple times, since they often change both due to the A-Life mechanics and sometimes after certain main story events. For example, if you help Freedom against Duty in Army Warehouses, the Bar area becomes a completely different experience with the now hostile Dutyers (but of course you need to go back through the Bar area in order to notice this). Another example is the side-quest https://stalker.fandom.com/wiki/Protect_the_rookie_camp_from_the_Mercs which is only available after doing the X18 lab mission, so if you continue directly to the Bar after Dark Valley you'll miss it.

All underground "dungeon" locations were also story-gated and story-related.

But you can at least return later, perhaps to loot stashes that were not available to you the first time (like the Vintar in the X16 lab).

All side-quests are trivial „fetch that“ or „kill that“ affairs.

The fun often happens on your trip to the quest location. The journey is the point, not the destination, the fetch quests themselves are just an excuse to make you move your character around.

I actually hope that they make the zone significantly bigger in Stalker 2.

I fear that may result in fatigue already after your first 100 hour game, ruining the fun of replays. Not many games make you want to start a new 100 hour run right after the previous one.

 

[Gerrard]

It doesn't pay to return to any locations in SoC any more than absolutely necessary because level changers are what triggers enemy spawns like the mercs in wild territory.

 

[Iucounu]

It doesn't pay to return to any locations in SoC any more than absolutely necessary because level changers are what triggers enemy spawns like the mercs in wild territory.

In Wild Territory you often encounter replacement Bandits migrating from the Bar Area. Don't know how the Mercs get there, but they'll disappear permanently from the level later in the game (maybe after you disable the Brain Scorcher).

 

[NecroLord]

what mainstream shooters are you even comparing it to? crediting a FPS game with anything resembling a realistic gun with having bloom/spread and headshots is like crediting a lake for having water. the bullet spread is also so fucking fake in SOC because all of the low tier rifles will shoot the same as a makarov so long range combat is impossible and you can't hit a torso at 50m without 2/3 bullets missing, even while crouched and still (oh and crouching also magically decreases the bullet spread by like 50%)

- every bullet is physically simulated, no hitscan shit
- bullet drop
- ricochets (you can kill people with ricochets too)
- penetration values for different ammo types
- bullet velocities
- grenade physics: game engine actually simulates shrapnel from grenades

Spread and damage distribution for weapons are bollocks, but this is the input values by the choice of game designers because MUH BALINCE, the core system is nothing but solid

Few things more satisfying than headshot with Vintorez against moving target from 100m

There's also the Flatness, very important for snipers and sniping, as you want to make the bullet fly in a straight path.
STALKER put a lot of thought and work into this stuff compared to other bland and generic military shooters.

 

[Strig]

https://www.stalker2.com

Spoiler

Confirmed by GSC:
https://www.facebook.com/gscgameworld

Will use Unreal Engine 4?:

They want me to stop watching the video?

 

[NecroLord]

"GET OUT OF HERE STALKER!"

 

[United Nations]

Watched latest trailer, realized that they're using American voice actors and not Ukrainian actors speaking English with a Ukrainian accent.

Total fucking bullshit.

I'm a Ukrainian American who has never been to Ukraine and the main appeal of the original games were the genuine Ukrainian atmosphere, almost as if I was visiting Chernobyl and Pripyat in-person.

It doesn't make sense to use American voice actors in this context, it's about as bad as American movies that hire British actors to play a European character, regardless of whether they're from Brittain or not.

Fuck, I would accept American voice actors doing their best to speak with a fake Ukrainian/Russian accent, LOL... But I'll settle for using Ukrainian audio in-game with English subtitles!

Why would the characters speak English with a Ukranian/Russian accent?

When non-english speaking characters speak English in movies or games, they are not actually speaking English in-world. You are supposed to assume they are speaking in their native language, the use of English is just a device for the audience to understand the dialogue. So adding an accent to the dub is kinda dumb, although I agree it adds atmosphere.

I assume they will add a subtitle system to the game this time, so for maximum atmosphere you could just play it in Ukranian with English subtitles.

STALKER NPC's should speak English with Ukrainian accents because STALKER is a first-person game and that's how they would most effectively communicate with me IRL so it's best that way for the purpose of immersion.

That's also the way that the original STALKER games are dubbed. Obviously I'll be listening to the Ukrainian translation with English subs if available. In fact, all foreign (non-Ukrainian) translations should be spoken with Ukrainian accents too. But for simplicity's sake, GSC Gameworld should just release the game with Ukrainian dialogue and all other languages as subtitles... Listening to American voice actors depicting native Ukrainian mercenaries is obviously dumbed down for the console market and basically reminds me of COD.

Half of the atmosphere in the original games come from their ability to set themselves apart from generic AAA shooters since it takes place in Ukraine, stars Ukrainians, was developed by a Ukrainian game company, and is the best eurojank IP I've ever played.

 

[Iucounu]

Listening to American voice actors depicting native Ukrainian mercenaries is obviously dumbed down for the console market and basically reminds me of COD.

It wouldn't be very patriotic either, something which seems very important to Ukraineans these days (at least in public).

Half of the atmosphere in the original games come from their ability to set themselves apart from generic AAA shooters since it takes place in Ukraine, stars Ukrainians, was developed by a Ukrainian game company, and is the best eurojank IP I've ever played.

Indeed, any East European voice acting accent would do the job better than an American accent, regardless of country. At least for non-East European players, since we generally can't tell the difference between the various East European cultures anyway (sorry).

 

[blessed king of longing]

still not calling it "chornobyl" its fucking CHERNOBYL. fuck ZELENSKY. this game is probably going to suck and be loved by NIGGERS and still get amazing pity reviews because UKRAINE is getting assraped by ZIGGERS!

 

[United Nations]

still not calling it "chornobyl" its fucking CHERNOBYL. fuck ZELENSKY. this game is probably going to suck and be loved by NIGGERS and still get amazing pity reviews because UKRAINE is getting assraped by ZIGGERS!

Ukraine is almost completely free of black people.

Jews and gypsies are their most hated minorities AFAIK.

 

[luj1]

wtf is "chornobyl" sounds like a drug

i doubt this game will outdo the original

 

[Cohesion]

still not calling it "chornobyl" its fucking CHERNOBYL. fuck ZELENSKY. this game is probably going to suck and be loved by NIGGERS and still get amazing pity reviews because UKRAINE is getting assraped by ZIGGERS!

Ukraine is almost completely free of black people.

Yes.

gypsies are their most hated minorities AFAIK.

Probably. Who loves gypsies?

Jews

Doubt.

 

[Ol' Willy]

Voice acting is one of the defining features of SoC (and sequels), it is simply gold. English voiceover is nowhere near that good

ukr voiceover is not bad too: though it was created after the release of the game (for all three games), some factions retained Russian language, some were translated to ukr, and bandits talk in surzhik. Although it is buggy: in some cases characters speak in ukr and then use untranslated Russian lines

I think some mods use pure original Russian voiceovers but add surzhik voiceovers for bandits because of the hilarity

 

[Iucounu]

Ukraine is almost completely free of black people.

So was Feudal Japan...

 

[Iucounu]

Voice acting is one of the defining features of SoC (and sequels), it is simply gold. English voiceover is nowhere near that good

The English in SoC and CS is OK as well, at least it never annoyed me. But I must disagree about Call of Pripyat --the English version is awful, and most of the Russian (Ukrainean?) is just bland. Maybe the new lines from Bandits are OK, can't remember.

 

[Ryzer]

I hate the english voice over of Stalker games, I wish we could have only full original VO + subtitles.

It's Ukraine, not Liverpool.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Ukraine is almost completely free of black people.

So was Feudal Japan...

So is modern Japan.

 

[NecroLord]

Voice acting is one of the defining features of SoC (and sequels), it is simply gold. English voiceover is nowhere near that good

The English in SoC and CS is OK as well, at least it never annoyed me. But I must disagree about Call of Pripyat --the English version is awful, and most of the Russian (Ukrainean?) is just bland. Maybe the new lines from Bandits are OK, can't remember.

I rather like the goofy English voice acting in Call of Pripyat.

 

[Iucounu]

Voice acting is one of the defining features of SoC (and sequels), it is simply gold. English voiceover is nowhere near that good

The English in SoC and CS is OK as well, at least it never annoyed me. But I must disagree about Call of Pripyat --the English version is awful, and most of the Russian (Ukrainean?) is just bland. Maybe the new lines from Bandits are OK, can't remember.

I rather like the goofy English voice acting in Call of Pripyat.

Even Hawaiian?