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

[toughasnails]

SoC has probably the crispiest textures for 2007 that still look great

Clear Sky also had some crazy impressive texturework in its original areas. As silly as this may sound, I still recall how initially impressed I was when seeing the textures on the wooden bridge up close in the opening area.

Some pics for comparison

If both images are from finished areas

It's supposed to be the same area, at least that is how it is taken by the folks posting that comparison elsewhere.
Honestly it just look different, stylistically rather than just detail-wise. If it's the same area then it went thru a considerable rework. Also clearly different time of day, different weather, less vegetation and debris that would throw shadows etc, so it isn't so easy to make direct comparison.

 

[ferratilis]

Clear Sky also had some crazy impressive texturework in its original areas. As silly as this may sound, I still recall how initially impressed I was when seeing the textures on the wooden bridge up close in the opening area.

Not only that, Clear Sky is generally the most technically impressive title in the trilogy. It was one of the first games to implement Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (well), volumetric smoke, new dynamic sun rays, soft particles looked very nice. All of this made the atmosphere great. Crysis might have been the most advanced game at the time, but Clear Sky had areas that looked more immersive. The only bad aspect was the overused depth of field that was ugly, but luckily it can be turned off. When GSC released the DX 10.1 patch, few cards could handle it, but the ones that could would reward the player with impressive visuals.

Sadly, the most visually impressive area, Limansk, is underused.

 

[toughasnails]

Yeah, Limansk was quite gorgeous & evocative. Also it was designed in such a way that it very much could've been employed for classic Stalker exploration gameplay (rather than being a backdrop for a series of generic Modern Military Shooter battles, which is what it ended up being used for).

 

[NecroLord]

Yeah, Limansk was quite gorgeous & evocative. Also it was designed in such a way that it very much could've been employed for classic Stalker exploration gameplay (rather than being a backdrop for a series of generic Modern Military Shooter battles, which is what it ended up being used for).

Limansk was pretty boring, dude. It turned into Call of Duty. However, I do like the battles with the Monolith troopers.
Red Forest was better.
Clear Sky is pretty shit though. Not as atmospheric as Shadow of Chernobyl or open as Call of Pripyat.

 

[Iucounu]

Some pics for comparison

If both images are from finished areas

It's supposed to be the same area, at least that is how it is taken by the folks posting that comparison elsewhere.

What's the source of that, and from where does that second image come from --the leak? The building, road geometry and viewing angle look the same, but nothing else.

Honestly it just look different, stylistically rather than just detail-wise. If it's the same area then it went thru a considerable rework. Also clearly different time of day, different weather, less vegetation and debris that would throw shadows etc, so it isn't so easy to make direct comparison.

Can't say about style, unless the entire Zone looks more like one or the other image... All the buildings are different too, even the left one appears to have two small windows on its left side in the top image, but three in the bottom image.

 

[Iucounu]

Crysis might have been the most advanced game at the time, but Clear Sky had areas that looked more immersive.

True. Graphics technology is just a tool, it's how the artists use it that makes all the difference. Clear Sky still looks great today, even without mods: https://cs.stalker-game.com/en/?page=screens

Crysis has some very nice designs in the alien underground level though.

Clear Sky is pretty shit though. Not as atmospheric as Shadow of Chernobyl or open as Call of Pripyat.

No it's great. Just as atmospheric as SoC and with more gameplay mechanics. But I agree there's a difference. Both have similar ambience music, so maybe it's because SoC has less noises from wind, birds and insects than CS and CoP (less is more). Also the voice acting in CS is more humoristic compared with SoC. A fun experiment is to stand close to an NPC in CS without opening a dialog and enjoy their randomized vocal reactions (especially with bandits).

 

[Gerrard]

Some pics for comparison

If both images are from finished areas

It's supposed to be the same area, at least that is how it is taken by the folks posting that comparison elsewhere.

What's the source of that, and from where does that second image come from --the leak? The building, road geometry and viewing angle look the same, but nothing else.

Honestly it just look different, stylistically rather than just detail-wise. If it's the same area then it went thru a considerable rework. Also clearly different time of day, different weather, less vegetation and debris that would throw shadows etc, so it isn't so easy to make direct comparison.

Can't say about style, unless the entire Zone looks more like one or the other image... All the buildings are different too, even the left one appears to have two small windows on its left side in the top image, but three in the bottom image.

It's from the leaked build.
My issue is the zone should look more like the top picture anyway (which might not even be a render), in the original games there was way too little foliage everywhere, just look at any actual photos from Chernobyl, or even at any place that is unkempt by people during spring/summer, you'd have grass up to your waist. From the leak it doesn't seem to be any different in S2.

 

[Iucounu]

Some pics for comparison

If both images are from finished areas

It's supposed to be the same area, at least that is how it is taken by the folks posting that comparison elsewhere.

What's the source of that, and from where does that second image come from --the leak? The building, road geometry and viewing angle look the same, but nothing else.

Honestly it just look different, stylistically rather than just detail-wise. If it's the same area then it went thru a considerable rework. Also clearly different time of day, different weather, less vegetation and debris that would throw shadows etc, so it isn't so easy to make direct comparison.

Can't say about style, unless the entire Zone looks more like one or the other image... All the buildings are different too, even the left one appears to have two small windows on its left side in the top image, but three in the bottom image.

It's from the leaked build.
My issue is the zone should look more like the top picture anyway (which might not even be a render), in the original games there was way too little foliage everywhere, just look at any actual photos from Chernobyl, or even at any place that is unkempt by people during spring/summer, you'd have grass up to your waist. From the leak it doesn't seem to be any different in S2.

I mostly know the Zone from the original games, so I don't mind that look in Stalker 2 even if it's different from the real world. But I can't really say which one of the two pictures that looks more like the original games, the top one reminds me of Metro Exodus as well... More vegetation may also change the gameplay, since you can't see anyone hiding in the grass --if that's good or bad I have no idea.

 

[Gerrard]

You may not like it, but this is what peak Stalker experience looks like.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Not included in the video - random Monolith soldier who managed to sneak behind you and spray you all over the wall
unless you've been playing on anything below Master like a filthy cashuall

 

[Gerrard]

Not included in the video - random Monolith soldier who managed to sneak behind you and spray you all over the wall
unless you've been playing on anything below Master like a filthy cashuall

I'd be shaking in my boots if they could actually hit the broad side of a barn. Or sneak. It's kind of hard when you shout "Vrag Monolita!" or something the moment you see the enemy.

 

[Hag]

You may not like it, but this is what peak Stalker experience looks like.

Monolith fights all sucked and this one was one of the worst.

 

[Gerrard]

The last levels of SoC would've been actually enjoyable if the RPK was in the game. Come to think of it, I should replay it again with some mod that adds it.

Also

 

[soutaiseiriron]

An RPK would just function like any of the other 5 AKs, just with 45 rounds in the magazine. What would be the difference? SoC had bad gunplay and gun variety regardless. You use pistols and a shotgun for an hour and then you start using automatics, which all feel and function exactly the same with occasional damage upgrades.
After you get the Tunder 5.45 there is literally no reason to use anything else in SoC. It has insane durability that it lasts from basically mid game to end game easily, it uses the most common ammo, has a grenade launcher, and it has I think the most or second highest damage in the game that most things are oneshottable to the head. The F2000 is better I think, but it's so rare that you won't be using it until you're going for the ending and uses uncommon 5.56.

 

[Gerrard]

The gun in game is RP-74, RPK is a real gun, my bad. There is no need to be upset.

 

[Spacer's Nugget]

Thanks to the power of the cloud the Xbox consoles, GSC had to strip the game down so it can run (poorly) at 30fps/1440p in quality mode, 45fps/1080p in performance mode.

I also believe moving to Unreal 5 was a mistake (for this and many other games).

 

[Harthwain]

SoC had bad gunplay and gun variety regardless.

I enjoyed it for what it was. You had Soviet standard and NATO standard, which was a nice touch. And there was enough gun variety to use whatever you enjoyed the most. Personally I loved FT-200M. I also used a sniper rifle in addition to my "primary" wepaon. While the main advantage of using Soviet guns was that ammo was more common (you could find it on looted enemies), but you could always buy NATO ammo from vendors and be more conservative with its use. Gunplay wasn't perfect, sure, but sure as hell it was fun to engage in.

 

[Iucounu]

SoC had bad gunplay and gun variety regardless. You use pistols and a shotgun for an hour and then you start using automatics,

What is bad about it? Shotguns are the best choice against mutants throughout the game, and AKMs can be looted from military NPCs from the start.

which all feel and function exactly the same with occasional damage upgrades.

Only some let you use scopes, grenade launchers, silencers or 2/3-burst modes. I think other stats differ as well, but haven't looked into it.

After you get the Tunder 5.45 there is literally no reason to use anything else in SoC. It has insane durability that it lasts from basically mid game to end game easily, it uses the most common ammo, has a grenade launcher, and it has I think the most or second highest damage in the game that most things are oneshottable to the head.

It's a great (but rare) weapon for close/medium range, but the Vintar has better accuracy and damage. I suppose you can bring only the Tunder 5.45 and use it against both humans and mutants to keep down inventory weight, but perhaps the extra ammo required for spraying mutants would offset the weight gain.

 

[deuxhero]

An RPK would just function like any of the other 5 AKs, just with 45 rounds in the magazine.

Its barrel is almost 1.5 time as long as stock AK. It would have higher damage and longer range at a cost of weight (which should hurt time to aim and wobble when not in lowest possible stance) and length (a handful of games properly implement minimum gun distance, but most don't).

 

[Spacer's Nugget]

There is a written interview featured on the IGN website (that went under the radar) in which it's stated that the game is content complete, and the studio is moving to the polishing/bug-fixing phase (which is a bold-faced lie, since they moved to Czechia, not Poland).

Trivia: GSC's main PR dude is a... Russian traitor.

Make borscht, not war.

 

[Ivan]

Not included in the video - random Monolith soldier who managed to sneak behind you and spray you all over the wall
unless you've been playing on anything below Master like a filthy cashuall

I'd be shaking in my boots if they could actually hit the broad side of a barn. Or sneak. It's kind of hard when you shout "Vrag Monolita!" or something the moment you see the enemy.

this shit is like if Bethesa made a stalker game. They'd start you w/exo and HMG

 

[Iucounu]

There is a written interview featured on the IGN website (that went under the radar) in which it's stated that the game is content complete, and the studio is moving to the polishing/bug-fixing phase (which is a bold-faced lie, since they moved to Czechia, not Poland).

https://www.ign.com/articles/the-st...ian-hackers-and-death-threats-wont-break-them

"Of the 360 or so people working at GSC Game World, around 160 are in Ukraine."​

​

"After deciding to make narrative changes to the game, it had to build a new motion capture studio in the Prague office. "​

​

"“We need a new motion capture studio. We need to build it. When we build it, we need to test it. When we test it, we can do these changes in motion capture. The full-fledged war starts, and we cut off Russian voiceover. Then we decide to dedicate additional time, money, and value to English voiceover. And we decide to hire English speaking actors to do so. We hire them, we need to do the voiceover, we need to have an audio studio, we need to rebuild the audio studio in Prague."​

​

Sounds like they're wasting too much time and resources on cutscenes that nobody needs. Narrative changes after already doing all(?) the cutscenes sounds a bit worrying as well.

 

[Gerrard]

Are you telling me there is no motion capture studio that they could've rented? In fucking Prague? And a recording studio?

 

[Infinitron]

 

[InD_ImaginE]

Sounds like they're wasting too much time and resources on cutscenes that nobody needs. Narrative changes after already doing all(?) the cutscenes sounds a bit worrying as well.

Need to paint Ukraine army as a hero and Russian invasion into the game