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

[EldarEldrad]

Stalker is RPG,have no place in the general gaming!

What kind of retarded dumbfuck are you? Stalker is not an RPG by any means, even developers in their russian-speaking interviews said it is shooter with only minor RPG elements (RPG-7 elements specifically).

 

[cretin]

Why are you guys acting like STALKER wasn't open world? Did Chernobyl stop being open world because it had 3 loading screens between 3 zones? Did the Witcher 3?

yes thats an accurate comparison for sure. SoC has ~16 maps, many of them having both literal physical barriers and magical death barriers to prevent you from just going anywhere you want, and the witcher 3, has just 3 maps where you can traverse upwards of 90% of the gameworld with next to no barriers, definitely the same thing.

SoC isnt open world. Neither is COP. This most accurately called a hub based design, and shares far more in common with something like Deus Ex than it does an actual open world game like GTA, twitcher or skyrim.

 

[Konjad]

I loved Shadow of Chernobyl, but it was only a shadow of Oblivion lost. The amount of not delivered promises was more than any other in games. Huge open world, very intelligent AI and a decent vehicles (at the time it was really new, only ArmA 3 delivered it in a shooter) were one of the largest disappointments (world divided into small parts, AI was meh, and no vehicles at all).

Therefore I shall hold my horses before being hyped for Stalker 2. Especially since the other two stalker games were meh.

The technology and maybe their skill wasnt there at the time. They indeed wanted to make the game to end all games. The ultimate game. But it wasnt feasible at the time and in a reasonable timeframe. Stuff had to be cut, otherwise the game would never have come out. They were shooting for the moon, but the tech, manpower or money wasnt there. Its not a reason to be dissapointed. The trilogy is one of the crowning achievements in pc gaming. The other 2 games werent meh. Pripyat is a beacon of gamedesign in a sea of shit. Its so exceptional that when you look at it, nearly every complaint people have for modern open worlds is resolved in Call of Pripyat. From traversal to world layout, to activities.

The single greatest issue with this Stalker 2 here is its a multiplatform game. A game with gameplay designed for 2 sticks and four face buttons. With layers over layers of assists in every category. The simple fact that its a console game dooms it from the start

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the first STALKER and it is one of the most memorable FPS games I've ever played up to this day. However, it's mostly due to the atmosphere and story. The gameplaywise too much was cut though, and shooting mechanics were just okay. My issue is that they hyped it so much and then not delivered that stuff at all. Hence I'm not going to get hyped for Stalker 2 as I predict they will promise more than they deliver once again.

 

[Cassar]

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the first STALKER and it is one of the most memorable FPS games I've ever played up to this day. However, it's mostly due to the atmosphere and story. The gameplaywise too much was cut though, and shooting mechanics were just okay. My issue is that they hyped it so much and then not delivered that stuff at all. Hence I'm not going to get hyped for Stalker 2 as I predict they will promise more than they deliver once again.

i feel you, i feel you. I actually followed the development of this game since 2002 when they announced it for a 2003 release date. I was lucky in a way that a local pc gaming magazine was so enthralled by the game's ambitions and promises that they were doing multi page previews every single year since 2002 until 2007. Sometimes two previews in a single year. They were fascinated by the games ambitions and so was i by reading their indepth articles over the years.

The game was supposed to be this huge single area, the Zone. 120 other stalkers would actually compete with you the player in objectives and missions. There would be 4 vehicles, that would require maintenance, fuel, repairs. The A-Life would govern every creature in the game, which will have behaviour routines, they would fight for territory. And so on.

Thing is, they wanted to do too much. Even with the cuts, i disagree that the gameplay was too cut. Its to this day one of the most complex and engrossing experiences. It has more features in gameplay than almost any other FPS. Just looking at the weapon characteristics - its miles ahead of other games today.

Like i said, the problem with Stalker 2 is that its a console game. Its never gonna be as feature rich as the old games. Its gonna be the usual automation and assists every game has today.

You can read this article if you wanna know in a bit more detail how hard it was for Stalker to come out

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-07-28-dean-sharpe-sent-to-save-stalker

 

[Konjad]

You can read this article if you wanna know in a bit more detail how hard it was for Stalker to come out

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-07-28-dean-sharpe-sent-to-save-stalker

I was following STALKER Oblivion Lost from the first announcement as well, reading every bit of news up to a release date. I doubt this link will give me any new information then.

 

[jaydee2k]

hnnng this trailer is playing with my feelings.... Please don't let me down, I couldn't take it...

 

[Ialda]

"The trailer demonstrates the level of graphics and atmosphere we are aiming to achieve on release"

Please don't do that to me, GSC.

 

[agentorange]

will be shit

 

[Ol' Willy]

Well, always take GSC promises with a grain of sand. Remember how much was promised for SoC and how much was cut?

 

[Space Satan]

 

[fantadomat]

https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/s-t-a-l-k-e-r-2-is-confirmed.121861/

Stalker is RPG,have no place in the general gaming!

No stats, no skills, no character sheet, no character progression. It's not an RPG by any stretch of the imagination.

If having an inventory classifies it as an RPG then shit like Resident Evil is an RPG too.

Poor imagination mate! It is superb larping material! Also it has inventory .



Joke aside the game do have plenty of stats,what you mean is that there isn't levelling mechanic. The game is as much of a RPG as is DeusEx and the boring strategy jagged alliance 2.

That said,we are talking about stalker 2,which will be open world game made in 2020-2022. Thus there is a zero chance to not have some levelling RPG mechanics.

Well, always take GSC promises with a grain of sand. Remember how much was promised for SoC and how much was cut?

Fair enough,tho this shit seems to have the backing of microsoft. Most of their problems were because of publisher being shit and lack of money. I am interested to see what will happen with this one.

 

[Infinitron]

Here is GSC's new YouTube channel for you to subscribe to: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk96JambgW5zsOBquR63iEQ

Right now we’re developing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 — the unique combination of a first-person shooter, immersive sim and horror, set in the Anomalous Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Confirmed, not an RPG.

 

[Draconis]

Who the fuck thinks STALKER is an RPG? OLOL

 

[CappenVarra]

good to see the rookie village has gotten so much cozier with passage of time

 

[fantadomat]

Confirmed, not an RPG

I shall remember this shillitron! I will live till the game comes out and will remind you of your lack of perception!

 

[RhodokMasterRaceOfficial]

Who the fuck thinks STALKER is an RPG? OLOL

I wouldn't call it a full-blown RPG. Maybe only a half-blown one. Blown just on the tip, if you will.

The STALKER games can definitely be considered "RPG adjacent" though. If you just play it there are a lot of things definitely reminiscent of an RPG. I think the main thing that makes people say "not an RPG" is the fact its progression is purely itemised with no character levels, which is to say your character gets better by acquiring better gear. Literally all it would take for people to start calling it an RPG is adding skills and level-ups.

 

[fantadomat]

Who the fuck thinks STALKER is an RPG? OLOL

I wouldn't call it a full-blown RPG. Maybe only a half-blown one. Blown just on the tip, if you will.

The STALKER games can definitely be considered "RPG adjacent" though. If you just play it there are a lot of things definitely reminiscent of an RPG. I think the main thing that makes people say "not an RPG" is the fact its progression is purely itemised with no character levels, which is to say your character gets better by acquiring better gear. Literally all it would take for people to start calling it an RPG is adding skills and level-ups.

It is as much of RPG as DeusEx and Jagged Alliance

 

[Konjad]

If Skyrim is an RPG, then I don't see anything against STALKER being called as such, but I don't do it myself.

 

[vortex]

Multiple endings choices give it enough credibility to at least participate in codex console RPG GOTY awards.

 

[Tacgnol]

Irony is that the STALKER series, despite not claiming to be RPGs, have always had a much greater claim to being part of the genre than a lot of the action games that call themselves RPGs.

They've always had rudimentary progression via equipment and artefacts, usually some minor choices and consequences and a fair amount of freedom with how you approach goals.

I've just realised this post is getting dangerously close to the dreaded "What is an RPG?" question, so I think I'd better finish it here.

 

[fantadomat]

If Skyrim is an RPG, then I don't see anything against STALKER being called as such, but I don't do it myself.

Well Infi thinks of Asscreed as RPG,it is part of the RPG forums......maybe RPG means shitty AAA games.

 

[normie]

umm you have quests, that makes it by definition an rpg

 

[fantadomat]

umm you have quests, that makes it by definition an rpg

And stats...

 

[Ol' Willy]

Adding stats and skills to any STALKER game won't drastically change the game mechanics, but will make it an actual RPG. It's strange that there are no mods which do that considering the insane amount of various stuff modded for the games.

 

[Tacgnol]

Adding stats and skills to any STALKER game won't drastically change the game mechanics, but will make it an actual RPG. It's strange that there are no mods which do that considering the insane amount of various stuff modded for the games.

There have been a few attempts. SGM for COP adds skill books which passively increase your damage with certain weapons. Someone made a mod for SOC back in the day that changed gun accuracy based on your rank.

Call of Chernobyl was going to add skill trees in the new version, but I think the author gave up on that after negative feedback.

There is also a Russian mod for Clear Sky that has skill trees I believe. Shoker maybe?

 

[Ol' Willy]

Why not showing entire modding community respect and making it PC exclusive .

Money. Ukraine has seen better days, and folks there really need them bucks.

Consider the rampant piracy in post-USSR republics, and the fact that this republics are the target auditory for new STALKER game.

 

[Ol' Willy]

Then why not 'Escape from tarkov' coming to consoles?

Are you daft? EFT is online game, pirating it is pointless.

 

[Sinatar]

It is as much of RPG as DeusEx and Jagged Alliance

Both of those games have skills, stats and experience points. STALKER does not.