Developers Stalker 2GSC Game World released a lengthy, 35-minute YouTube video on Monday previewing the upcoming sequel to its beloved open-world shooter series.
In it, the Ukrainian team described how much they focused on the authenticity of the experience. That authenticity applies to the game’s actual setting around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. But it also applies to the game’s various other expressions that have been delivered to fans since 2007. So if you feel like you’re looking at some of the same locations, STALKER: Shadow of Chernobylbecause you are simply very adapted to newfangled equipment.
Given the length of the film, details are still a bit limited for my taste — including how exactly the oft-mentioned branching narrative will work. We already know that there will be 35 weapons in the game, and some of them will have upgrades and attachments. We also know that the inventory system will work similarly to the original, with items like health kits being hidden diegetically in the environment. It will still require a certain amount of Tetris to fit everything into a backpack, especially with strict weight limits. The team also mentions that over three hours of cutscenes were filmed for the game, totaling 43 different scenes.
Stalker 2 originally expected to launch on September 5, it has been pushed back to November 20. The final version of the game will be available on PC and Xbox Series X, where it will be included in the Xbox Game Pass program and will be available to all subscribers on launch day.
