STALKER 2 was probably one of the most anticipated releases of the year 2022. This unexpected sequel to the successful survival game franchise has unfortunately seen its release postponed until December.
[Mis à jour le 12 janvier 2022 à 17h56] News from STALKER has been waiting for twelve years. The benchmark Eastern European survival game franchise went silent for over a decade, before STALKER 2 was announced over a year ago. . An announcement that had the effect of a bomb, arousing the appetites of many fans, impressed by the first images of a game with incredible potential. Unfortunately, GSC Game World recently announced that the release of its game, initially scheduled for April 2022, will be postponed by 8 months. The good news is that STALKER fans are just a few months old …
The game’s release is therefore postponed to December 8, 2022. An eight-month postponement that GSC Game World justifies by its intention to provide a game that meets the expectations of fans, without mentioning any difficulties linked to the health crisis: ” These additional seven months of development are necessary for us to achieve our vision and get a game in the state we want. STALKER 2 is GSC Game World’s biggest project to date and this project requires testing and polishing. thorough. ” A decision that can be considered wise, given the expectations of fans and recent examples of games released too early (hello Battlefield 2042).
The project of a STALKER 2 (which is actually the fourth game in the series) was initially announced in 2013, but it was in 2018 that it was known that it was indeed under development. . It was in 2020 during the Xbox conference that GSC Game World presented a cinematic trailer of its little protégé. But make no mistake, the star is the gameplay trailer presented at the Xbox & Bethesda conference at E3 2021. Five minutes of great intensity, marked by sumptuous graphics, some combat sequences muscular and above all, the surprisingly poetic and shivering atmosphere which made the success of the STALKER games.
Regarding the gameplay of STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl, we still have very little information. We already know that it will be an exploration and survival game in the first person, in the open world, where it will be necessary to find and manage its resources and its allies in order to survive in an extremely dangerous universe. About this universe, moreover, it is inspired by the novel Stalker: Picnic by the path by the Arcadi brothers and Boris Strougatski and appeared in 1981. The STALKER games take place almost thirty years after the nuclear catastrophe which destroyed the Chernobyl power station. Around the plant, a perimeter has been created, the Zone, studied by scientists and guarded by the military. The Zone is a perilous place, where looters and mutants reign supreme. It is also the favorite hunting ground of STALKERs, adventurers ready to do anything to recover its many riches, including Stif, the character played by the player.
GSC Game World recently released a review of the trailer by one of its developers. Zack, by his first name, explains several small details, sequence by sequence. First, STALKER 2 introduces an instant weapon modification system, as well as a brand new faction, the exact name of which is not yet known. In the second sequence, Zack explains to us that we will be able to visit places present in the first STALKers, and use an artefact detector called Gilka. Artifacts provide various bonuses to Stif, such as “Jelly” which restores his stamina. The map will consist of several cities, including Pripyat and Chernobyl 2, and various campfires which are secure areas where the player can equip themselves and prepare for their next outings. Of the many enemies lurking in the Zone, the one we can see is the “Leech”, which we had already seen in previous games. To survive, the player will have at his disposal many weapons including the Gauss Rifle shown at the end of the trailer.
STALKER 2 was one of the flagship announcements at the E3 2021 Xbox conference, so it’s pretty clear that this is an Xbox and PC exclusive. We can nevertheless hope for a possible release on Playstation 5, but it seems that the Playstation 4 is not an option. Indeed the performances of the “last-gen” consoles do not seem sufficient to support such a graphic quality, moreover it will not be released on Xbox One, only on Xbox Series X | S and PC.
The second big news is that STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl has an official release date. And yes, you are not dreaming, it will come out alright on December 8, 2022. You will therefore have to wait a few more months before launching into the radioactive ruins of Chernobyl. The game has confirmed its Xbox Exclusive status, and will be available upon release in Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X | S, and PC. It is also already available in pre-order. Unfortunately, no information has been given regarding a possible release on Playstation 5, but fingers crossed.