Their impression of the game is that it is atmospheric and has few technical flaws.
Recently, at a gaming exhibition in China, GSC Game World presented a new demo of the long-awaited S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. IGN China journalists got a unique opportunity to try the game for two hours and shared their impressions.
The game begins with the protagonist entering the Exclusion Zone with NPCs. There he sets up a detector to search for anomalies, but is attacked by unknown armed men.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 retains the series’ signature visual style, recreating the eerie atmosphere of the nuclear fallout zone. The developers have retained the filters and color palette characteristic of the previous installments, which create the feeling of a cold, gloomy and dangerous area. Special attention was paid to the detail of the environment and objects that fill the game world. Each element, from dilapidated buildings to rusty remnants of machinery, is carefully crafted to convey the spirit of a desolate post-apocalyptic world with a distinct Eastern European flavor.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 inherits the key gameplay elements of the original game that made the series a cult favorite. Players will once again face supernatural phenomena, mutants, and dangerous anomalies. The resource management system remains complex and realistic, requiring players to carefully plan and manage their inventory.
Interaction with different factions and the impact of decisions on the development of the plot will play an important role. The game offers an extensive system of dialogues and variability in the execution of tasks, which will affect the course of the story and possible endings.
Classic elements of the series, such as throwing bolts to detect anomalies, remain in place. Already at the beginning of the game, players encountered mysterious phenomena such as spherical lightning, invisible creatures with telekinetic powers, and mysterious caves with unexplained fires.
The combat system balances between realism and dynamism. The artificial intelligence of the enemies demonstrates tactical behavior, using cover and trying to surround the player.
Despite the overall positive impression, IGN China journalists noted several technical shortcomings in the current version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. The most noticeable problem was the lack of a clear enough system for labeling interactive objects. Players often encountered difficulties when trying to interact with objects and doors. This was especially true for the process of collecting resources — sometimes it was difficult to determine which items could be picked up. A similar situation arose when searching the bodies of enemies. In addition, working with the world map was not very convenient — to display important marks, you had to zoom in excessively, which made it difficult to plan long-distance routes.
However, the developers from GSC Game World assured that they would take into account all the comments and fix the identified shortcomings before the official release of the game.
As a reminder, «S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: The Heart of Chernobyl» will be released on November 20 2024 on PC, Xbox Series X and Series S
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