S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 - Gameplay Trailer E3 2021

[Azai]

this is the 4k Trailer, I thought you could update your OP with it.

Click to shrink...

Done.

I still think this trailer isnt any indication of how the game will look and rather of how it will play.
That said the grabbing animation looks very very much like the one in Crysis 1. Do we know the engine? (havent paid attention to that in the trailer)

 

[Hey Please]

This didn't look just good.
It looked too good to be true.

I'll believe it when it will be playable in some form.

Click to shrink...

Here is hoping that it was all just pre-scripted route that the game ran through (a common practice for showcases) and the full game is as close to the demonstration as possible.

As an aside, the hair looks astounding.

 

[RenorMirshann]

If graphic cards will remain to be priced out of my league I guess I'll just buy my first Xbox ever in a year or two.

 

[degauss]

Setting is cool and it looks good for an open world type game. Great atmosphere, scenery, character models and lighting. Lightning gun looks really cool.

Overall though, the gunplay and movement and animations and all the little touches that connect the dots aren't the best I'd put it in the same bucket as Metro next-gen upgrade (but better). I don't think it looks face melting as others have said due to this. Certainly doesn't look 'too good to be true' or anything like that.

 

[HellofaMouse]

not into the way humans look. but the environments, especially with the weather effects, look amazing.

 

[antispin]

Looks great. I love this IP so will be supporting with Digital+Ultimate even though it's on GP.

 

[seldead]

Here is hoping that it was all just pre-scripted route that the game ran through (a common practice for showcases) and the full game is as close to the demonstration as possible.

As an aside, the hair looks astounding.

Click to shrink...

Scepticism is reasonable, but I think it's strange that they claim the way anomalies and the invisible bloodsucker work gameplay wise doesn't seem realistic. That's exactly how bloodsuckers operated in the first game from 2007.

Graphics wise it's hard to say, although I think it's in the same ballpark as Metro Exodus EE. It's definitely plausible that a game made from the ground up with new assets for 2022 could look better still.

 

[Dennis8K]

The graphics looks on par with Metro Last Exodus so I don't think they are out of the question even though the trailer is scripted.

 

[EatChildren]

It looked scripted as hell and I've long suspected this is much further off than the developers are saying. I don't expect it to meet its launch date and despite being overwhelmingly excited for the idea of a STALKER 2 (STALKER is one of my favourite games ever, and nothing plays like it), I'm just too cynical and cautious to invest too much energy in this until it's in my hands. If it can match what was shown, then I'll be a happy camper.

That combat sequence (with clearly non-existent AI) was a terrible example of what combat in STALKER usually plays like. I assume it's just a crudely cobbled together action sequence with unfinished AI just to showcase "you can shoot things" to the general audience, because yeah. The actual experience of playing STALKER is a lot more methodical, paced, and cautious. Followed by getting absolutely shredded.

Fingers crossed though. I want this to be the game I've dreamt of for years.

 

[RadioactiveLobster]

It looked scripted as hell and I've long suspected this is much further off than the developers are saying. I don't expect it to meet its launch date and despite being overwhelmingly excited for the idea of a STALKER 2 (STALKER is one of my favourite games ever, and nothing plays like it), I'm just too cynical and cautious to invest too much energy in this until it's in my hands. If it can match what was shown, then I'll be a happy camper.

That combat sequence (with clearly non-existent AI) was a terrible example of what combat in STALKER usually plays like. I assume it's just a crudely cobbled together action sequence with unfinished AI just to showcase "you can shoot things" to the general audience, because yeah. The actual experience of playing STALKER is a lot more methodical, paced, and cautious. Followed by getting absolutely shredded.

Fingers crossed though. I want this to be the game I've dreamt of for years.

Click to shrink...

They announced they were working on the project again over 3 years ago (May 15th 2018) and it's not clear if work was being done prior to that or if it was just getting started then. It was announced with a 2021 release window but I imagine Covid delays and issues are the reason for the push to 2022.

The switch from their own engine to Unreal Engine 4 (announced Jan 2020) is also probably a contributing factor to the delay.

I'm cautiously optimistic as well. I would hope they release more details or extended more traditional gameplay videos in the future so we can get a better feel for what the game plays like outside of a demo for a E3 conference context.

 

[Azai]

It looked scripted as hell and I've long suspected this is much further off than the developers are saying. I don't expect it to meet its launch date and despite being overwhelmingly excited for the idea of a STALKER 2 (STALKER is one of my favourite games ever, and nothing plays like it), I'm just too cynical and cautious to invest too much energy in this until it's in my hands. If it can match what was shown, then I'll be a happy camper.

That combat sequence (with clearly non-existent AI) was a terrible example of what combat in STALKER usually plays like. I assume it's just a crudely cobbled together action sequence with unfinished AI just to showcase "you can shoot things" to the general audience, because yeah. The actual experience of playing STALKER is a lot more methodical, paced, and cautious. Followed by getting absolutely shredded.

Fingers crossed though. I want this to be the game I've dreamt of for years.

Click to shrink...

Idk. I love how STALKER plays but I think it wouldnt fit the mainstream audience that GSC apparently is aiming for with STALKER 2.
Not that its a bad thing but this game will probably quite a bit different when it comes to combat and other things.

 

[misho8723]

Well atleast I hope there is going to be a difficulty option or game mode that is really similiar to the experience the original game can offer.. even something like the Ranger Hardcore mod in the Metro games

 

[Bryo4321]

I question some of the folks saying you can't Rambo in stalker. Sounds like you never made it past the midpoint of any of the games where you become an artifact strapped Medkit chugging armored super soldier. The last mission of each game is basically a massive shootout. People need to remember as well that vanilla stalker is balanced VERY differently from anomaly and misery. It's nowhere near as challenging as most of the mods people are used to playing at this point. Maybe is changing peoples recollection of how difficult the vanilla games were or how fast the difficulty drops off when you start getting decent armor.

That being said yeah, the trailer looked scripted and I wouldn't take it too literally as far as gameplay balancing.

 

[headspawn]

I just saw the 4k footage of this for the first time, I say goddamn.. definitely one of the best looking upcoming titles.

 

[Deleted member 16136]

It's not stalker without finger breaking double crouch.

 

[Messofanego]

This didn't look just good.
It looked too good to be true.

I'll believe it when it will be playable in some form.

Click to shrink...

It does look amazing, at least graphically. The character models look even better than Metro Exodus. This is obviously a virtual slice but hope the actual game can match up to this target.

 

[Mentalist]

I question some of the folks saying you can't Rambo in stalker. Sounds like you never made it past the midpoint of any of the games where you become an artifact strapped Medkit chugging armored super soldier. The last mission of each game is basically a massive shootout. People need to remember as well that vanilla stalker is balanced VERY differently from anomaly and misery. It's nowhere near as challenging as most of the mods people are used to playing at this point. Maybe is changing peoples recollection of how difficult the vanilla games were or how fast the difficulty drops off when you start getting decent armor.

That being said yeah, the trailer looked scripted and I wouldn't take it too literally as far as gameplay balancing.

Click to shrink...

THANK YOU.

I started to think I was going crazy, because i clearly remember the power curve (especially in Clear Sky), where you become basically unstoppable if you re-visit early game areas (as you need to, in order to hand in some quests) with an exo, rad-absorbing artifacts and some decent guns.

Not saying there's no scripted elements in the trailer, but people who are saying "everything is scripted (and not reflective of how the game plays) "are just confusing me, because I recall moments that were like parts of the trailer.

In fact, there's a PC Gamer article concerned that it's not looking like it's doing anything original, being too faithful to the original

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl could finally be the game the series deserves, but it could also be too little, too late

The sequel’s reveal trailer showed a visually impressive, but otherwise familiar game.

www.pcgamer.com

 

[Deleted member 87246]

I'm sure it's gameplay... only gameplay on a silly PC with a 3090. One of the reasons it looks so insane (on top of the amazing characters / animation) is the lighting and shadows. It looks like it's using Ray Tracing for GI, shadows and reflections. We've all see the DF videos from Alex where games look almost a generation behind once that stuff is turned off one layer at a time. We go back to glowing items in shadows and much lower quality baked GI. SSR I can live with. I'm sure it will keep the RT shadows on console.

 

[Nessus]

I mean the game looks really nice, but nothing about it seems impossible to me.

I'd be disappointed if next gen consoles couldn't pull this off.

 

[Deleted member 1659]

I'm gonna be the contrarian here.

FPS' made for consoles for the most part have consistently disappointed me. The original STALKER had game mechanics specific to PC style FPS that wouldn't fly on consoles and when they've been tried, have been on games that have been commercial disappointments - Far Cry 2 and Prey 2017 come to mind. I have tempered expectations of this. STALKER and the OG Crysis are the last high production PC exclusive FPS and it's not a coincidence that their my two favourite FPS' of the last 15 years.

 

[Stacey]

A 1080ti for 1080/60?

Am I in heaven right now :drools:

 

[Deleted member 68874]

The Xbox store has this game's approximate size at 180 GB lmao.

$150 CAD for the Ultimate edition of the game is kind of whack. The 2 expansions better be beefy.

 

[derFeef]

Am I the only one thinking this game might not be even close to be content complete next year?
I am not very confident in what they showed.

 

[wafflebrain]

Idk. I love how STALKER plays but I think it wouldnt fit the mainstream audience that GSC apparently is aiming for with STALKER 2.
Not that its a bad thing but this game will probably quite a bit different when it comes to combat and other things.

Click to shrink...

Well I certainly hope not. If this plays like fucking COD or Far Cry that will be immensely disappointing.

I'm willing to accept the handling and damage model if it's closer to say Metro if they aren't trying to emulate the one from the original game. Anything above that is going to be disappointment city.

The world in this is massive and with an emphasis on artifacts (creating your own too iirc), so I'd hope they balance things accordingly.

On a related note I'm really curious what size team they have working on this. Seems very ambitious on the tech/engine side of things.

 

[sagi]

THANK YOU.

I started to think I was going crazy, because i clearly remember the power curve (especially in Clear Sky), where you become basically unstoppable if you re-visit early game areas (as you need to, in order to hand in some quests) with an exo, rad-absorbing artifacts and some decent guns.

Not saying there's no scripted elements in the trailer, but people who are saying "everything is scripted (and not reflective of how the game plays) "are just confusing me, because I recall moments that were like parts of the trailer.

In fact, there's a PC Gamer article concerned that it's not looking like it's doing anything original, being too faithful to the original

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl could finally be the game the series deserves, but it could also be too little, too late

The sequel’s reveal trailer showed a visually impressive, but otherwise familiar game.

www.pcgamer.com

Click to shrink...

as someone who never played stalker im happy its too faithful so i can experience it with new graphics.

 

[Tokyo_Funk]

Being too similar to the original is a good thing. I'm fine with more Stalker, but prettier.

Also mod support. There's always mods.

 

[Mr Swine]

THANK YOU.

I started to think I was going crazy, because i clearly remember the power curve (especially in Clear Sky), where you become basically unstoppable if you re-visit early game areas (as you need to, in order to hand in some quests) with an exo, rad-absorbing artifacts and some decent guns.

Not saying there's no scripted elements in the trailer, but people who are saying "everything is scripted (and not reflective of how the game plays) "are just confusing me, because I recall moments that were like parts of the trailer.

In fact, there's a PC Gamer article concerned that it's not looking like it's doing anything original, being too faithful to the original

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl could finally be the game the series deserves, but it could also be too little, too late

The sequel’s reveal trailer showed a visually impressive, but otherwise familiar game.

www.pcgamer.com

Click to shrink...

Meh, games like stalker need to be faithful to the original games. They are something special and having better graphics and QoL chances are good things

 

[Dervius]

For anyone who wants some pre-Stalker 2 vibes, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition upgrade (the next-gen upgrade) lands on PS5 and Xbox Series on 18th June.

The trailer has me hyped, and I've held off on Exodus until the upgrade so it's ended up timing perfectly.

 

[Dennis8K]

My concern is that GSC finally achieving their original vision won't be enough to make Stalker 2 stand out. What seemed radical in 2007 is now familiar, while the space that Stalker used to occupy alone is now thronged with imitators. What I really want to know about Stalker 2 is how the game is going to push the series forward, to take the basic premise and mechanics of those early games and use them to conjure new experiences, without simply regurgitating the experiences of the past.

Click to shrink...

Hard disagree with PC Gamer on this one.

Where are all these Stalker-like games I have been missing out on? And I will be perfectly happy if this game "regurgitates the experiences of the past".

 

[Mafro]

For anyone who wants some pre-Stalker 2 vibes, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition upgrade (the next-gen upgrade) lands on PS5 and Xbox Series on 18th June.

The trailer has me hyped, and I've held off on Exodus until the upgrade so it's ended up timing perfectly.

Click to shrink...

The second area in Exodus gave me major STALKER vibes. I loved it

 

[Deleted member 45130]

Edit - min and recommended specs already posted.

1080ti and 8 core for 1080p 60? Yikes!

 

[Azai]

Hard disagree with PC Gamer on this one.

Where are all these Stalker-like games I have been missing out on? And I will be perfectly happy if this game "regurgitates the experiences of the past".

Click to shrink...

yea, I mean you can see that Metro comes from STALKERs direction but all these games never were able to deliver the same atmosphere nor played anything like it.

Metro Exodus tried a bit harder to go there with Exodus and its multiple open world maps but it was obvious that they simplified the concept because the whole Metro Series didnt start with all these survival aspects to begin with.

I really hope STALKER 2 keeps the survival aspects even if they werent as deep as say DayZ.

 

[hobblygobbly]

Hard disagree with PC Gamer on this one.

Where are all these Stalker-like games I have been missing out on? And I will be perfectly happy if this game "regurgitates the experiences of the past".

Click to shrink...

yeah I also don't get what they're talking about at all. what other open world dystopian shooter/rpg-lite hybrids exist that have horror elements? and set in Chernobyl? with great atmosphere?

There's something that makes Stalker so unique that I don't even know how to explain it, it's only something someone can experience, and I don't think it's something other games can recreate.

Stalker the game *is* the Chernobyl exclusion zone. It's a foundational pillar, and I don't know any other games that use it.

there's chernobylite coming soon, which looks ok, I'll be interested in trying that... but other than that, no idea. I mean there's games like Escape from Tarkov which is also more slow and methodical in terms of combat like Stalker, but it's multiplayer only and not particularly dystopian and has no horror/supernatural elements.

There's Metro, and Metro is a very different game from Stalker other than some superficial similarities regarding some aesthetic choices.

Stalker the game is a very unique setting. Roadside Picnic is of course the foundation, but the book has nothing to do with Chernobyl exclusion zone and the accident - its plot is about an alien zone in an unnamed country (or fictional, can't remember - been a long time since I read), that was created by "visitors" and there are artefacts located there with unusual properties that "Stalkers" risk their lives to get.

The movie from Tarkovsky also further expands on that with their own take, but it's closer to source material. The game however took the basic premise of "the zone", strange/alien artefacts, and instead connected and built a lore and mythos around it with the Chernobyl exclusion zone - like artefacts/anomalies being tired to supernatural elements arisen from nuclear contaimants, which makes the game even more unique.

Stalker is like Fallout, so much of their setting, story, aesthetic, etc, is uniquely identifiable that actually makes it difficult for others to create a game similar to it without it being unoriginal. That's why we don't see post-apocalyptic games that compete with Fallout either, it's too difficult to capture it while stil trying be be original.

 

[Tokyo_Funk]

Stalker the game *is* the Chernobyl exclusion zone. It's a foundational pillar, and I don't know any other games that use it.

Click to shrink...

Modern Warfare has Chernobyl, but Stalker beat them to it.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

I mean the game looks really nice, but nothing about it seems impossible to me.

I'd be disappointed if next gen consoles couldn't pull this off.

Click to shrink...

Agreed. In fact, while it looks stellar, Metro: Exodus still exhibits some advantages (such as its unmatched lighting).

Regardless, I'm a massive S.T.A.L.K.E.R. fan, so this was great to see, but hardly so visually impressive that it looked impossible for current gen consoles.

 

[Rental]

Environments looked cool but it didn't really look like stalker with the shooting scenes. The stalker would have died entering the room. The enemies just stood still.

Wouldn't be surprised if this is a simplified easy game with little depth made within the stalker universe.

 

[HeWhoWalks]

I'm gonna be the contrarian here.

FPS' made for consoles for the most part have consistently disappointed me. The original STALKER had game mechanics specific to PC style

Click to shrink...

I'm with you here. It's why the PC version of F.E.A.R. remains my favorite FPS of all time. Something about the feel and control instructions specific to kb/m make it an acquired taste and I hope GSC stick to the series' roots in that regard.

 

[Dennis8K]

I think people are over-interpreting a short scripted E3 trailer.

Realistically, we don't know what the game will really be yet.

 

[Jamrock User]

The highest requirements for a UE4 title to date?

Not even star citizen asks for this much.

 

[julia crawford]

I'm going to be honest it's just not the same without the eurojank

 

[Dennis8K]

What I like about Euro developers is that they aren't afraid to punish you with high PC requirements and jank.

"Yeah our game is janky what are we gonna do?"

PUNISH ME

 

[Bigjig]

I can't get over how short the legs on the guys sitting around the camp fire look

 

[Dennis8K]

Jank is the price we pay for the kind of games that the big mainstream developers just aren't willing to make.

 

[Aangster]

Kind of iffy about GSC using UE4 and how well their dev team will optimise it. I've always found it to struggle with larger worlds and UI performance.

 

[Azai]

Kind of iffy about GSC using UE4 and how well their dev team will optimise it. I've always found it to struggle with larger worlds and UI performance.

Click to shrink...

performance usually is ok. But most UE games I have played tend to stutter alot.

SW Jedi Fallen Order, PUBG, Insurgency Sandstorm, Outriders, Squad, Post Scriptum... all games I played with UE have way more frequent and heavier stutters than any other engine I played games of. (Squad actually runs best out of all these despite having gigantic maps)

So yea, I agree that UE worries me a bit when it comes to performance.

 

[Snefer]

I'm gonna be the contrarian here.

FPS' made for consoles for the most part have consistently disappointed me. The original STALKER had game mechanics specific to PC style FPS that wouldn't fly on consoles and when they've been tried, have been on games that have been commercial disappointments - Far Cry 2 and Prey 2017 come to mind. I have tempered expectations of this. STALKER and the OG Crysis are the last high production PC exclusive FPS and it's not a coincidence that their my two favourite FPS' of the last 15 years.

Click to shrink...

Far Cry 2 was not a sales dissapointment in any way, it was the opposite. It had horrible sales on PC, but did well and Ubi doubled down on the franchise after that.

 

[KORNdog]

I don't believe anything in that trailer was even gameplay. Everything from the animations to the way the player moved screamed "target"

I'm still excited by the idea of the sequel happening at all. But until I see this thing released I'm going to assume it isn't real.

 

[Corsick]

The animations are what look suspect to me, graphically it looks feasible. I don't buy that it's coming out next year though. I've actually liked the music the most so far out of what I've seen and heard.

 

[Akira86]

after playing Metro Exodus with RTX and DLSS I am convinced that Stalker 2 can at least LOOK like that.

 

[SixelAlexiS]

The animations are what look suspect to me, graphically it looks feasible. I don't buy that it's coming out next year though. I've actually liked the music the most so far out of what I've seen and heard.

Click to shrink...

There is no gameplay is the trailer, it's all fake and you get that by animations indeed. The anomaly part is the most obvious since the animation of him collecting the blue ball is seamless but even the shooting parts are odd af.