GSC Game World‘s next game will hopefully not fall into the same mistake Peter Molyneux did (promising much, not delivering many).

We haven’t heard much of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 yet. We have seen a video that wasn’t gameplay but some in-engine footage, confirming that there will be a new protagonist; we have heard that the Ukrainian studio is using Unreal Engine 4 to develop the title, and we also heard that they will continue to use the open-world gameplay from the previous instalments in the series, but in an expanded manner. But that’s all, although it could be better than seeing delays after delays (the first game slipped back from 2004 until early 2007 on PC…)

Now, Zakar Bocharov, GSC Game World’s PR manager, showed up on a Russian podcast called Not Brought In, and Gamingsyn recapped the details for us.

GSC initially wanted to make a sequel using their proprietary engine, the X-Ray engine, but it is outdated by now. This led the developers to look through several engines before settling on using Unreal Engine 4. For the team, mod support is considered a priority, which is why they will try to implement it already in the base, launch version of the game. The modding community is important for GSC, but they don’t forget about console owners either – they are looking into mod support on Xbox, too. Bocharov also promised that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 on release will be much more stable (which makes sense: the first one had too much vodka).

The life simulation system, A-life, has become „more meticulous and more detailed,” according to Bocharov. It means all the interactions between factions, monsters, and NPCs will take place even while the player does not see it. He says „A-life 2.0 is a different level of performance. We’ll pay enough attention to it closer to release. It’s a wildly cool system that works well and there will be something to show.” As an example, he mentioned a fight between wild boars – we will see the outcome of their battle. However, he didn’t disclose what he meant by „new level.” The open world of the Zone will offer a „non-linear storyline with a huge number of branches and different endings.” He also promised that the Zone will match the scale of its history, adding that we should replay the game for the sake of the Zone’s history.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is supposedly launching this year on Xbox Series and PC, but we have yet to see it.

Source: WCCFTech