It seems that STALKER 2 is poised to do Fallout better than Fallout – if that makes sense? Recently, Ukrainian developer GSC Game World took to the airwaves to share up-to-date screenshots of its upcoming (but sadly delayed) title, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl.
It has been almost 15 years since a new STALKER game was released, with Call of Pripyat having launched way back in 2009. The franchise itself stretches back to 2007, and it’s widely considered to be one of the best and most terrifying post-apocalyptic titles of all time.
Now, in a series of all-new screenshots, we’re getting a first-hand look at the impact the Unreal Engine 5 is having on STALKER 2, and it looks utterly phenomenal.
The Apocalypse Looks Beautiful… For an Apocalypse
As gamers, we all know that a pre-release screenshot and the final product can be worlds apart, but we’re holding out hope that when STALKER 2 is released, it looks as good as it does in these screenshots.
For the last year, GSC Game World has been developing STALKER 2 while under the weight of the war in Ukraine. As the developer is based in Kyiv, there have been instances where the dev team has been forced to relocate underground into the safety of bunkers whilst working on the game. This is the core reason why STALKER 2 has been delayed, as originally, it was set to launch in 2022.
Fans of the post-apocalyptic setting are on tenterhooks, sitting firmly on the edges of their seats in anticipation of STALKER 2. As a massive open-world adventure set in one of the most aggressively opposing environments in gaming, STALKER 2 promises to make for an extremely exciting escapade.
There are expectations that this could be a contender for Game of the Year in 2023 (provided Elden Ring doesn’t somehow win), and beyond that, it could steal the post-apocalyptic championship trophy from the likes of Fallout or Metro.
That is if the game does actually launch in 2023.
Too Good To Be True?
It’s a question in everyone’s minds, but nobody wants to ask it – could STALKER 2 be too good to be true? As a community, gamers have been disappointed so much in recent years by basically every single major launch. At present, the industry is going through mass disruption, with layoffs occurring all around the world, and a lot of people are worried about the road ahead.
STALKER 2 (with its Unreal Engine 5 capabilities) looks incredible, and it was showcased in a fantastic fashion in the most recent trailer, released just a couple of weeks ago.
But let’s play it safe – let’s avoid getting our hopes up too much ahead of the impending launch of this game. It should drop in 2023, but we’ll need to be prepared, as a global community, for it to be officially delayed once again. This is the type of game that, when it launches, it has to launch right – there’s so much hype behind this project, and fans and newcomers alike are desperate for GSC Game World to deliver.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the future of Halo Infinite following layoffs at 343 Industries.
