These advancements can be attributed to the updated variant of the X-Ray game engine that was utilized in the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. One significant novelty introduced in Clear Sky was a completely new Faction War system, where players could face consequences for aligning with enemies of major factions, potentially being barred from assisting them.
It’s important to mention that the initial version of the first game was called “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl“, a title reflecting the Russian spelling of the city where the game is based. However, the series has decided to use the original Ukrainian spelling of Chornobyl for future games.
Even though Oblivion Remastered has only been available for less than a month, enthusiastic modders have dived headfirst into tinkering with Bethesda’s latest release. Surprisingly, despite Oblivion Remastered not initially supporting modifications, Nexus Mods already houses more than 2,500 mods tailored for players to enhance their gaming experience, each one offering a distinct addition to the game. Given it’s a Bethesda game, it comes as no surprise that a vibrant modding community has sprung up right from the start.
As a devoted fan, I can’t help but grin at the advancements unveiled in version 1.4 of the “second” STALKER. The developers have truly outdone themselves, refining numerous aspects, particularly the missions. They’ve addressed issues with NPCs who were either unresponsive or silent, and even rectified closed or glitched quests, including those from traders. Notably, they’ve also tweaked the game balance to ensure a smoother gaming experience.
On an FAQ about the recent update, GSC detailed that these advancements encompass various elements such as upgrades to GodRays and the general lighting system, sharper surface reflections, more realistic 3D models for NPCs and firearms, and even changes to skyboxes. Textures have undergone some enhancement, and certain aspects of the shooter’s user interface have been revamped to boost usability on both PC and console platforms.
Patch 1.4 for Stalker 2 is out today, and you can find GSC’s summarised list of its tweaks and fixes below. A few leap out to me, though. First up, the obvious big-ticket items: “Mutants can now use corpse-eating animation if there are dead bodies nearby,” reads one fix. “Fixed an issue where shooting at sausage props produced blood particles,” reads another (which GSC, god bless it, gives its own bespoke section in the patch notes).