Fallout 5 Could Learn A Lot From Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Key Takeaways

Fallout used to make you feel the harsh reality of the wasteland, immersing you in the struggles of its survivors.
But Fallout 4 leaned too far into power fantasy, having you fist fight a deathclaw within the first hour.
Stalker 2 goes to show that a desolate, unforgiving wasteland is every bit as engaging as it used to be, and that games like Fallout don’t need to toss that aside for guns-blazing FPS action.

As a gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I can attest that the wasteland has changed dramatically over the years. The original Fallout games had a way of making you feel small, weak, and helpless in a vast, unforgiving world. You were an ordinary teenager sent out into the wastes to find something as simple as a water chip, but every step was fraught with danger. Every creature you encountered could have been your last.

The initial Fallout game starts by having the Vault Overseer select you, a young, naive teenager clad only in blue coveralls, to leave the safety of the vault and explore the dangerous world above. You’re filled with curiosity about what awaits you: could it be massive Super Mutant forces, highway-roaming Raiders kidnapping travelers, or Feral Ghouls decaying in radioactive storms?

In this situation, it falls solely upon you to face the seemingly impossible challenges ahead. Those at home have pinned their hopes on you to rescue them. Yet, as you exit the Vault, a scant group of rats swarm over you and bite into your skin while you struggle in vain, with the massive Vault door still standing before your eyes.

In a word, the first Fallout is a humbling experience. Coming from a protected upbringing, you’re initially unprepared for the harsh realities of this post-apocalyptic world. Retrieving a water chip isn’t just a routine task; every step you take is fraught with danger. However, it’s the challenges you overcome that make the game so satisfying, as you gradually grow tougher, mirroring the ruggedness of the wasteland itself. The climax encapsulates this transformation perfectly, with the Overseer denying you re-entry due to your now-contaminated status, deeming you unsuitable for the peaceful, pre-war lifestyle.

In Fallout 3, it was evident that Bethesda grasped the gritty essence of the series after taking over from Black Isle Studios. However, this tone seemed to be abandoned entirely with the arrival of Fallout 4. From the get-go, you’re sent to eliminate a vault brimming with mutated insects while in a post-cryogenic haze, and then you charge into a raider-infested town as if you were a Vault-dweller embodying John Wick. The narrative climax has you suiting up in heavy armor and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a deathclaw in the streets of Concord.

In simpler terms, “Fallout 4” has transformed the wasteland from a grim and deadly environment into a playground where you can engage in combat reminiscent of playing with action figures based on the Fallout series. This shift away from its previous gritty realism makes it feel less like classic Fallout games due to the loss of their distinctive edge.

In recent Bethesda titles such as Skyrim and Starfield, the focus seems to have shifted away from deep RPG experiences towards making players feel like unbeatable entities. Instead of immersing us in rich game worlds, these games have transformed us into the invincible Dragonborn in Skyrim and a powerful Starborn in Starfield, barreling through levels without much resistance or challenge.

It’s quite logical to assume that The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 will follow the same pattern, but Stalker 2 demonstrates that a merciless wasteland can be just as captivating as transforming the player into a radioactive version of Rambo.

The Wasteland Should Make You Feel Weak And Helpless

Fallout 5 Could Learn A Lot From Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl

The introduction to Stalker 2 begins as you scramble over a wall into the forbidden area known as the Zone, under the cover of darkness. The atmosphere is tense from the start, with distant gunshots echoing menacingly and your radio contact urgently advising you to depart immediately, fearing any prolonged stay. As you listen, soft rustling noises emanate from the nearby vegetation.

In the dense fog, a faint, glimmering outline seems to be creeping nearer and nearer, until it transforms into a grotesque, terrifying face that looms over you. It strikes out and swiftly disappears, leaving you drenched in sweat and wounded, bleeding onto the ground. You frantically try to bandage your wound and prepare for defense, but its phantom image is already advancing to attack again.

You discharge your weapon, but it remains undeterred, continuing its relentless advance, leaving you with no choice but to withdraw. However, it pursues you. A solitary figure in the darkness can make one feel cornered – the environment is vast and free for discovery, yet in that instant, you are overwhelmed by the oppressive sense of the Zone closing in on you. The severity of surviving in this desolate wasteland becomes palpable, as your vulnerability and powerlessness resonate deeply.

Following several of these encounters, the intensity of Stalker 2 decreases somewhat, but when you first encounter bandits who are plundering brave souls risking their lives for artifacts, the tension remains high. Three armed assailants surrounding you from different directions could quickly deplete your supplies if you’re not cautious. You must eliminate them one by one without getting injured, or else you’ll sustain injuries, bleed, and be compelled to use valuable bandages unnecessarily.

In this barren wasteland, resources are scarce and every tiny injury matters greatly, creating an eerie sense of desolation that draws you deep into the struggles faced by those who’ve lived here for years. Navigating through the Zone isn’t just about finding your way; it’s a journey of profound connection with this harsh environment and honing your skills as both a cautious and lethal combatant. The satisfaction gained from mastery outweighs any easy shortcuts, making every achievement that much more rewarding.

In a more relaxed phrasing, here’s the suggestion: To make the experience truly immersive and thrilling, it’s important for you to feel vulnerable. Imagine yourself weakened, barely able to withstand hordes of raiders, let alone a Super Mutant on the road. These moments should be fraught with tension, adrenaline, and fear, or else they won’t capture your interest. If you stroll into Deathclaw Quarry fully equipped after leaving Goodsprings, it wouldn’t have nearly the same impact.

In an innovative twist, even the most ordinary routes become captivating when infused with tension. A barren field of desiccated, lifeless grass, bereft of riches or objectives, remains engrossing if you must traverse it, evading the terrors lurking in this strange new realm. Stalker 2 recaptures what Fallout seems to have misplaced: a hollow cave filled with vermin can become riveting by plunging an innocent, greenhorn Vault Dweller headfirst into the fray.

2024-12-09 01:04

Key Takeaways

The Wasteland Should Make You Feel Weak And Helpless

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