As a long-time gamer with a soft spot for unique and immersive experiences, I find myself torn between admiration and frustration when it comes to Stalker 2. On one hand, the game boasts a gripping narrative, intriguing characters, and an atmosphere that truly captures the bleak beauty of the Zone. Yet on the other, I’ve encountered more bugs than a summer picnic with ants.
Although Stalker 2 is considered a relatively obscure series, it’s experienced an unexpected surge in popularity. Given the state of the game upon its release, this development comes as something of a shock. While the game isn’t entirely unplayable, it’s plagued with numerous bugs that can be anything from mildly frustrating to completely disruptive. If such a game had been published by Ubisoft or EA, it might have faced severe criticism. However, it appears that GSC has somehow dodged any significant backlash.
Stalker 2 Is a Diamond in the Rough
As a devoted fan, I’ll concede that comparing GSC (GSC Game World) to Ubisoft and EA isn’t entirely fair. The former two companies have faced criticism in recent times over their contentious monetization strategies and certain missteps. However, when it comes to trustworthiness, especially among hardcore fans of the Stalker series, GSC stands tall.
I’m not a Stalker fan, and Stalker 2 is the first game I’ve played in this series. Despite all of its problems, I can see why many people are drawn to it. The game has a good core gameplay and interesting story and premise. It offers numerous challenges but is not overly unfair to players.
Instead of declaring this game amazing, a multitude of bugs and complications I encountered disallowed me from making such a claim. Initially, the game ran rather smoothly, but as I advanced into the second half, it became riddled with problems. The game even crashed on me once, corrupting my saved progress. Furthermore, there were moments when I struggled to proceed with the main story due to doors that refused to open.
The game’s performance isn’t great, causing frame drops when you’re surrounded by non-player characters (NPCs). Additionally, a key feature known as A-Life, which controls how NPCs and mutants appear and move throughout the game, making the environment feel dynamic, is not present in Stalker 2. This feature was included in earlier versions of the game.
A Bad Example for Other Developers
Now, some of you may think that it’s not a big deal since the developer promises to fix these issues, but that’s the problem. The game is released unfinished and full of bugs, yet people buy them and praise the game. I understand that GSC Game World has been through hell due to the war between Ukraine and Russia. Frankly, it’s a miracle the game is even out.
Concerned that this might serve as a poor model for other game creators given the abundance of incomplete, buggy, and poorly optimized games currently on the market, I fear that the success of Stalker 2 could inadvertently encourage developers and publishers to continue releasing unfinished products with the expectation of fixing them later.
It seems clear that GSC’s circumstances are distinct. They have postponed the game release previously, and it might not be possible to further delay it. Given the financial necessities of maintaining the studio, launching Stalker 2, even in its unfinished form, is an approach to secure additional funds. I can appreciate this decision, but it’s still hard to accept.
Admittedly, even the CEO of GSC, Ievgen Grygorovych, acknowledged that they were aware A-Life wouldn’t function effectively as it would strain the game’s existing condition. The game, unfortunately, is not optimized enough to support this feature, yet they chose to launch the game regardless.
I don’t intend to criticize those who enjoy playing and backing the game. Stalker 2. However, it’s important to note that the game is still incomplete. I simply want everyone to understand that its popularity might be contributing to the trend of developers releasing games before they are fully finished, as they can benefit from it.
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2024-12-05 09:05