Published , by Bryan Lefler
Published , by Bryan Lefler
Word on Microsoft platform exclusives has been a little light since the Xbox Games Showcase in July of 2020 and The Game Awards just last month, in December. We now have a little more information about one of those exclusives with the debut of an all-new in-engine gameplay teaser that shows us our first glimpse of the upcoming world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 since March of last year.
Included in a developer update today on the official Xbox Wire, PR Specialist Zakhar Bocharov gives us a few more details to gleam in this ultra-wide 4K look at the anticipated paranormal FPS set in the desolate ghost-city of Pripyat, Ukraine following the Chernobyl disaster. Opening into a destroyed school, we see a new protagonist, named Skif, moving quickly from room to room. Not everything is as abandoned as it seems initially, eagle-eyed viewers will spot familiar set dressing from the original game. An impressive lighting engine illuminates each scene, shifting quickly between exterior and interior light sources, before climaxing into a splash of vibrant red. As the view shifts to your PDA in hand, objects start to levitate around you. Fans of the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will immediately recognize this as an anomolous emission, capable of bringing swift death to those who linger among them. The very end cuts to an object hurled by a shadowy figure at our new wasteland adventurer. Is this a new enemy introduction for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, or is it a familiar foe, returning from the previous installments? Take a look at the embedded video and see if you can spot any more easter eggs hidden in this short but detailed teaser.
Other information about the game in development shared includes enhanced SSD and ray-traced lighting support for both the Xbox Series X and S consoles, with 4K resolution promised for the Series X. You can also count on the game being available on Xbox Game Pass starting on day one of release, but no clarification was given if this includes Xbox Game Pass for PC.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is currently set for release sometime this year 2021 for the PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S consoles. No concrete date is yet known but be sure to keep your eyes here on Shacknews for any further developments on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.