Here are some speculative reasons why the highly anticipated S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 might be one of the best games in 2023 and possibly one of the best FPS games ever. We look at the history of the franchise and what to expect from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
First of all, let’s get familiarised with the previous games in the following section.
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Trilogy and the developers
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise is based on the philosophical novel Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strutgasky and the masterpiece movie Stalker by the genius director Andrei Tarkovsky.
The developer, GSC Game World, is a Ukrainian company that’s not widely known in the industry for any other games than S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Because of the war, they had been having trouble with development. Recently, a developer got killed too. Clearly, GSC is going through a tough development process, but they promise to deliver a fantastic game by the end of this year.
There are three official games in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise so far. They are:
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl
Shadow of Chernobyl is the first game of the franchise. Its atmosphere, the immersive gameplay that offers unmatched freedom, and the great gunplay make it an exceptional game that’s loved to this day. It’s also one of the worst video game universes to live in.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky
Clear Sky is a prequel to the aforementioned game but it’s best to play it after completing SoC. Because of various issues with the gunplay and bugs, it’s considered to be the black sheep of the franchise. But there are mods to substantially improve the game and you can experience a good game, thanks to the talented modding community.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat
Call of Pripyat is the third game of the franchise and it’s as good as the first game. Many players consider this game to be superior because of its exceptional gunplay and dynamic gameplay which allows for nearly endless replayability. But some players prefer SoC because of its atmosphere.
Basically, all three of these games are worth playing, even today. And I highly encourage you to play all three of them as you wait for the sequel. Let’s now discuss our speculative reasons why S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 might be one of the best games in 2023.
The Visuals
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 is being developed in Unreal Engine 5, and the available gameplay trailers look absolutely jaw-dropping. At a glance, one can even mistake the game for real life. Exceptional visuals that will flabbergast you are sure to be expected from the sequel.
The Story
Now, this section is purely speculative because we have very little information about the story. But it seems that the game will focus on its narrative more than it did in the previous entries. In the trailers, there are a lot of cutscenes and cinematics. And it’s directly connected to the previous games. Hopefully, the story will keep us hooked for hours to come. And hopefully, this focus on narrative won’t be an obstacle to the unforgiving and dynamic gameplay that’s unique to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
The Gameplay and Gunplay
The trailers show very promising gunplay elements. It sounds and looks way better than that of the original trilogy, and those games were revolutionary for the time. As in the previous games, it will most definitely have upgrade systems and a multitude of weapons to choose from. And it will surely include the uniquely unforgiving and rewarding gameplay system that’s known and loved. From the details available to us now, I’m certain that these elements will be overhauled and revamped.
The Enemy Design
The enemy design of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is unique. This is one section of the game that I and many other fans are sure will be impressive. The monsters and enemies of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. are horrifying and grotesque. In trailers, we’ve seen a Bloodsucker, which was one of the most terrifying enemies in the original games. The creature has been improved in many ways. It’s more threatening and looks visually insane.
The Game World
It looks like the game world is now bigger and better than those of the trilogy. And all three of the games had exceptional world design. This franchise is known for its dynamic and random quests all throughout the map, and I’m sure that will return in the sequel, only improved and revamped.
The Verdict
These were only a few reasons why S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is among the epic upcoming games flying under the radar. In fact, it may be one of the biggest and greatest games of this year. It’s safe to say that this franchise is the king of survival horror games and the sequel will validate that.
