Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl — The Open World and Campaign Details From a March 2023 Leak (3rd-Party Analysis)

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In March 2023, 15 GB of data appeared on the STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl network. The leak claimed access to a closed version of the project, with a promise to share it publicly soon. After a pause of two months, a test montage of the second STALKER appeared online again.

There is a firm stance against distributing stolen data or monitoring developers for sabotage. The editorial team believes in keeping stolen goods out of circulation. This article focuses on text analysis rather than circulating leaked screenshots.

So, what is known about the current state of STALKER 2 and what did the published materials reveal?

The test build lacks a traditional narrative campaign. Official demonstrations did not include cutscenes, voiced dialogue, or fully realized storytelling assets. Some tasks can be activated via a debug menu, including story, side, and simple quests.

There is no appearance of Faust and the Tramp in the test version. After player choices, the world adapts to the scripted direction. If a scenario calls for night and rain, that is what appears on screen. Map markers, journal entries, and quest items emerge accordingly. A dialogue system offers multiple response options, though lines are generated by machine voices.

Quest triggers function and allow task completion, yet not every mission reaches a finished form. Some areas contain boards with cutscene notes, designer tips, and other notes for the development team. A few missions fail to complete or lead to a desktop crash, indicating unfinished or unstable content.

Examining the available quests shows that most are incomplete or ambiguous. The test build is not meant to finalize missions, so fans should wait for the official release to avoid spoiling the story.

Will STALKER 2 be shown at Xbox Games Showcase 2023?

open world

The test setup reveals a vast, seamless world with many locations. Some areas already look finished, especially forests, where trees, shrubs, grass, and small vegetation fill the landscape. The environment resembles a faithful recreation of the Exclusion Zone.

Locations such as the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, generators, laboratories, Pripyat streets, and NIICHAZ are accessible. Some assets come from Unreal Engine resources, while others lack textures and appear schematic. There are small, human touches as well, like a Soviet garage interior that triggers a smile.

Familiar locations from earlier installments are present, though not as detailed as official screenshots. The geometry may differ in places, and some fine details are still missing.

The game map is a rough schematic, seen in the March leak files. A test console allows jumping to any point on the map. Files also mention upcoming DLCs and sketches for their locations.

NPCs and monsters spawn in the open world. Stalkers engage with blind dogs, rival groups clash, and camps regain strength after skirmishes. Main activity appears once missions are assigned, with leeches, military factions, conspiratorial groups, and various weapons filling the landscape.

Using the console, time can be rewound, weather altered, and hero parameters changed. Shadows and lighting are still a work in progress, but day and night cycles function. Drinking vodka brings out brighter hues in the world, a quirky touch that stands out in the testing phase.

The test build is demanding and not intended for weaker PCs. It requires substantial RAM and video memory. Crashes can occur on systems with ample graphics memory, and performance can dip in zones with heavy object density. This build serves as a testbed rather than a polished product.

Monsters, NPCs, weapons, anomalies

The developer console exposes many assets in the build. A broad array of weapons is already present, with detailed reload animations. New pistols join the lineup, including a revolver and an UZI. Large-caliber weapons are well modeled, featuring highly detailed textures for shotguns, rifles, submachine guns, and gauss rifles. Inventory icons still mirror the original trilogy, with a humorous guitar icon on some big guns and launchers. The guitar itself does not appear in the game files, suggesting it may be an oversight.

The equipment roster is extensive. Some helmet, jacket, and anomaly detector stats are defined, though the visual inventory still shows old icons. The character wardrobe hints at a rich customization system to come.

Monsters are present in the test build, though not fully fleshed out. Updated variants of familiar foes such as bloodsuckers, controllers, pseudo-giants, and burers await. New creatures like a bayun cat and a forest moose surface, with mentions of a bear, a kink, a dentist, and an anther, though some do not yet have models and appear as simple placeholders until activated via the console.

Monster AI is active, with behaviors that influence encounters. Controllers can alter reality, summon spectral entities, and pull players into danger. Invisibility tricks for leeches are detectable by ground footprints. Forest elk can surge into battles alongside other threats, making engagements more dynamic.

The NPC roster in the console shows multiple factions, each with a lineup of core characters and a rank-based rotation. New players wear lighter armor and lighter arms, while veterans wield heavier firearms and gear. Visual variety is expected to broaden over time, with randomized appearances likely to increase in the final product.

Open-world activity includes occasional NPC respawns and skirmishes. Players may interact with locals, search bodies, or move corpses to remote spots. Key story hubs draw heavier opposition, and combat scenes feature lively reactions to evolving circumstances.

Open-world anomalies can be loaded via the console, offering new visual effects and familiar ones from earlier games. There remains ample room for refinement in how anomalies behave and appear as development continues.

When is STALKER 2 really coming out?

The trial version of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is not an alpha or beta. It serves as a testing ground for gameplay ideas, not a finished product. A wide range of assets shows strong modeling and texturing, and rumors about using unfinished parts or Unreal Engine store assets have not been confirmed. Animations link together, and icons receive unique designs over time.

It would be premature to judge an unreleased game. The consensus is that STALKER 2 will be a substantial title with a vast amount of content to explore. The current build represents an early draft, not a polished release, and it likely has not been updated recently.

While the leak may influence some perceptions, the team remains focused on delivering a game that will make a major impact on launch day. If not this year, plans suggest a release that still fits within expectations. The Exclusion Zone is very much alive in development as attention stays on a robust, ambitious project.

Source: VG Times

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