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S.T.A.L.K.E.R.-inspired Crysis mod becomes full game

Sector 23 replaces tropical skies with mutants and mud.

An ambitious Crysis mod titled CryZone: Sector 23 has made the jump to full game status, Russian developer Owl Game Studio has announced.

As reported by Rock Paper Shotgun, it's a moody FPS built in CryEngine 3 liberally borrowing story elements from GSC's S.T.A.L.K.E.R series.

The developer's grasp of written English is a little shaky but, according to the game's official site, it focuses on a grief-stricken protagonist who, mourning the death of his son, enters The Zone - a mysterious wasteland devoid of electrical power and populated by mutants. It seems he's looking for the Wish Granter in the hope that he can be reunited with his child.

Owl promises new varieties of anomalies, a Far Cry 2-esque healing system, fully destructible environments, five huge locations, advanced AI, a sparring arena and new enemy types.

It'll be free-to-play and, with GSC's recent closure, could be the closest thing you'll ever get to a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. sequel. There's no word on a precise release date as of yet.

Rifle through the screenshots below for a closer look.

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