E3: New Stalker game uncovered News
PC News by Robert Purchese
GSC Game World has whipped the radioactive cover off its expansion to the sprawling first-person shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
It's dubbed Clear Sky and will take place one year before the original story, back-filling the iconic character Strelok's history and the emergence of the Zone. With plenty of new nuclear beasties to say hello to.
Clear Sky will also include belated support for DirectX 10 and improved performance from the DirectX9 renderer. The AI has been bumped up, too, on top of a new animation engine and game engine.
As you explore the Zone you'll become part of the war between the different factions, and be able to join and lead any of them to victory. You'll also be treated to a new upgrade system for weapons and armour, enjoy a worked HUD and PDA, and be given the benefits of Fast Travel. Phew.
It looks like it will be a polished-up and improved addition to what we claimed to be one of the scariest and ambitious games on the PC this year. All that and Clear Sky is promised for release in the first quarter of 2008 - which we hope it sticks to.
Head over to our S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky gallery for the first screenshots.
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
Latest Features
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Latest Videos
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Interview [2] 21 March, 2007
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Latest Screenshots
19 January, 2007 [72]
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Comments: 1-20 of 20 in total
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richardiox
12/07/07 @ 13:33
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Can't wait for this. Looks very impressive initially, will look great with DX10 support for those with Vista and should look and play much better with DX9 thanks to the improved renderer and the X-Ray engine version 1.5.
When's it due, didnt notice anything in the news article? |
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pigwhistler
12/07/07 @ 13:42
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hopefully it'll come out when they say and i wont have it on pre-order for nearly four years....
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PlugMonkey
12/07/07 @ 14:15
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Is there a demo for this around anywhere? I'm not sure if my PC will run it or not, and don't really want to have to buy it to find out.
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"Is there a demo for this around anywhere? I'm not sure if my PC will run it or not, and don't really want to have to buy it to find out."
Dunno about a demo but the game has a DX8 rendering mode which makes the game very playable on surprisingly low spec machines. When you turn on the DX9 lighting though the game runs like an absolute dog. Makes a slideshow out of my X1800. |
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Magic Panda
12/07/07 @ 15:03
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Cant wait for this
There's already a mod to activate vehicles, they left the code in the game but never implemented it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lXfJkn-Ank http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=792YKOV_DsU |
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kangarootoo
12/07/07 @ 15:14
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I liked this game a lot, but I had no cocking idea what was going on by the end.
For me its not so much a case of backfilling the history of an iconic character, as telling me even the smallest detail about him (other than that he wore green wellies). It felt like there was some mini novel somewhere that I should have read before playing (maybe there was, I borrowed the disc from a colleague and didn't see the box contents). |
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stoopidgreg
12/07/07 @ 17:36
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that link at the bottom just links back to the same page, not the gallery
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YourMessageHere
12/07/07 @ 19:18
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"a new animation engine and game engine" - what's wrong with the Xray engine? A few performance tweaks here and there and you've got one of the prettiest, most capable engines I've ever seen. I hope that's all they mean.
I think I remember one of the devs saying they'd not do a console version, but I may be imagining it. Still, more Stalker is very welcome. @kangarootoo (SPOILERS etc.) Hey, it's not that complex. Did you at least get to the point of working out that the player themselves is Strelok? Also, you may have gotten one of the totally unrevealing ending, if you get the door code thing from the room in Pripiat, stay out of the end of the reactor level and instead go through the codelocked door instead you'll get a more full explanation. |
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Loved S.T.A.L.K.E.R. glitchy bits an' all , even started looking at videos of Pripyat and Chernobyl because the story got my curiosity sparked so much . Hope the new game ties in real events again to put more meat on the bones. I agree with HybridR the engine's fine as it is , the grittiness adding to the charm, depth and original look... I would also like to see the bits cut from the original put in a GOTY edition purty plzz... (Stadium anyone?)
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Comments: 1-20 of 20 in total
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