GSC releases 2004 build of STALKER News
PC News by Oli Welsh
In an unprecedented move, Ukrainian developer GSC Game World has released a build of its infamously troubled PC game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shaodw of Chernobyl that predates the final release by two and a half years, Shacknews reports.
The version of the game - 'xrCore' build 1935, dated October 18th 2004 - is available from several links in a thread on GSC's forums, or from FileShack.
Several levels that were cut from the final game, including Dead City, Swamp and Generators, are available to play in the build. It's described as "playable", although GSC says emphatically that it doesn't guarantee stability or fitness, and won't provide technical support for it.
The build offers a window into one of the more famous recent examples of development hell. The ridiculously ambitious post-apocalyptic first-person adventure was announced in 2001 and originally pencilled in for a 2003 released date.
After much talk of feature creep, instability and vapourware, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. finally emerged in 2007 in reduced form. But despite missing several of its original zones and features and still lacking some technical polish, it couldn't help but impress. It received a sequel-cum-expansion, Clear Sky, last year.
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Comments: 1-16 of 16 in total
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Wastelander
03/03/09 @ 10:28
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Fantastic!
It'll be great if the mod community can integrate the lost levels into Oblivion Lost. |
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@mkreku
You beat me to it! I remember pre-ordering it back when it was still meant to be free-roaming and co-op. With the A-Life in place and the NPC attempting to complete the game before you. I hope the 2004 build is just that... though I remember reading that an AI NPC was found attempting to kill and eat himself because he thought his leg was tasty looking. Oh I wish they'd kept that game! I never did finish STALKER because it became a bit of a letdown after all the waiting. |
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Wastelander
03/03/09 @ 11:35
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The drivable vehicles, cut monsters, random blowouts and expanded A-Life were all reintroduced with the Oblvion Lost mod.
It's well worth playing again with it as it completely changes the dynamic of the whole game. |
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PearOfAnguish
03/03/09 @ 11:39
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Does Oblivion Lost still have the insane difficulty level that meant you could bleed to death from a single pistol shot?
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Wastelander
03/03/09 @ 12:15
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OL isn't too harsh, it's up to vers 2.2 now I think and they balance and integrate various new mods into it all the time.
In the most recent update they added proper faction wars so you can play with a team of AI guys. The AI gains experience as well so the longer they survive just wandering around doing their own thing (AI hunts for artefacts and better gear to sell in OL so you are kind of competing with them) the higher their rank becomes and the better the gear they carry. Random blowouts make the game unpredictable as they spawn new monsters and artifacts. You'll stumble across massive firefights where zombies or a boss monster has stumbled into a faction's base. It's quite excellent to watch. Good fun, makes the game really repayable. I've played through twice with two versions of OL now and it's been quite different both times. |
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Empedocles
04/03/09 @ 17:30
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Good stuff, though I think the Oblivion Lost mods have pretty much brought the game up to what it should have been
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Comments: 1-16 of 16 in total
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