As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

STALKER 2 is dead

124678

Posts

  • BlurblBlurbl -_- Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    Goddamn. The first Stalker was just such a mindblowing experience for me. I still remember meeting my first bloodsucker... before I knew how to turn on your flashlight.

    I guess I took it for granted that we'd see a massively improved sequel to SoC/CoP in the vein of Witcher 1/Witcher 2.

    Blurbl on
  • stopgapstopgap Registered User regular
    this better not be true. I so enjoyed the unique experiences of stalker.

    steam_sig.png
  • SvKSvK Registered User regular
    Drake wrote:
    This is probably the shittiest video game news I've heard personally since Sierra shut down Dynamix and also killed production on Babylon 5: Into the Fire.

    Why did you have to remind me!?

  • LaCabraLaCabra MelbourneRegistered User regular
    Awwwwwww maaaaaaaaaan.

  • DarmakDarmak RAGE vympyvvhyc vyctyvyRegistered User regular
    LaCabra wrote:
    Awwwwwww maaaaaaaaaan.

    JtgVX0H.png
  • RT800RT800 Registered User regular
    I still gotta beat Call of Pripyat.

    and Clear Sky.

    and then S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will be over.

    forever :(

  • Der Waffle MousDer Waffle Mous Blame this on the misfortune of your birth. New Yark, New Yark.Registered User regular
    SvK wrote:
    Drake wrote:
    This is probably the shittiest video game news I've heard personally since Sierra shut down Dynamix and also killed production on Babylon 5: Into the Fire.

    Why did you have to remind me!?
    Its was kinda wierd when I realized that Activision pretty much inherited all that Sierra/Vivendi DNA and thus my never-ending hatred.

    Steam PSN: DerWaffleMous Origin: DerWaffleMous Bnet: DerWaffle#1682
  • Mortal SkyMortal Sky queer punk hedge witchRegistered User regular
    This is actually saddening news. They were the little studio that could. And STALKEr really is my favorite single player FPS ever. At least Tribes is coming back, so I can get my favorite (and previously dead) multiplayer FPS all to myself.

  • fadingathedgesfadingathedges Registered User regular
    FFFFFFFFFFFF

  • Al BaronAl Baron Registered User regular
    SvK wrote:
    Drake wrote:
    This is probably the shittiest video game news I've heard personally since Sierra shut down Dynamix and also killed production on Babylon 5: Into the Fire.

    Why did you have to remind me!?
    Its was kinda wierd when I realized that Activision pretty much inherited all that Sierra/Vivendi DNA and thus my never-ending hatred.
    And practically everything except their adventure vault has been sold off; even that's not staying since Larry's back with Al Lowe.

    steam_sig.png
  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    RT800 wrote:
    I still gotta beat Call of Pripyat.

    and Clear Sky.

    and then S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will be over.

    forever :(

    Savor it.

  • StollsStolls Brave Corporate Logo Chicago, ILRegistered User regular
    edited December 2011
    All right, I've had time to properly absorb the news. I just... fuck, man. I just can't believe it.

    I think this is one of the only times I've been keenly aware of a studio closing right as it happens. I was late to the party for most of Black Isle and Looking Glass' catalogs. Likewise for Origin, although in that case I'd played a bunch of their games without even realizing it was them. Troika was on visibly shaky ground so that wasn't a real surprise. The loss of Westwood was muted somewhat as C&C kept rolling along (even if it wasn't quite the same). Don't get me wrong, these and others were all depressing, but this is a rare instance when I've been able to see it as it happens, more or less. There's a certain immortality to PC gaming that makes it easier to take when a studio goes under - no matter the game's age, there's a way to get it running again - but you're never really prepared when it happens right in front of you.

    All right, so GSC had a lot to learn about making a stable engine (though CoP was a substantial improvement) and the games were hardly masterpieces of storytelling. I don't care. They found a balance that few ever do, making the world open enough to avoid railroading but giving just enough of a plot thread to stay focused. The pieces sometimes came together in unexpected ways, but I'd trade a hundred high-spectacle scripted events for any of the random, crazy things that can happen in Stalker: random dudes in the wild helping you fend off bandits, clashes between rival factions, mutant dogs interrupting an ambush, etc. It's not every game that can make its very world a selling point.

    More than that, it was a window into a very real place that I previously had known little about. The real Zone is like a Soviet-era time capsule on a massive scale, and anything that takes a sober look at it provides a glimpse into a world so far removed that it may as well be science fiction. I started picking up things in other games that explored similar scenarios: Cryostasis, for instance, features the consequences of a meltdown on a nuclear-powered ice breaker - at a time where the largest nuclear accident, Mayak, was still small enough to cover up, so the effects weren't widely known. I'll hardly argue that the Stalker games are particularly instructive about the Zone or post-Soviet Russia/the Ukraine, but they did spark an interest, an awareness that wasn't there before.

    And then there are the fans, people like all of us. Maybe we were hungry for something other than your average cover-based shooter, maybe we were suckers for FPS/RPG hybrids, or urban exploration, or solid (dare I say sexy) ballistic physics. Whatever the reason, we saw something in these games that stuck with us long after we finished them. Not every game inspires such a dedicated following, and the fanbase of Stalker is too large to call it a cult hit. It's a legitimate success, something that, damn it all, gave me hope; hope that something quirky and unique could succeed in a harsh environment where only the strong and opportunistic survive. We all saw it, and we're all the better for it. I don't think I can give a game more meaningful praise.

    I hadn't played anything quite like Stalker when SoC came out. It may well be that the series will never see a spiritual (or actual) successor, even if GSC somehow comes back from this. Whatever the case, the series left its mark on me, and long after I've finished other games that mark will endure. These are games worth remembering, worth replaying, worth celebrating right up there with the classics. These are examples of games I point to when someone asks why I play games.

    We're gonna miss you, GSC. Thanks for everything.

    Play us out, boys:

    Stolls on
    kstolls on Twitch, streaming weekends at 9pm CST!
    Now playing: Teardown and Baldur's Gate 3 (co-op)
    Sunday Spotlight: Horror Tales: The Wine
  • Mortal SkyMortal Sky queer punk hedge witchRegistered User regular
    edited December 2011
  • NerivantNerivant Director Third EchelonRegistered User regular
    edited December 2011
    We may have abandoned the Zone, but the Zone has not abandoned us.

    The Marked One. The Mercenary. The Major.

    They will not be forgotten.

    Nerivant on
    [REDACTED]
  • AxenAxen My avatar is Excalibur. Yes, the sword.Registered User regular
    Come, let us remember the good times, like how real men LARP.

    A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
  • CarbonFireCarbonFire See you in the countryRegistered User regular
    Bravo Stolls, well said.

    I hope that if we can't have another STALKER game, we at least get another game like STALKER. Because there is truly nothing else like it.

    Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go kill that bastard Strelok.

    Steam: CarbonFire MWO, PSN, Origin: Carb0nFire
  • RamiRami Registered User regular
    Maybe the guys who make Metro will branch out into an open world style for a third game.

    Steam / Xbox Live: WSDX NNID: W-S-D-X 3DS FC: 2637-9461-8549
    sig.gif
  • BotznoyBotznoy Registered User regular
    You know, I remember a very long time ago now, when my friend showed me a trailer for a game. This game was Stalker (although at the time i think it was called oblivion lost still) I watched it with rapt attention. It looked amazing. Sometime later the same friend calls me up and i go to his and he shows me SoC. I played it for an hour, and from then on i was totally in love with the series.

    And i can say that by no small stretch of the imagination this is the only game series for which i have cared for. I wanted to see it go on into the future as a shining example of what a game could be.

    I actually felt a powerful pang of sadness when i read this thread title, i thought "surely not. no. this can't be right"

    This game, world, company, and series will forever hold a place with me, as my personal favourite game. The one i come back to numerous times.

    IZF2byN.jpg

    Want to play co-op games? Feel free to hit me up!
  • AxenAxen My avatar is Excalibur. Yes, the sword.Registered User regular
    There were a number of things that, to me, made Stalker so much fun.

    The game was hard, but not in a cheap way. It didn't really hold your hand either. The game said, "This is the Zone, it will kill you if you are stupid." and it was serious. The best comparison I can think of, as far as difficulty goes, is Demon/Dark Souls. The game rewarded you for playing smart and punished you for being impatient or greedy. Very few games are able to pull that off.

    Second thing is of course the world, the zone itself. Stalker had one of the most immersive worlds I've had the pleasure of exploring. The muted sounds of gunfire in the distance, the nightmarish scream of something echoing from afar, the storms, and anomalies, the blowout. Christ, the Blowouts! As someone else said before me, The Zone was very much a character and the prime antagonist.

    All the pieces that made up Stalker came together so perfectly and (bugs aside) I think GSC accomplished something that many Devs have only dreamed of doing, making the player feel like they are there in the world the Devs had created.

    When other Dev houses have gone under it was always a little sad, but the bright side was that someone else would always be making FPSs, RPGs, Racing games, or what-have-you. But with GSC I find it all the more disheartening because no one will be making another Stalker.

    The series was one of a kind.

    A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
  • SvKSvK Registered User regular
    The stories that people tell about STALKER aren't the plot of the main's main quests. They are the stories that players create and discover by interacting with the Zone and all the wonderful, horrible things that inhabit it. Since this is turning into a funeral, telling stories and collecting stories seemed especially appropriate, so I just started Tales of the Zone on Tumblr. Use the "Tell us a tale" link to submit a story about an adventure, a eulogy to the game, a screenshot, or a video.

  • subediisubedii Registered User regular
    Submitted one.

  • SmokeStacksSmokeStacks Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    So I roll into the Wild Territory for the first time. After the scientist is gunned down by mercs precisely ten seconds after I told him I'd help him get to the lake I kill the rest of the mercs, gather copious amounts of loot from the many corpses, and stroll back into the bar, fat with riches. The sun is setting, so I sell everything and take a nap.

    Bright and early the next morning I head back. Got the drop on a group of bandits who didn't see me up on the roof and nailed four of them with one grenade blast. Cocky, I explore for a bit, hear some gunfire, and decide to investigate. I find a dead loner. Something seems wrong with this situation.

    Presto, out of nowhere comes the bloodsucker. I frantically retreat back toward the train tracks, turning and spitting bullets as I go. He (it?) finally drops.

    I hear a sound. Dogs? It gets louder. Multiplies.

    It is as if the very Earth split open and let loose the baying of the hounds of Hell.

    I frantically run to a ladder, climb up to the platform, and turn around in time to see every dog in the zone run at my position. As I unload round after round upon them I can see the anomalies near the tracks going off like the 4th of July as a steady stream of additional dogs, rats, and snorks heard the call.

    I throw a few dozen pistol rounds into the mass, which is still growing. Everything starts to feel weird, like time is slowing down. My vision gets choppy, and I feel like I don't have complete control of my hands. Desperate, I start unloading clip after clip of assault rifle ammo, and eventually start killing them faster than they run toward me.

    Minutes later, after they've all been killed, I cautiously make my way back down the ladder, standing knee deep in corpses. I start to walk away, but turn around to examine two of the corpses I had never seen before. They looked like men, only wearing gasmasks, and the others looked like small, mutated rats. I can't look at the pile of bodies for too long, as every time I do I get that weird feeling. I take my leave, heading back down the tracks, anxious to get back to the Bar for a stiff drink or three to help forget.

    I would have killed for a grenade or two. Such is life in the Zone.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLZO8tWC73U

    SmokeStacks on
  • CheesecakeRecipeCheesecakeRecipe "Should not be allowed to post in the Steam Thread" - Isorn Squalor Victoria, Squalor Victoria!Registered User regular
    This is going to be the most surreal guestbook of all time, and I'm going to love reading every entry while nodding. I'll see if I can break out a good story or two for the cause as well.

  • mere_immortalmere_immortal So tasty!Registered User regular
    I remember the first time playing Call of Pripyat and coming across the cave system in the first area that is filled with bloodsuckers. I only have my pistol and starting SMG at this point so decide to leave it and run out of there.

    A couple of hours later and I have an artifact or two and I'm a bit more resilient, but still would be classed as a novice stalker is the eyes of most veterans. This is when the first blowout starts to happen and I'm not really near anything I could see for cover, so I sprint to a hole I can see in the distance that I fall through to take shelter. I'm injured a bit but at least safe from the blowout. Then I see the two white pinpricks in the shimmering distance, increasing in size as it moves towards me.

    It's the same damn cave I ran out of earlier.

    Once the blowout passes I'm low on ammo and have used up all my bandages, luckily bloodsucker tentacles sell for a pretty penny.

    RIP S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

    Steam: mere_immortal - PSN: mere_immortal - XBL: lego pencil - Wii U: mimmortal - 3DS: 1521-7234-1642 - Bordgamegeek: mere_immortal
  • PharezonPharezon Struggle is an illusion. Victory is in the Qun.Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    Pharezon on
    jkZziGc.png
  • DarlanDarlan Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    I admit I never could quite get into the Stalker games on a pure mechanical, interactive-bits basis, but I still loved the atmosphere and was really hoping Stalker 2 could have been the one to finally click with me. Dang.

    Edit: I hope they aren't pulling the GOG "lie to your friends that you have untreatable cancer so they'll be pay more attention and be nice to you" bit either, though. That would put me off more than a million bugs in the game.

    Darlan on
  • AuburnTigerAuburnTiger Registered User regular
    XBL: Flex MythoMass
  • LodbrokLodbrok Registered User regular
    This is terrible... well, on a grander scale I suppose it is just another trivial mis-fortune, but it still makes me sad. I do not game much these days, and the Stalker games were the only ones in many years that actually made me feel child-like and awed at the fantastic world that were presented within.

    Everything about the games were just so special, from the story inspired by some of my favourite writers, to the fantastic environments and the, at least to me, interesting plot and back-story.

    Stolls have already said what it in a much better way than I ever could. These games were something truly special.

  • HadjiQuestHadjiQuest Registered User regular
    Pharezon wrote:

    I wonder if they're going to find a way to save game 2 or the IP before totally dissolving GSC.

    I finally gathered the courage to beat SOC about 3 weeks ago after talking about my first experiences in the last STALKER thread. This is all a huge bummer.

  • AxenAxen My avatar is Excalibur. Yes, the sword.Registered User regular
    I remember looking up the conversion of rubles to dollars, just for shits and giggles.

    On average it costs only about 50 some bucks to hire a Stalker to risk his life and sanity. I thought that was somewhat depressing and yet fitting.

    A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
  • StollsStolls Brave Corporate Logo Chicago, ILRegistered User regular
    Axen wrote:
    I remember looking up the conversion of rubles to dollars, just for shits and giggles.

    On average it costs only about 50 some bucks to hire a Stalker to risk his life and sanity. I thought that was somewhat depressing and yet fitting.

    Yeah, it's like $16 US to get by the bridge guards in Cordon. In hindsight that cracks me up and then seems kind of sad.

    Also, submitted a story to that Tales of the Zone page, the one about the loners using me as bait to kill a bloodsucker. Ahh, good times...

    kstolls on Twitch, streaming weekends at 9pm CST!
    Now playing: Teardown and Baldur's Gate 3 (co-op)
    Sunday Spotlight: Horror Tales: The Wine
  • LaCabraLaCabra MelbourneRegistered User regular
    Yeah I guess that's kind of sad since I killed them over that $16 every time.

  • SvKSvK Registered User regular
    Stolls wrote:
    Also, submitted a story to that Tales of the Zone page, the one about the loners using me as bait to kill a bloodsucker. Ahh, good times...

    Thanks, Stolls. Your stories about STALKER are what got me to buy Shadow of Chernobyl. May I link to your Let's Play on Tales of the Zone?

  • DaemonionDaemonion Mountain Man USARegistered User regular
    I am sullen. STALKER was tough, but fair. It will forever be one of my favorite franchises, and I'll gladly remember its personification of everything that I love about gaming.

    Such is life in the zone!

  • StollsStolls Brave Corporate Logo Chicago, ILRegistered User regular
    edited December 2011
    SvK wrote:
    Stolls wrote:
    Also, submitted a story to that Tales of the Zone page, the one about the loners using me as bait to kill a bloodsucker. Ahh, good times...

    Thanks, Stolls. Your stories about STALKER are what got me to buy Shadow of Chernobyl. May I link to your Let's Play on Tales of the Zone?

    Sure thing, by all means. Great idea by the way, these have been great stories so far :^:

    Edit: Check with Ninja Snarl P too, those were good LPs and they cover the entirety of the series.

    Stolls on
    kstolls on Twitch, streaming weekends at 9pm CST!
    Now playing: Teardown and Baldur's Gate 3 (co-op)
    Sunday Spotlight: Horror Tales: The Wine
  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    Okay, my mission will now be to get a PC that can handle all available Stalker games and the best mods, since this thread is just making me desperate to return to the Zone.

    forumsig.png
  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    darleysam wrote:
    Okay, my mission will now be to get a PC that can handle all available Stalker games and the best mods, since this thread is just making me desperate to return to the Zone.

    I reinstalled SoC this weekend. I'll be spending quite a few days in the zone this week.

  • ShogunShogun Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get along Registered User regular
    The Zone giveth; the Zone taketh away.

    its a cryin ass shame

  • BlendtecBlendtec Registered User regular
    A friend of mine told me about the first Stalker before it came out. We each picked up a copy and installed it at a lan party and started messing around. We both encountered game breaking bugs and glitches. We also encountered some of the best atmosphere I've ever seen in a game. To this day only Masquerade Bloodlines, Amnesia and maybe Morrowind come close in my opinion. We picked up the newer entries in the series and messed around with mods and all that too, each sinking dozens, if not hundreds of hours into the series as a whole.

    Really sad to hear about them closing and there not being a new one. This almost trumps failing the bladder of steel achievement in Rock Band 2 for me. 4 of us going through the endless set list, next to the last song, batteries in the drums died. Many manly tears of defeat were shed.

Sign In or Register to comment.