S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl: Limited Edition Steel Case (PC DVD)

The story of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a hypothesis based on real events that took place in the 1980s. During this time, a huge antenna was built in Chernobyl to emit radio-waves some experts believed were psychoactive. Some of our photos taken during the trip to Chernobyl captured the structure of the antenna far away on the horizon. According to several unsubstantiated rumours, the emission was directed into Western Europe – and that it was indeed a covert military experiment to determine the psychotropic impact on the human psyche. These rumours have been loosely proven and are the kind of experiments that the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. storyline is built around. We touch upon fact, fiction and conspiracy theory, where the lines are blurred, presenting a credible less salubrious undercurrent. It is the story of a post-apocalyptic world littered with its own tragedies, heroes and laws - a ‘what if’ scenario loosely rooted in reality. More poignantly it represents a disturbing window into a future that could still grace this earth.

In 2006, a second explosion occurs at Chernobyl, followed by strange occurrences - flashes of bright light, raucous thunder, lighting, earthquakes – all coming from the hub of the exclusion zone. While common belief is ‘the reactor has exploded again’, nobody knows for sure. Scientists who go in to research the occurrences disappear without trace, as do their followers. Clearly, the exclusion zone becomes a dangerous place. Witnesses report spots of ‘invisible’ deadly energy consuming the area. Ultimately, the government, given little alternative, cordon off the area and seal it from intrusion until a solution is found. As time passes, the Zone continues to be active and even grows by several kilometers in size.

In 2008 eerie mutant creatures appear at the borders of the Zone, with the army, driven by fear, forcing their retreat through firepower. At the same time, curiosity among civilians in the area grows as they become more intrigued by the occurrences, myths and rumour that pervade within the Zone. Some of the more courageous decide to venture into the Zone, sneaking through the army cordons. Many die, but those who manage to return bring back not only unbelievable stories, but also ‘artefacts’ (bearings of the Zone - objects which have absorbed its anomalous energy), which instantly command a high price from curious scientists, corporations and the like.

Since then, more and more have tried their luck in the Zone. Those who go into the Zone in search of artifacts and fortune soon pick up the moniker of ‘stalkers’.

The game begins in 2012 as you, the player, is found comatose in the Zone after a brutal crash. You appear to be one of the stalkers, but have lost all memory of your past.

You wind up on the desk of a zone dealer. In an effort to repay the dealer (of arms and valuable artifacts) who helps you recover, you will need to complete several missions, taking your first steps into the Zone.

Good luck to you, young stalker, and beware!

From the developers: Creating the Zone
We had the idea of a Zone with anomalies, artifacts and stalkers from the very beginning and we were searching for a realistic location to set this in. We wanted to create something as realistic as possible, given that our newly-created X-ray engine allowed near-photo realism.

It didn’t take us long to find a perfect setting, having the Chernobyl exclusion zone virtually next door. Moreover, it was a truly ‘our’ location – so personal and known, our experience of the past. The atmosphere of destruction and abandonment which was pre-existing for the game was more than fitting for the concept. Naturally, to immerse the game world within the Chernobyl zone authentically, we needed to research information on what this area actually contained.

The many trips to the Zone undertaken by us helped us to truly experience atmosphere we wanted to recreate in the game. Looking at the barren streets of Pripyat, the murky sarcophagus of the reactor #4, the red forest, destroyed settlements and the irradiated vehicle cemetery, we envisioned how this all would look at night, when alone and under the hostile gaze of eerie creatures. Add in to that the added the risk of being killed by powerful monsters or a soulless anomaly and we realised that this was exactly the atmosphere we needed.

We wanted the player to live in the Zone and to be able to sense the world around him. We initially thought about creating one big level where there would be no loading points. However, as we were doing everything in maximum detail and quality and the performance capacity of computers today inevitably have a certain limit, such a plan was soon changed to a more feasible one. The world in its entirety got split into 18 huge areas the player was free to traverse as he wills.

To recreate the environment we’ve known since childhood using realistic textures, we processed an incredible number of photos and video material along with architectural layouts of industrial and residential structures. Of course, we didn’t attempt a total match of the in-game areas with the Chernobyl zone locations as we understood that this would make the game very empty in many areas – hardly anyone would enjoy running several kilometers down a monotonously empty field! We instead recreated the familiar, iconic places and images, joining them into levels as required. Some locations are virtually identical to their prototypes: the central lane and the main square in Pripyat and the Chernobyl power plant itself, for example.

To make things seem more realistic and true-to-life we utilised disturbing ambient music playing in the background, the life simulation system and the visible (and audible) consequences of the other living creatures’ actions; it is these that make us believe in the reality of the surrounding world. The possibility to approach situations in many different ways, the freedom of movement around the world, communication to other stalkers, stories eavesdropped at campfire – this is what makes the environment in the game. There’s no limit to what we feel we can achieve and we feel that we have risen to the task we put to ourselves and created the living, mysterious and dangerous world of the Zone.