It has been more than 16 years since the author of this text first ventured into the virtual ‘zone’. STALKER: Shadow Of Chernobyl was an incredibly intense experience and turned the world of action games upside down. After a half-baked prequel and a solid sequel, the series remained silent for a long time; a new part of the series was started, but canceled for financial reasons.
Since 2018 we know: “STALKER 2” is alive – and how! The often promised next-generation graphics seem to be coming true here, promising to be the most intense end-times experience yet. You can now pre-order the highly anticipated blockbuster. They are especially interesting for fans collectors edition (PC* And Xbox*) and the Ultimate edition. The latter is no longer available on Amazon, but you can check it out on the Development team website be notified when it is available there. Also with Media Markt* it could be redelivered.
If you want to do without the bells and whistles, you can of course also opt for the standard version PC* And Xbox Series* Pre-order for no less than 60 euros. The limited edition for PC* And Xbox*costs 80 euros. A PS5 version is currently unconfirmed, but could follow at a later date. We explain to you what the different versions have to offer, what makes the game series so special and what you can expect from the latest offshoot.
“STALKER 2”: These are the different editions
Even with that standard edition you get a steelbook, a letter from the developers, a zone pass and a sticker pack – not a given in the age of game downloads. Those who pre-order will also receive in-game content such as weapon skins and more dialogue around the campfire.
The limited edition is completed with a map of the zone, a poster, patches of the game’s factions, a military ‘dog tag’ and a key ring with a lighter. With the Extended Collector’s Edition you get all these collectibles plus an art book and a stylish collectible figure. The Ultimate Edition will delight hardcore fans as it includes a stalker backpack and an artifact lamp.
Here again all the extras of the Ultimate Edition at a glance:
- Letter from the developers
- Souvenir zone pass
- Sticker set + poster + zone map
- Patches + military tokens
- Keychain + Art book
- Collectible figure + Stalker backpack + Artifact lamp
In addition, with the Collector’s Edition and the Ultimate Edition you also get a range of digital content that is not just cosmetic in nature. The Collector’s Edition comes with additional quest DLCs, the Ultimate Edition comes with an entire season pass, so you no longer have to purchase upcoming story expansions separately.
That makes the “STALKER” series so special
The first steps into the contaminated zone of the first part of the series still give me goosebumps when I think about it. We find ourselves in an alternate reality where a mysterious second disaster killed almost all the residents surrounding the damaged Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Those who survived faced severe mutations, radiation exposure increased immeasurably, and extremely dangerous physical abnormalities emerged. Animals and plants also mutated. You are thrown into this hostile environment as a would-be stalker wandering the zone in search of dangerous artifacts.
It wasn’t just the setting that made “Shadow Of Chernobyl” so special. The open world, non-linear story and role-playing elements were extremely unusual for the shooter genre. There were even multiple possible endings depending on the choices you made during the story. This is usually only known from milestones in role-playing games, such as the ‘Mass Effect’ series.
“STALKER 2”: Great hopes and justified doubts
In the new game, the Ukrainian developers want to offer everything that made the predecessor so brilliant on a whole new level. Photorealistic graphics, a dynamic story, advanced enemy AI and an incredibly realistic game world are promised. There are also tough survival mechanisms that will make life in the zone difficult.
View the impressive one here Trailer for “STALKER 2: Shadow of Chernobyl” bee:
But does that sound too good to be true? Our colleagues from GameStar reported legitimate doubts about playing an early version of the game at the gamescom gaming fair. The technical condition was not yet mature and the promised features were not yet visible. GSC Gamesworld has until September to refine the game. If they manage to keep their promises, we will have another shooting milestone on our hands.