It's strange to think that we're potentially only a couple of months away from the release of Stalker 2. Rumored to be a game for almost a decade now, this long-awaited follow-up to the 2007 original sent fans into a fervor when it was revealed back in July. Lest you think that reveal happened far too early, we finally have some in-engine footage to look at and analyze until we're red in the face.
IGN got an exclusive look at the game and a brand new trailer gives us...not a whole lot. It certainly doesn't look pre-rendered, but it's hard to tell what we're meant to take from this. If the description is anything to go by, it seems Stalker 2 will be playing more with the character's mental state than past games. That should create some spontaneous scenarios that the original game only ever hinted at.
At least as far as graphical presentation goes, Stalker 2 does look nice. I like the dynamic lighting here and the way the trees move in the wind sets up an incredibly sporadic and frightening environment. I'm not sure if the chair at the end was blown by the wind, or if Stalker 2 will finally incorporate those anomalies that were planned in the original title, but never made the cut.
At any rate, there's no doubt anymore that developer GSC Game World will actually release this title within our lifetimes. It's been far too long since a proper continuation of this series was last seen. The original may not have aged all that well, but its ideas, concept, and unique setting make it something that deserves a second chance.
Source: YouTube