S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl Screenshots

Hopefully the "A-Life" engine is good and doesn't suck like the "Radiant AI" of Oblivion. I am not all that worried about the graphics, so long as the world pulls me in I can survive.

If s.t.a.l.k.e.r turns out to be a dissapointment, i will lose my faith in single player games.

this game is starting to look long in the tooth.

New in-game videos of the pre-release build that Game Informer played with.

http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Media/Media.htm?CS_pid={232C596A-1115-469A-B771-F9AD38A736EF}

So how much of the original 'free roaming' fpsrpg is still in this game? Has it been scrapped?

http://www.shacknews.com/screens.x/oblivionlost/S.T.A.L.K.E.R:+Shadow+of+Chernobyl/2/013107/013107_stalker_2.jpg

this guy totally gets all the irradiated nomadic scavenger chicks. i bet all the other STALKER dudes hate him and think he's incredibly pretentious and annoying. Bet he's got a ponytail under that hood.

WTF? Gives new meaning to IHOP

http://www.shacknews.com/screens.x/oblivionlost/S.T.A.L.K.E.R:+Shadow+of+Chernobyl/4/013107/013107_stalker_6.jpg

Hahhaha

I'm so glad this is coming out soon. Honestly I am tired of reading and seeing any more screen shots and posts on this game. I just am not interested in this game at all anymore and want it to just move aside for the many other games out there that look up to date. It probably wouldn't be that bad if it wasn't like every other week there is a new screen shot or post about this game. I know there might be a few people looking forward to playing this but I believe the masses have moved on to bigger and better games. Please let it die!

And where, pray tell, are the bosomy sidekicks?

Im looking forward to it just for the fact that pc gaming is so dead, there hasnt been anything exciting released in this genre in well over a year and it seems like this year has a couple of good games to ship...that is if they are indeed released.

Sure, the visuals aren't as impressive as they used to be given recent games, but gameplay will always be more important than graphics. I'm totally looking forward to this game.

I think the tech of the game is still damn impressive, but the art direction is always what really intrigued me. They've put a lot of meticulous effort into recreating the ambiance and mood of this type of environment, so I'm optimistic about it.

I guess I don't really see the graphics as bad. I know tech > all for graphics, but I think the actual production values on this look really good. Kind of like how WoW has the palette of a Barbie game but people think it looks amazing. It may not be super next-gen, but I think it looks really good.

From the Game Informer hands-on

"The game’s proprietary X-Ray Engine beautifully renders the country, whether it’s the relative calm of a scraggly forest or in a blasted-out warehouse. The game features a wide variety of settings, from the natural to the industrial, and textures and models are solid, overall. I got genuinely creeped out when I explored an abandoned power plant—and that was before I ran into the cloaking mutants. The game sports a fairly sophisticated physics engine, with plenty of object interactions. When shot, enemies flop around objects lifelessly. Things seem to carry actual weight, too, which is great. In far too many games, things careen all over the place, as though gravity was merely a suggestion. Obvious comparisons can be made between S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. Both games reward exploration in a dynamic, open world. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s graphics are just as gorgeous, which is a compliment. Unlike Oblivion, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. isn’t technically an RPG, though. You do complete tasks and missions, but you don’t gain experience, levels or skills."

http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200701/N07.0129.1659.23101.htm

Please don't suck, please don't suck, please don't suck!

The hands-on previews from Gamespot, IGN and the like have all been pretty positive, especially with the A-Life system.

I really hope this AI is decent, if it is what I hope it will be then everything else wont matter and the wait will be forgotten :)

Collectors edition pre orderd.