Regardless that S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Version launched on Might 20 providing free “totally remastered and optimized” upgrades for all homeowners of the unique trilogy, developer GSC Sport World has been underneath siege by a evaluate bomb marketing campaign after gamers found the Russian voice appearing and “Soviet-era” landmarks had been quietly eliminated.
S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Enhanced Version consists of remastered variations of Shadow of Chornobyl (2007), Clear Sky (2008), and Name of Prypiat (2009) with upgraded visuals, next-gen console optimizations, and expanded mod help. Nonetheless, shortly after launch, all video games plummeted to a “largely detrimental” score on Steam as gamers flooded the evaluate part to complain about blurry visuals and register their dismay that the video games had been now “blurry, censored, and revised, [with] added ads.”
“So I personal the originals and performed them to demise. If I get an enhanced version I need to be excited once I boot it up, to see one thing completely different that makes we need to re-engage with the sport. This is not it,” defined one participant. “The graphics aren’t upgraded sufficient to get enthusiastic about, I’ve combined emotions about stripping out the Russian references – truthfully I see the unique video games as merchandise of their historical past and though I perceive the sensitivities of the builders I am undecided whats to be gained by retconning them.
“So it is free so I’ve nothing to complain about, however it’s not an enormous step up from the unique and to be sincere, if you would like an enhanced version you may simply mod the factor to your hearts content material or play anomaly. GSC wanted to do way more right here and a few beauty tweaking does not actually reduce it.”
GSC Sport World is a Ukrainian online game studio primarily based in Kyiv, though some employees are presently figuring out of Prague after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, briefly halting the event of S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. 2 because of this. Not less than one former GSC developer, Volodymyr Yezhov, has been killed in motion.
Whereas not formally acknowledging the detrimental evaluations, GSC has at this time posted an replace and a patch that it says will repair crashes on unsupported PC {hardware} and a few consoles, tackle save points, and restore “lacking geometry on a number of ranges.”
“Stalkers, we care about your suggestions and are engaged on fixing essentially the most essential points,” the workforce mentioned. “We actually need to make your comeback to the Zone particular.” It then mentioned it might “proceed to work on bettering the trilogy.”
The “lacking geometry,” gamers consider, refers back to the lacking Soviet relics discovered throughout all three video games. It is not clear if GSC selected or was compelled to revise Soviet iconography, however PC Gamer was in a position to verify that the monument/signal outdoors Chornobyl itself, which reads “ChAES within the identify of VI Lenin,” had no less than been deleted. All that was left was “the 2 concrete blocks it used to face on.”
The replace made no express point out of the lacking audio or the blurry textures.
“THEY LISTENED! THEY LISTENED! THEY LISTENED!” cried one delighted participant on Reddit. “EE nonetheless has some points however goddamn it, so glad they really work on fixing the sport and don’t ignore the suggestions.”
One participant mentioned: “That is one million time[s] higher resolution than simply eradicating it and not using a hint. That is each applauding the present decommunization efforts whereas not censoring something that existed earlier than it.”
“It is a good first step. Hopefully we see another fixes to notable issues like the favored blur situation and objects not showing in marked stashes,” added one other.
Learn extra on how S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. 2 has modified all the things for the studio amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, in addition to a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years expertise working with among the world’s greatest gaming websites and publications. She’s additionally a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually Excessive Chaos. Discover her at BlueSky.
