A prequel to the first title, Clear Sky takes place within the same Zone as the original, but one year prior to the events of Shadow of Chernobyl, immediately following a second nuclear explosion in the region. Many of the areas visited in Shadow of Chernobyl, along with a number new ones - such as a large bog-like marshland, will play a part in setting the backdrop for the game’s fiction. Much of the original’s atmosphere was derived from the Zone’s vast vacant spaces, derelict structures and the various anomalies scattered throughout, which were caused by the area’s radiation. The upcoming prequel promises to elicit a similar amount of fear, born from the unknown nature S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s landscape. New anomalies are planned, and with extra polish and effects these should help in increasing the unnerving nature of The Zone.
Clear Sky will have as its backbone an updated version of the original’s X-Ray Engine. However, before painful memories of the early issues with Shadow of Chernobyl are dredged up, the game’s developers GSC are quick to point out that a vast amount of changes have been made to it. Some of these won’t be visually apparent to the player, but instead will make for a smoother gameplay experience. That said there are several visual and behavioural aspects that have emerged as a result of this engine’s evolution.
The Zone should be a great place for hide and seek.
Visually, Clear Sky will be capable of much more than Shadow of Chernobyl. Firstly it has been made DirectX 10 compatible, meaning a slew of visual treats for those with the hardware to further bring the Zone to life. The engine still supports previous versions of DirectX too, and is quite scalable; meaning those with older systems should be able to enjoy Clear Sky’s action as well.
Dynamic and volumetric lighting are some of the new features that the developer is touting, allowing light to play a greater part in changing the atmosphere of the Zone. By acting in a natural way as if actual stemming from a realistic light source, dappled light and realistic shadowing will only serve to further the unnerving nature of the environment. There will be more depth of field effects added as well in order to add to the sense of visual realism.
As was the case with Shadow of Chernobyl, a great amount of effort has gone into constructing S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s architecture. Rusted, gnarled girders hold together the equally dilapidated walls of the derelict buildings and everything gives the sense that you are in a place where humans are not meant to be. Natural elements also play a part in affecting the Zone, with realistic looking rain hitting surfaces in a natural way, creating surfaces slick with cascading water. The day/night cycle has also been improved and will play a greater part in shaping your environment. With one of the game’s main characters being the Zone itself, these environmental effects will only help to further the oppressive nature of Clear Sky's world.
Much was made of the original game’s AI. The way that groups interacted with the environment and with those they were battling within it was a key feature of the game that, unfortunately, didn’t always go as planned. GSC claim to have worked on these issues and insist they’ve created more believable allies and enemies. In response to danger, battle-ready squads will crouch - or drop down, to avoid the spray of bullets and they’ll be aware of the type of terrain they’re walking upon as well, knowing whether cover is ahead and whether ground is too soft to run on etc.
Clear Sky promises some even more impressive visuals than Shadow of Chernobyl.
Clear Sky looks to further enhance the way in which factions come to shape the players path through Zone. Shadow of Chernobyl enabled you to form alliances with groups depending on which missions you took. This was effective in changing the way in which different factions related to you, but for the most part the player never truly felt part of a larger collective. Clear Sky looks to change all of that offering up a greater number of missions that link you more closely with the factions for which you choose to work.
The original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was a long time coming, originally announced in 2001 it was continuously pushed back, appearing like it would never see a release. Finally emerging from a cloud of vaporware rumours, it threw players into a world that was very different from those in most of First Person Shooters that we had experienced up until its release. Hampered by a few bugs and a slightly convoluted storyline it never-the-less offered up some great gameplay and an engaging virtual world. Hopefully Clear Sky has ironed out any of the issues the first tile had, leaving just the quality parts behind. From what we’ve seen so far it seems that the prequel to the Ukrainian developed title is well on the way to meeting the expectations held by fans of the original S.T.L.A.L.K.E.R.
Loading...
