CHECK YOUR HALF LIFE 2 - STALKER: SHADOW OF CHERNOBYL
Back in 1999 an American wildlife survey team visited the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster to access the impact of the accident on the local wildlife, flora and fauna. They were astonished by what they found. They expected to find blackened scrubland, sick with radiation poisoning. What they actually found was a full blown wildlife preserve. A thriving ecosystem populated by wolves, eagles, black storks, rodents, wild boar and deer. “How could this be?” officials asked. “It’s simple” came the reply “Humans have left”. Now the northern portion of the Ukraine is the cleanest part of the nation. All it has to worry about is radiation.
The idea of a hostile place that teems with life is coming to the PC! STALKER’s creators, GSC Game world, describe it as a survival FPS. It’s a game where your very existence is dependant on your resourcefulness and instinct to take what you must to live. Tracking down prey; scavenging food; searching for shelter; resting; bandaging your wounds and reliving your own radiation poisoning are just some of the day to day activities you’ll be partaking in - alongside working through missions and exploring the landscape. Your virtual life requires maintenance. You play a hunter, living off 30-square kilometers of tainted land surrounding Chernobyl. You’re a scrap metal merchant of some sorts, earning a living by salvaging radioactive trinkets from a cursed earth.
- So begins the STALKER demonstration…
Darren Williams a business type from publishers THQ, is explaining some of the game’s back-story, while we take the helm on keyboard and mouse. We’re underground in a makeshift bomb shelter, gauging the mood of a very shifty looking arms dealer - your first contact in the game. “Around 2006” explains Darren, something happens within the reactor. There’s a bright light, swiftly followed by massive panic. Everyone thinks there’s been a second explosion at the reactor. The military quarantine the area in response. But this time around the people are curious. From that point until 2012 (the game’s chronological start point) rumors spread about strange creatures and muted beings, not quite human infesting the zone, alongside random pockets of supernatural energy and unidentified artifacts. These artifacts have strange properties - some act as perpetual energy sources, some resist gravity. Scientists, wealthy collectors and Governments the world over will pay extraordinary amounts of money to get their hands on them. Just think of the executive toys you could make out of a physics baiting silver sphere.
“A new group of people emerge, STALKERS - mercenaries who enter the zone to explore and retrieve the artifacts. You play a novice being nursed back to health by this guy, the Dealer. You’ll begin by working off your debt to him, but you’ll soon learn why the creatures are here, why the military cordoned off the area, and what’s going on with the reactor.”
That Dealer guy is an ugly, worn-by-the-world character. His face tells the story of his life. He looks tired, his skin picked and cracked by old age. His eyes move with that same disconcerting intensity as your team mates in Half Life 2. In his bunker - your starting point - the only light emanates from a bare bulb that swings across the ceiling, casting deep shadows against the dripping walls. From behind post office-style bars, he hands over the first mission: to retrieve a briefcase marked by a cross on our PDA map. The problem: that spot is just behind a military checkpoint, and a rather heavily guarded one at that. We take out leave, head up the crumbling earthen stairs and turn the corner. Then the pay-off comes. The bunker doors creak, automatic locks are jolted and released, then the doors are thrown open to an absolutely suburb view of open sky and grey-green plains of grass. Just an earshot, we hear a piercing wail as if from the jaws of some mutant banshee.
“Errr was that a scream?”
Yeah, smiles Darren, mocking our obvious discomfort. It’s time for a walk in the woods.
“Errmm okaayy.”
When the developers talk about AI, they normally like to play it safe and talk about non-specifics. They say enemies will work in packs; that CPU forces will retreat if under fire, and they’ll point to the way their infantry uses cover. But they won’t explain why. Why does a creature do the things it does? What’s going on under the surface? What is their motivation? STALKER attempts to answer and readdress this lack of character.
As we take our first footsteps, we can see a rotting zombie dog scuttle across the open field. It’s chasing down prey. A patrol of three soldiers are making their way cautiously up the road towards us, looking to their left and right, scoping for danger. There’s a glimpse of a rival STALKER, just heading across the mountain. Ahead, a corpse is being dragged into the bushes, by a hideous cow/dog/moose mutant hybrid. All this life in a single moment, captured in a single frame - and the frame not only moves - it’s gorgeous.
Most importantly, the game world’s context is fully fleshed out. The needs of the native habitants and creatures are being randomly simulated. There’s a reason for the action. The wild animals are chasing down food because they’re hungry. They look up, take note of you, and then wander off. You’re of no consequence to them. You are not a threat. However if they were hungry, desperate and unable to find prey this scenario may have turned out a lot uglier for you. The military have not spotted you yet, but they’re on the lookout. That’s the point of the patrol, they patrol the areas for STALKERS - entering the zone is not only illegal but punishable by death. The military are authorized to shoot first, ask questions later. That other STALKER? Well he’s on his own mission. We don’t need to know what he’s doing yet.
These entities are being driven by basic desires: for food, shelter and most importantly for bra-a-a-ains. If a hybrid or mutant is hungry, it will scavenge from the area around him. If that area isn’t supplying enough food for it, it will migrate, spreading his search area. If it still can’t find what it wants, then it’s time to go hunting. It will start searching for weaker prey first, because it’s decaying, radiation-addled mind knows that big Russian men with guns can kill it. But if it gets desperate then it’s going to attempt to make monster munch from your limbs. There’s a decision pattern there. The same thought process is applied in the minds of the rival STALKERS - if they see you as a threat, they’ll attack and attempt to take you out. If not, then they’ll take note of your presence and go about their own business regardless.
Everything changes when you spot two grotesque creatures interacting - anything can happen in this game world - a STALKER and a zombie, two military squads, any combination is possible. The amount of details in this artificial world is staggering. Within the first few minutes of playing you are totally immersed - the sounds and level detail and the AI life are totally believable - STALKER gives you that same feeling you got when your eager eyes first gazed upon the Half Life 2 universe. In fact STALKER is even more detailed and varied - GSC’s level designers have done an astounding job at making the STALKER game world look spaciously random, incredibly detailed - A rotting work of art - you can almost smell the decayed earth.
There’s a rich ecosystem at work here. Since that moment above, the creatures have moved on. Our rival STALKER has since passed over the horizon. The military patrol has raised its rifles, alert to the danger of the wild mutant dog, but they avoid conflict and leave the area. But they don’t know the trouble they’re in. A rather nasty blood-sucker - a hideously fast zombie/vampire hybrid has sniffed them out. He’s now charging them from behind - and he’s dangerously fast - three gruesome tentacles hanging from his chin, dangling in the wind. With one swift swipe he smashes the rearguard to one side - the guard screams, as if he knows his number is more then likely up - once one of these horrible things gets a hold of you - it’s highly unlikely you’ll survive the attack. The other startled guards turn, drop to their knee’s and open fire. It doesn’t matter. The second guard goes down in a bloodied shriek the third doesn’t stand a chance.
When he’s finished the bloodsucker crouches down and begins his bloodied feast, sucking the life from these poor humans before our very eyes. He occasionally glances in our direction and lets out a growl as if to warn us to the fact that this is his meal - not ours. As much as we are repulsed by this hideous creature - we can’t help but be glad it’s not us lying on the ground getting our guts sucked out of our neck. REALIZE THIS: that was not a scripted event - it was a random encounter - it was never ment to happen - it was one of the many scenarios you’ll encounter while you traverse the zone. Mister bloodsucker was hungry. He fancied some warm flesh and he got some fresh marines for supper. Those three corpses and the scavengers circling for leftovers above is the result. The motivation of characters and creatures are colliding, producing clever, beguiling results. Artificial life emerges.
It’s emerging in a world that’s as detailed as we’ve ever seen in a game at the time of writing this. These visuals match and - yes, quite frankly outclass anything we’ve seen in those banner games, Half Life 2 - Far Cry and Doom 3. The technology is clearly spectacular; the diffused somber lighting in particular clads the worlds in a strange, ominous atmosphere. But it’s the care with which every girder and brick is detailed and has been placed so naturally, that stands out. This is post-apocalypse architecture, miraculously detailed. Most impressive are the ruins: industrial installations abandoned after the disaster. Bare metal turns to rust, weeds crack their way through concrete shells. Every wall and pattern is blessed with character. That’s nothing though, compared to the sky. It’s just BIG - as intimidating and melancholy as you’d imagine. Clouds churn above you with accelerated weather patterns adding to the slightly off-key ambiance. When the sun is obscured, signaling the next downpour you unconsciously shiver in response. As the afternoon turns to evening, the light changes yet again plunging the zone a deep, brooding darkness. Now - its time to make a choice. Do you turn on your headlamp and carry on exploring the abandoned housing, potentially attracting mutants and monsters to the light? You could stumble around in the creeping dark, using your wits and hearing to navigate - Scrap that. You’d be wiser to call it a night and try catching some Zzzz’s.
But where to settle? As a STALKER, you’re not immune to the ravages of the wild. While exploring, you must keep one eye on your own state. There are four fundamental concerns: hunger, exhaustion, radiation and health. By balancing these elements: finding shelter and barricading the doors from any unwanted nocturnal nastiness, you might be able to snag a good nights rest? By finding tinned food or cooking birds you have shot down you can keep your body fresh. Bandaging wounds will help in the short-term, but it’s the Vodka that guarantees long life. Legend has it around these parts that a shot or two of the hard stuff can reverse radiation poisoning in the zone. Weighing your survival needs with wider objectives is crucial, according to Darren “We’re calling these skills zone-craft. It’s not about seeing to your needs, but about reading the land, observing the creatures and learning from them.”
An example. After a two minute hike from our starting position, we come across a blood-trail. We follow it, walking parallel to the military checkpoint. It leads away from the area, down into a drainage culvert. There we find a still warm STALKER. He’s a novice - a newbie, dressed in the same urban uniform we have. The thought process begins in earnest: “Trouble. Why did he die? Has he bled to death? What killed him? Was it a monster, or was he attacked by the military? Is there anything we can take from his body? Does he have anything worth selling? Hmmm. He’s fired a few rounds from his AK, but we should have heard them go off. More hmmmm” Let’s move on before anyone else follows the trail” Zone-craft isn’t a single idea - it’s a thought process. You begin to get a feel for the zone, for the way the creatures interact, to read the signs. Empty Vodka bottles and discarded cigarette butts tell you humans have passed by. A levitating animal carcass, flip-flopping in midair, surrounded by flashes of blue-light: Danger Will Robinson! Danger! That’s your first vision of the anomalies - your most feared enemy. Anomalies are randomized pockets of errant energy, with effects ranging from upsetting Newton to causing localized electrical storms. These forces also have the ability to crush a human being to a pulp of lifeless flesh. Anomalies are also related to further oddities within the zone - to the artifacts, and to the blow-out.
STALKERS massive capacity for surprise is about to be demonstrated to us. We’re exploring a former industrial wasteland. This is a new build of the game, sent directly from the Ukraine office of GSC. Darren is still unsure of what’s inside. For the moment, we’re searching for an elusive “Psychotic”, a creature that’s apparently superb, yet refuses to co-operate during important ‘media demonstrations’. It just won’t come out to play when we need it to. As we make to leave the area and continue, the speakers throw up a deep, resonant rumble. The coffee mugs begin to jiggle. From the horizon pours a stream of dogs, cats, rats, mice, birds and zombies. It’s like a post-apocalyptic Noah’s Ark. We briefly turn to each other.
“What’s going on?”
“I have no idea. Errr. Hmm. Run?”
“YES”
The crowd that’s gathered behind us has its own ideas. “It’s a bug? Problem with the AI?”
“No, wait. Wait! They’re actually fleeing from the blowout! It’s finally been implemented yells Darren!”
The creatures have sensed the forthcoming shockwave, the repeating shockwave that passes over the zone once every couple of days. The blowout changes the shape of the zone, crushing anything not under shelter (hence the dealer’s bunker) re-arranging the anomalies, creating brand new artifacts. It’s a constant pressure on your play; like a flash migraine, leaving a steady throb at the back of your mind. Finding shelter as the conditions change, waiting out the storm, is essential. But where? And are you willing to share it with another couple of STALKERS - or even worse, zombies?
Playing through this extraordinary scene is incredible. Two emotions rush through: panic and awe. To see technology and art combine in this way, to see such non-linear events and artificial intelligence collide on screen is uniquely pleasurable, something only computer games can do. GSC has literally created an entire, living, breathing and very dangerous artificial world. One that is like nothing we’ve ever seen in a game before. There are no linear corridors and wooden crates here folks; this is roughly 30’ square kilometers of life-like terrain, one that also sustains a very rich ecosystem. STALKER might just end up being light years ahead of the competition and itself; a huge play area that constantly changes and moves. Quite frankly it’s going to be like nothing you’ve ever played before.
One last anecdote!
Your correspondent has taken offence to a buzzing helicopter, clearly patrolling the open areas, searching for errant STALKERS. Darren has pointed out that there’s a bazooka tucked away in one of the side houses. In our collective mind, two plus two equals BLAMMO! We circle a wrecked railway bridge, searching for any possible sign of hidden enemies, before deciding that it’s clear, for the moment. A few seconds later, we’ve climbed the ladder to an observation tower, and are making our preparations. A telescopic sight is fixed to the launcher. Grenades are moved to our belt, ready to be quickly reloaded. An escape route is planned. Then, we stand, silently listening for rotor blades.
“Nervous?” Asks Darren.
“Yup”
Our ears prick up, it’s here. As the chopper passes over-head, a few pistol rounds to the belly of the aircraft fix the pilot’s attention on us. The pilot turns, facing us head-on, hovering in place. We fire. The RPG lets out a jet of plasma and roars to its target. It strikes the whirl-bird head-on, showering engine parts and shrapnel down to the grassy plain. High fives all round, followed by a faint sense of good old-fashioned nerdy embarrassment.
“Get down. Quickly”
“Why?’
“Just get down.”
A group of soldiers have sprinted out from their base and are dashing up the road towards our position. As we leap off the bridge, the marines fan out, trying to flank us - peeling off to the left and the right. They’re successful. We’re cut down, left to flop onto the floor, our bloodied bodies riddled with hot bullets. We’re now just a meal for another scavenger, ready to be recycled.
Even in death, life emerges fresh.
After Half Life 2, the gaming world seems a little barren. STALKER will be more than capable of filling that gap.
Tim Edwards
Pc Games Addict
Klik om te vergroten...
