Developers Bombed and Sent to War - Game Finally Released
One of this fall's most anticipated games, "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl," has launched this week on PC and Xbox X/S, nearly 15 years after the last game in the series. The development process was far from smooth, as GSC Game World's main offices were in Kyiv when Russia invaded Ukraine.
A Game in Exile
When war broke out in 2022, the development team faced constant power outages and nearby missile strikes. Over half the developers relocated from Kyiv to Prague - a distance of over 1,000 kilometers. Around 180 people were relocated to the Czech capital to complete the game, while others worked remotely or were drafted into military service.
"We were all ready to die," one developer revealed in a documentary about the game's troubled development, available on GSC's YouTube channel.
Mixed Reception
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a hardcore first-person shooter with survival horror elements, set in an open-world radioactive wasteland around Chornobyl. The game currently holds a 77 average score on OpenCritic, with mixed reviews.
PC Gamer awarded it 83/100, praising how it maintains the series' unique qualities. Some Norwegian outlets like Gamer have called it "one of the year's best gaming experiences."
However, technical issues plague the release. VideoGameChronicle gave it 2/5 stars, stating: "S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 might become a good game in a few years, but at launch it's a technical mess struggling to capitalize on its best ideas." GamesRadar+ called it "the best but most broken game I've played this year." Some outlets, including Eurogamer, found it too unstable to review.
Developer Response
GSC Game World acknowledges these issues and has already released a "day 0 patch." They've promised to continue working on the game and release free content updates.
"It feels surreal to say, but S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is out now. It's incredible. So was the development of the game," GSC stated.
The game is available through Xbox Game Pass for those wanting to try it out.
