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New STALKER 2 details and gorgeous Unreal 5-powered screenshots emerge months ahead of the next-gen exclusive's April 2022 launch

STALKER 2 is set to finally launch, over a decade after Call of Pripyat, the last mainline entry in the franchise (Image source: GSC Game World)
STALKER 2 is set to finally launch, over a decade after Call of Pripyat, the last mainline entry in the franchise (Image source: GSC Game World)
GSC Game world recently shared a set of five new STALKER 2 screenshots, with just five months to go before the long-awaited sequel to Call of Pripyat arrives. Russian gamers also shared early snippets of an exclusive PC Gamer magazine feature on the game, highlighting new gameplay mechanics.
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GSC Game World recently outed a handful of new screenshots for STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl. The hotly-anticipated follow up to STALKER: Call of Pripyat is built on the Unreal 5 engine and the screens highlight the ways in which GSC is utilizing the new tech. STALKER 2 is a next-gen exclusive. That makes it one among a handful of games (The Medium comes to mind) to launch on the Xbox Series S and X as well as PC, but not on eighth-gen hardware. 

The massive leap in processing, graphics, and I/O capabilities from next-gen baseline hardware has allowed GSC to really push the boat out there in terms of STALKER 2's visuals. Hardware ray-tracing, extremely high polycount models, and Unreal 5's Nanite and Lumen rendering systems together make for a truly next-gen experience. 

Apart from the screenshots, Russian fans online shared early snippets from a PC Gamer magazine exclusive on STALKER 2's new features. According to the leaked article snippets, STALKER 2 will reportedly take over 100 hours to complete, making it considerably longer than its predecessors. Survival elements like sleeping and eating food also appear to play a bigger role than in earlier franchise outings. 

Check out STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl for Xbox Series X/S here on Amazon.

This screenshot highlights great use of Nanite for detailed rendering of the ruins (Image source: GSC Game World)
This screenshot highlights great use of Nanite for detailed rendering of the ruins (Image source: GSC Game World)
Lumen global illumination adds depth to the bucolic environment pictured here (Image source: GSC Game World)
Lumen global illumination adds depth to the bucolic environment pictured here (Image source: GSC Game World)

Source(s)

GSC Game World (via pikabu.ru)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 12 > New STALKER 2 details and gorgeous Unreal 5-powered screenshots emerge months ahead of the next-gen exclusive's April 2022 launch
Arjun Krishna Lal, 2021-12-10 (Update: 2021-12-10)