Am I the only one whose "iffy" about STALKER?

[Sparta]

Does anybody else get the feeling that STALKER wont be as good as people are building it up to be? Don't get me wrong, i know the game has really good graphics and physics that are equal to HL2's (That physics demonstration video is great) but does anyone else think its gonna be a let down in the gameplay department?

I love it when RPG is combined with FPS (Deus Ex, System Shock 2) but the thing i hate about normal RPG's is walking around for 10 minutes to an hour just to find another bad guy or crazy animal to kill. And with the truly massive environments in STALKER it looks like you'll be doing ALOT of walking around. And i just hope there's a good story to go with it. They've got a writer with good credentials but i'm still a little "iffy".

I hope STALKER turns out to be a little like Zelda: OoT in the RPG department, even though it isnt really an RPG, just lemme explain why i hope so. In OoT you went to different temples and area's and collected the Tri-Force and those medallions and it was good, it was all balanced out, because it had all these side-quests and people you could meet and shit to do. I really hope it's like that.

Anyway, enough rambling. I really hope this game comes through. Its just that these guys have made games in the past that haven't been too good, i just hope this one turns out good.

 

[gh0st]

yes you are the only one who is iffy about it. though to be honest i am a little too, i hope they can make gameplay exciting. though i think the scenery should justify walking around a little.

 

[thehunter1320]

no! you are not alone! i feel the same way! infact, i don't think it looks like it'll be a good game at all! and no, this is not my "HL2 fanboy" going on a rampage... doesn't look compelling at all! and the AI look awful!

what i've seen, this company should work on its character models and make engines, not games

 

[AmishSlayer]

I'm not very excited for it. I'm looking forward to so many other games that I feel will be more fun for me.

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

The developer dosn't exactly have the best track record either, so simply put yes; I am extremely doubtful of the final quality of Stalker. I will most definatley await reviews before running out to purchase it. The game type is just simply too ambitious, almost like promising too much. The kind of game that seems incredibly cool from a distance, then when you play, you are just bored disapointed or underwhelmed by the lacking quality.

 

[Rico]

I'm with you guys, I never did see the hype behind this game. A lot of games have incredible concepts and they claim they will do tons of things. However when crunch time comes they realize most of the stuff they sought to do is either impossible or too costly and end up giving the consumer something very far from the original idea.

Also bear in mind that these guys are the same people who made "Firestarter"... The multiplayer sure looks like Firestarter... and that's a bad thing in my book.

 

[Javert]

Sort of iffy myself. It's very possible they can pull it off, though will have to see their modding capabilities. However, their monsters do pretty cool things, and the style looks fresh.
It's just that the FPS market is so crowded, it'll be hard to stand apart if you don't put crowbars or chainsaws in your game.

Edit: 800 posts...rawrrrrr!! :cheers:

 

[Mr-Fusion]

After watching this years E3 videos i think it the actual gameplay looks like crap. The foliage still looks nice but whatever expectations i once had for it has now completely vanished.

 

[Raziaar]

I'm still eagerly anticipating this game... so no, I don't feel the same way you do :-P

There has rarely been a game I have anticipated which turned out to be crap... except when it comes to MMORPG's, in which case nearly all are crap. lol

 

[Dr. Freeman]

i am not sure what to think of Stalker at this point in time.. mainly cause its not due to be released this year.. right? i think its set for a early 2005 release.

anyway another reason is that there are some pretty darn good games coming out in the next 4-5 months (HL2, Doom3, Bloodlines..etc..) .. so if i end up purchasing those.. i may not be able to purchase Stalker.. :|

graphics/tecnology/storyline-wise Stalker looks good...but if i decide to spend my cash on other games.. then Stalker might be one game i may not get.

 

[KagePrototype]

It has the potential to be ground-breaking -- the level of freedom it's offering is unparraleled in FPS games.

 

[lans]

I've been saying this from day one, I just thought this game didn't look good. It's approach to realism is not very satisfying, the weapon models certainly are the most deatiled I've ever seen yet they are artistically bad and eventually aren't good. The concepts (art) are bland, sure it's photo realistic but the the monsters are not worth looking forward. Animation is heavily flawed - I can't believe they'd screw this up, but they have. Overall, only the graphics remain as the eye candy but nothing else tops that.

 

[PvtRyan]

Am I the only one whose "iffy" about STALKER?

No, most certainly not. I was very hyped up and enthusiastic about this game a while ago. It looked spectacular. But E3 2k4 videos really disappointed me, there's absolutely no feeling to it, the combat looks boring and the animations look horrible. It really reminded me of their previous game, Codename: Outbreak. And that's a BAD thing.
Most good looking games (like HL2) look not so good on screenshots and awesome in motion, it's the opposite for STALKER.

I still have much hope for this game, but I think it's for the best to not release it this year.

 

[Gunner]

I'm "iffy" about it as well. But since I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic scenarios I'll probably get Stalker anyway, it kinda reminds me of fallout

 

[ray_MAN]

It's approach to realism is not very satisfying

The game was not made to be realistic. It is a fictional story. :|

 

[Direwolf]

Its a new series, and like most new games (especially ambitious ones) its going to have to prove that its worth it.

 

[Gorgon]

I have the feeling that its going to be a game to be remembered in all time.

 

[Chris D]

I like the concept and I hope they pull it off. One thing I am iffy about though is whenever I've seen a video demonstration, I get the feeling the engine has a really poor frame rate. Certainly no more than about 30fps. Hopefully they'll optimise this before its release.

What date is it due?

 

[mortiz]

People should keep this thread to gameplay observation's only.

But after viewing quite a lot of footage it looks as if there will always be something to do, such as look for an artifact, fight off rabid dogs, run from a swarm of rates. Overall looks promising, but having not played the game I have no idea how they've implemented it. A few grainy video's doesn't do it justice really.

 

[wayne white]

stalker will look much better than hl2 and has a better story too.

 

[Warbie]

I've been 'iffy' about this game for a while now.

The premise is certainly excellent, it's down to whether the developers can pull it off.

I bet 1 penny that the animation, fighting and AI in Stalker are going to be rubbish. I bet another penny that the atmosphere and tension will be great.

It's going to be an 'if only' type of game - the sequal will be better

 

[brink's]

STALKER IS DUE SEPTEMBER 14<--------this year
but who knows if itll be delayed or not

I am looking forward to this game because of its realistic atmosphere and nothing else, if anything itll be cool to walk around in an area that is 60% accurate of the real Chernobly.

Buuuuuuuut..9/10 of the videos I've seen are running at very low fps and the ragdoll physic look a little dated.

 

[Shuzer]

stalker will look much better than hl2 and has a better story too.

Because, you know of both games storylines and have played them through thoroughly :|

Anyhow, I used to be really hyped for STALKER. But as most here, when I saw the latest videos from E32K4, it looked so unimaginative and boring. Especially the multiplayer combat.. looked like a downright snooze-fest

 

[CptStern]

the ceo of gsc said in an interview it may not be released till the beginning of 2005

I'm looking forward to the game, not because of the graphics but because of the open ended gameplay, do anything go anywhere...everytime you play it's a new game. If I wanted pretty graphics I'd get Doom3 (still undecided if it's worth the cash)

 

[Sprafa]

I am definetly more hyped up for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. than for DOOM 3.
But after all, little corridors in a cliche story as D3, with everything they offer being "best lighting ever" isn't really my cup of tea.

the team does looks like they're over their heads with S.T.A.L.K.E.R., but I dunno, I have hopes they can pull it off.

 

[Someone]

I'm always concerned when basically the big hype is the "look" of a game. And that seems to be what Stalker and Doom3 are hyping a lot (Doom3 moreso though).

If that's the big draw, than I will be disapointed; the newness of the graphics will die out after the "ohhhhhhh" factor has worn off and we'll be left with the game as a whole and that might not be a good thing.

It could be a Porsche through and through, or it might just LOOK like a Porsche on the outside and once inside we see it's nothing more than a Mazda.

I hope Stalker is awesome, we need more good games, but only time will tell.

Of the two, I'm looking forward to Stalker more than Doom3 though....Doom3 REALLY seems to be nothing more than eye candy and I'm just sick of those types of games.

 

[lans]

The game was not made to be realistic. It is a fictional story. :|

I'm talking about the graphics and gameplay here, even far cry has a fictional story, but lazyweapon and weapon sway are real-life combat effects.

 

[ray_MAN]

Sorry. But, we don't even know much of HL2's story, so we can't say anyhting. Yet.

 

[Farrowlesparrow]

This thing about gameplay and graphics is kinda of a weird argument for me...I mean sure games like DUke Nukem 3D were great for their time but quite frankly the graphics now make it almost unbearable for me to play. Graphics are a bit part of what makes gameplay, features of an engine like physics really allow for more innovative gameplay to be introduced. The more realistic you make the game look, the more immersive it can be....Anyway, Stalker looks like it might be fun but like many people I'm going to read what people say about it first.

 

[ThomasToad]

For some reason it looks like the game is too detailed for it's own good, I just have this feeling its going to run like crap. I really like the atmosphere and overall look of the game though.

 

[Shuzer]

I still want to know what all those banana peel/leaf things all over the entire world are..

 

[lans]

I still want to know what all those banana peel/leaf things all over the entire world are..

I know all the monsters, though.

The short arm, bulky and extremely ugly monster is the gugagiant or something that likes to do melee attacks.

Then there are the bloodsuckers, who well suck blood and are nocturnal. These are the ones that look like the freaky egyptian mummies.

Chernobyl dog which has a psychic attack, this makes it impossible to shoot.

Wolves, self explainatory.

and then there is this weak mage like monster (who likes to stay far away) who can use telekenesis to levitate objects and throw at you (like the manipulator gun or something from Psi-ops) and has a heat wave attack.

 

[Mechagodzilla]

For some reason it looks like the game is too detailed for it's own good, I just have this feeling its going to run like crap. I really like the atmosphere and overall look of the game though.

I get that too. At first, I was impressed by how they had placed a FPS in a world where things have consequences in the larger scale, since the animals were meant to actually travel in packs, and the enemies need sleep, and food and aren't just spawned at random.

Now, it turns out that the game developpers are trying to put everything their fans mention into the game.
And their fans are extremely pro-realism.

Now we've got guns that jam and have to be cleaned and stuff like that.
But then in the E3 vid, it turns out that the monsters (or at least the ones they showed) were pretty crummy.
That vampire thing with the tentacle face was cool, but now it can cloak itself??
And the giant stubby-armed guy was slow as hell and could take a lot of damage. Yup, haven't seen that concept before.

Seeing the dog creature dragging its food into the bushes was awesome, but then seeing that the actual combat AI for it involves moving in a straight line and biting whatever is in front of it (with some crummy 'running' animations) makes it seem a lot less cool.

This game now looks like one I'd buy to just watch the world interact, with realistic animal behaviours in a creepy and extremely well-done setting. But all the actual combat so far seems to be the least amusing part of it.

I will admit that the guys with 'telekinetic throw-stuff' powers are cool. Let's hope that they're not too uncommon.

 

[pat_thetic]

and the ragdoll physic look a little dated.

Wtf?!?!? It uses the exact same physics engine that HL2 uses, and it even look better.

 

[Zerox]

One thing in the game that I like is that you can choose to play on the day or nigh due to the day- nighcycle.

 

[Neutrino]

Wtf?!?!? It uses the exact same physics engine that HL2 uses, and it even look better.

It doesn't use Havok.

Physics:

* Based on ODE engine
* Simulation speed outperforms commercial engines such as MathEngine, Havok, etc.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

One thing in the game that I like is that you can choose to play on the day or nigh due to the day- nighcycle.

thats interesting...hmm... tho i think the in-game/storyline would have consequences for playing during a day cycle over a night cycle.. but who knows right now

 

[lans]

Wtf?!?!? It uses the exact same physics engine that HL2 uses, and it even look better.

Before you get all angry that we insulted your precious stalker, please see the evidence (E3 2004 videos).

 

[Mechagodzilla]

thats interesting...hmm... tho i think the in-game/storyline would have consequences for playing during a day cycle over a night cycle.. but who knows right now

That's one of the cool features that gives this game such big potential. Nocturnal animals will come out during the night, and the others will go to sleep. Since everything's realistically simulated in the AI, you'll be able to predict when animals sleep, and plan your strategies accordingly.

Humans would tend to set up camp during the night as well, letting you ambush them, and the lighting effects are very good, so you can probably use the darkness as cover.

I hope the combat itself lives up to that level of realism.

 

[pat_thetic]

Well, whatever, it has awsome physics.