Shame on me for missing this one. But S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 showed signs of life at the cold-end of December a couple weeks ago. This Skif trailer (I don't know what "Skif" means) looks suspiciously like pre-rendered cinematics that are meant to show off the dream level of gameplay the developers want to aim for, but perhaps don't quite hit. Just ignore me, being all jaded about gameplay trailers.
This trailer is a slow-fast, slow-fast run from room to room. Bash your way through some double doors. Watch some serious Chernobyl-ian weather (?) shove over full-grown trees. Watch an RTX-worthy campfire light up a room with a guitar and some backpacks. See some blood spray mess up a perfectly serviceable alcohol canteen, an unnatural red light spilling through curtained windows, and a tablet booting up in Russian. Just before stuff starts floating up off the ground. This kind of atmosphere is the only way you'll get me to play a first-person shooter.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will simul-release on PC and Xbox Series X—and will also be on Xbox Game Pass on console on day one.
