S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost update

Ukranian developer GSC Game World is currently working on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost, a first-person shooter set around the year 2026--20 years after a disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear plant has turned an area roughly 20 square kilometers in size into a deadly no-go zone where mutant animals and an anomalous invisible force with the power to tear living beings apart are all that remain in what used to be forests, towns, and villages.

Players will assume the role of a stalker seeking to make a living by scavenging what remains of the Chernobyl plant and the surrounding area for anomalous materials that can be sold to underground dealers and scientists in research camps bordering the area that, since the disaster, is simply known as the Zone. Soviet rubles procured in this way can then be spent on new equipment including better weapons for players to defend themselves with and protective suits that make it safe to explore previously inaccessible areas. Because of this mechanic, distinct levels in the game are not necessary, and as they progress, players will simply find that they're able to reach more areas within the 20 square kilometers--re-created using images from the actual Chernobyl site--that make up the Zone.

The game's developers have stated that artificial intelligence is very important in the game and that nonplayer characters in the game will all live in their own world and experience their own emotions accordingly. Players' actions in the game will affect the way in which NPCs relate to them, so, for example, if a particular trader decides that the player has a bad attitude, he might refuse to do business with him. Another neat-sounding touch is that, when talking to other characters, they'll actually ask players to repeat themselves or move closer if they couldn't hear what they were saying clearly.

NPCs in the game will include other stalkers, poachers, scientists, dealers, and a variety of military personnel--all with their own agendas. More worrying, though, are the numerous mutants that inhabit the Zone, which will include rats, dogs, zombies, dwarves, and victims of terrifying experiments. Just as well, there will be more than 30 different weapons for players to defend themselves with.

A number of vehicles will also be featured in the game and, although it's not been revealed which of these will be available for players to control, we know that military APCs and attack helicopters will be present along with civilian cars and trucks long-forgotten after being abandoned in the Zone years earlier.

No release date for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost has been announced, and no publisher for the game has been confirmed at the time of writing. We'll bring you more information on the game as it becomes available.