STALKER 2 proves that historical science fiction has a place in games

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The science fiction genre can trace its roots back to 1818, when Mary Shelley's play was published. Frankenstein. Science fiction has been around for so long, in fact, that it has spawned a plethora of subgenres. One such subgenre is historical science fiction, which sees science fiction themes and stories set against the backdrop of real-world historical events or a specific period in history. Back to the Future 3, 11.22.63, Spoiland superhero movies like Captain America and Wonder Woman these are all examples of historical science fiction. A key feature of historical science fiction is that it often explores an alternate universe in which the real world's timeline diverged for a specific reason. STALKER 2 has one such setting.




A sequel more than a decade in the making, STALKER 2 follows the story of its predecessors quite directly. as such STALKER 2 features much of the same historical sci-fi setting as the previous entries and shows how beneficial these types of settings can be for a modern open-world sci-fi game.

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STALKER 2 shows the benefits of a historical sci-fi setting

STALKER 2 historical sci-fi setting explained

As its name suggests, STALKER 2: Heart of ChernobylThe plot of the film revolves around the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, in which one of the reactors of the nuclear power plant failed and exploded. This real-world event is used as a baseline STALKERSci-fi world, such as STALKERIn the timeline, this Chernobyl disturbance was caused by Soviet experiments in the noosphere, an invisible field that surrounds the Earth and contains the emotions and thoughts of all humans.


While much of the STALKERThe timeline follows a similar path to actual history, alternate events abound. For example, even though the collapse of the Soviet Union still occurred in 1991, it prevented Soviet scientists still in the Chernobyl exclusion zone from continuing their experiments, which ultimately resulted in the second major Chernobyl disaster in 2006.

From there, STALKERThe alternate universe is beginning to take full form. The second Chernobyl disaster caused a huge increase in the size of the zone, caused extreme mutations in the animals, plants and people still living there, and resulted in the occurrence of localized anomalies that defied the laws of physics. Some scavengers hear stories of treasure lying in the zone, and any individual who will hunt it down is labeled a “Stalker”.


Why STALKER 2's historical sci-fi setting is an asset

The environment is one of the most important aspects of a video game, as it is directly responsible for setting the game's tone, themes, story, and characters. There have been many excellent original video game settings over the years, especially in the science fiction genre, but it can take quite a while to properly create an original science fiction universe in a video game.

Good sci-fi games try to immediately immerse the player in their setting, and often give players a quick overview of the universe's history and key characters before diving into the game's main story, so they have a clear idea of ​​the stakes of the setting. and rules. But the best sci-fi games are the ones that don't need to waste time at all creating a dense universe full of complex lore through an opening monologue.

STALKER 2The history-based sci-fi setting makes this possible. Although it happened nearly 40 years ago, many people have a general understanding of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, and those who don't can easily glean it from context clues. This historical background immediately sets the tone STALKER's sci-fi world and gives players a good idea of ​​what to expect long before they hit the start button on the main menu.


STALKER 2The historical sci-fi setting also enhances the immersive sim elements of this survival game as it adds a strong layer of realism to the experience from the start.

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