Right now, I cannot recommend: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 - Heart of Chernobyl (Review)

[@SkillUp]

Thanks to Nvidia for sponsoring the video. To learn more about how Nvidia's cutting edge hardware and technology will transform you play, visit: www.nvidia.com/en-au/geforce/technologies/dlss/

[@404Errored]

I'd rather buy malware and intentionally install it.

[@joejoe2658]

ukraine is literally hell, huh?

[@tylerdurden6992]

thank you for your honest review!

[@EnsignRedshirtRicky]

Thanks for the warning. I will give this another year. I am really looking forward to playing this when it is ready to release.

[@CorvusCorviday]

28:16 STALKER 2 will never have co-op. The CEO said as much. Damn man....this review was a bit of a mess overall. Picking up random stuff you don't need which (if it's like the originals) sells for pennies on the pound (and then complaining about being over encumbered), trying to stealth attack a dude in a thiccc as fuck exo suit, like come on.

[@Boyahda]

To the surprise of absolutely no STALKER fans.

[@ruussell3923]

we cry today. we hunt tomorrow.

[@Dornvud]

True. I think I would be more shocked if the release was without problems:)

[@gamer4ever838]

this is without day 1 patch

[@aftermarkgaming]

Crash soon, stalker

[@SimonBannow]

I had my balls, fingers and toes crossed didnt wouldnt be!

[@Faust_YT]

OG STALKER Player: "Ah sht, here we go again."

[@gamer4ever838]

this is without day 1 patch

[@environm3ntalist549]

@@DavisKrauklisno it won’t but it is pretty massive as an update

[@pablopablo3834]

@@DavisKrauklis Apparently it actually fixed a few issues. Obviously everything is not fixed but I also saw a few people complain about things like No Fast Travel and no grenade indications which has always been in Stalker.

[@gamer4ever838]

@@DavisKrauklis when we play it, it will be only small bugs. because day one patch will fix alot of it

[@mgs85]

Seems way worse than I remember in 2007. The game crashed, a lot more than occasionally back then, but it wasn't this bad with the performance never getting up there. I had STALKER:SoC installed and playing on my gaming laptop back then...

[@bronzin1445]

STALKER doesn’t have bugs, it has anomalies

[@zverbruh1407]

Damn right

[@tiagonascimento4386]

Most underrated comment ever😂😂

[@TomatePasFraiche]

Throw a rusty screw at your screen just for safety

[@blaymeister]

It's an old joke sir, but it checks out

[@danieldelapaz5298]

Still holds true to us fans!

[@DianaMorton-r8s]

Hearing that so many systems and gameplay components are merely superficial, underdeveloped, or badly executed is depressing. Jank is one thing. In a year or two, we'll see where it (and the mod scene) are at.

[@juststained]

I just cannot believe the yellow paint on ladders and where you can climb. I hope you can shut it off.

[@baka_ja_nai]

>many systems and gameplay components are merely superficial, underdeveloped, or badly executed is depressing Always has been, this developer is infamous for scamming even their publishers about game features/ Read about its history) Modders are the real heroes.

[@somebodyelse2192]

They literally made the game in an active warzone

[@josephncube9379]

@@somebodyelse2192 yeah doesnt mean there aren't any issues because of that

[@baka_ja_nai]

@@somebodyelse2192 no they didn't - studio was moved long ago

[@AiaalRomanov]

history repeating itself - first STALKER was also a buggy mess at the launch

[@that_invisible_man3460]

Silence fool. Is not bug, is feature of Zone!

[@FrostyMourne92]

Yeah and Clear Sky was even worse.

[@DocDarkAngelo]

Still plenty of not bug but feature created by the Zone

[@TheKennyboy92]

Yeah that's not good.

[@theretroreview8178]

It remains a buggy mess lol. Even the re-released trilogy

[@udontknowme00]

Not super familiar with the series, but I saw someone on twitter say "if it isn't broken as hell when it comes out im not buying it". Glad the fans are getting what they wanted at least lol edit - it feels pretty obvious to me that the twitter user was joking lmao

[@OfficialNice]

Maybe try and play the old games if you’re not familiar, you’ll see why people just want a game, there’s magic here.

[@CrizzyEyes]

@@OfficialNice except anyone who plays STALKER now plays on Anomaly, at a minimum, possibly with other mod packs. the memes of "i like playing buggy STALKER" are ridiculous nobody plays launch or even vanilla STALKER

[@VeritabIlIti]

​@@CrizzyEyes idk man, I recently tried it for the first time and people online couldn't seem to agree whether to do it with mods or vanilla for your very first time

[@simpsondr12]

@@CrizzyEyes So... people that aren't fans of the games... don't play the games? I'm shocked. It's almost like Anomaly or.. lets be real - G.A.M.M.A., despite being good mods, have attracted a lot of people that have not and will never played the original games.

[@Wysaw]

@@CrizzyEyes Vanilla was fine and fun when I played it a couple years back, just make sure to choose master difficulty.

[@vladb_]

I'll wait for you, Stalker 2. Grow stronger, be better.

[@ax2099]

I’m with you. I bought my copy with the plan to wait until summer when I have more time and the game is patched a bunch.

[@XiLock_Alotx]

I think we have a year or so worth of updates and patches before this title gets to where it needs to be….

[@rpemulis]

the zone waits for no man.

[@sk8ermGs]

@@ax2099 Good on you for letting them know they can always rely on you to pay for a broken product 👊

[@zak1872]

I'll just buy the PS5 Version by then the game should hopefully be patched up and good lol

[@shovon9412]

the kryptonite of PC gaming performance - UE 5

[@ManWhorse]

Shit, you should see UE5 on console. It’s like someone covered the visuals with Vaseline then had a cat rub its fur all over everything

[@joshschmidt8784]

@@shovon9412 sad that a ton of games are switching to this engine, when it clearly needs a lot of work yet.

[@brando3342]

Oh? The switch to UE5 caused performance issues?... Well, imagine my surprise 🙄

[@Mezurashii5]

Being a STALKER game causes performance issues.

[@brando3342]

@@Mezurashii5 LOL UE5 intensifies the "Stalkerness" exponentially.

[@annakanna]

@@brando3342 stalker and ue5, the ultimate turbojank combo

[@Giliver]

This is why i have a hate boner towards UE5

[@ShadowWolfQc]

UE5 will ruin PC gaming for years to come yay!

[@GoogleIsNotYourFriend]

WHY AM I WALKING SO SLOW?!? <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1311">21:51</a> ... 2 suits of armor, 8 guns, 200 rounds of ammo, 11 grenandes, several dozen bottles of beer, half a bakery... and that is just what we can see in the screenshot. 😂😂😂

[@gavo7911]

And? Doesn’t change that it sucks and doesn’t feel good

[@dearboothworld1730]

@@gavo7911 lol.

[@dmitriydonskoy5665]

Play CoD if you don't like hardcore elements. No game is for everyone, same as for any means of art​@@gavo7911

[@killer30556]

Yea this is a really shitty take. ngl. He either never played stalker or doesn't like stalker in general. Its the same as the last game, you are not supposed to hoard an armory in your inventory, food for several years and a small pile of medicine. Grab what's valuable, move on and sell stuff off before going into a new place.

[@jasskeeper8152]

​@@gavo7911"what is this realistic weight mechaninc"

[@neil4692]

Stalker fans when SkillUp is describing the bugs: Stop it you don't need to sell me on the game even more

[@CloudfallGaming]

100% we'll all enjoy the hell out of it while everyone else is moaning about this or that.

[@Bulletfingas145]

@@CloudfallGaming Cope

[@De4daim]

​@@CloudfallGamingi hope your game crashes every 10mins.. people like you are the reason we still get completly broken games on release..

[@ShigmaChannel]

I mean, being stupid is free. The problem is other devs will see you stupid people are ok about shelling 100+$ for the full package of an unfinished full of bugs game and stick to it for profit. This is why Diablo 4 exists. I mean you are even proud of it. Any investor's wet dream.

[@Angry-Pikachu69]

Ah yes, the dumb ones encouraging broken games. Unfortunately the stupid outnumber us so publishers will just keep on releasing such broken games. I hope your pillow is warm on both sides until you stop supporting this kind of crap.

[@JJS563]

The absolute state of this comment section focusing on the encumbrance issue when there are 100 other more oppressing issues...

[@irritatingtruth9121]

Yeah but if you remove that, by gamer law, I can then discount all other critiques and buy the game!

[@yourlocalhuman3526]

fr

[@TheHalo294]

sure there are bug, they will be ironed out. his critics of the gameplay just shows he never played stalker before. we are here because of that not despite of.

[@FireTalon24]

Because Stalker fans are used to bugs. It's called Slavjank for a reason. Is that necessarily right? No, but they have a much higher tolerance for those things. Especially since it's been so long for a new release.

[@alta1r_894]

And then they get mad when IGN gives positive reviews to everything. When it comes to highly anticipated releases, it seems like gamers actually want to be lied to

[@dgfgable]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. completely broken on lunch is old ukrainian tradition

[@ArchOfficial]

@@Hatchet-w6x Become 200, comrade.

[@robosergTV]

@@Hatchet-w6x russian nazi bot

[@MazaisKristaps]

you see ivan, when hold rifle backwards, enemy will not hear you. Because sound goes behind you.

[@DaBigBoo_]

russian*

[@evgenkhersonets880]

@@DaBigBoo_ Are you doing this on purpose, huh?

[@TheBrick534]

Bro the clip of the guy glitching out and rolling around in the air had me dying.

[@jurbroek8117]

Clearly an anomaly that Skill Up hadn't encountered before.

[@jgtafighter]

same, i was like is this suppose to turn me off ? xD this is what i signed up for

[@PsychoticAmbitions]

Same, I hope I see that silly shit in my runs!

[@Metranomix]

i cAn sEnSe yoU eNeMy Of thE MoNoLith!

[@jurbroek8117]

@@Metranomix Duty will stop the Zone, and monolith with it. You stand no chance freak.

[@TheRealmOfTF]

I knew something had to be wrong as soon as they announced that the review embargo would lift only two hours prior to release. Game devs usually do this when they know something is wrong with their game - and for anyone familiar with GSC Game World, it's no surprise that those issues would end up being bugs and performance. It's pretty much tradition at this point for their games to be broken at launch. Looks like I'll be holding off on this one for a while. A shame, really, since we've already waited so long for a sequel.

[@alexanderbaldwin1298]

77 on metacritic rn. That's really not "super bad reviews held back by embargo" territory imo.

[@KungThulhu]

Doom 2016 and Eternal did that too.

[@TonyCox1351]

@@alexanderbaldwin1298I see 72 on metacritic as I write this, but always remember to wait a bit for the dust to settle on reviews. Remember Cyberpunk 2077 was praised on release because reviewers were so hyped that they were blind to all the bugs

[@TonyCox1351]

@@alexanderbaldwin1298skimming through the reviews now and seems critics are being soft on it because it was developed in Ukraine during wartime. One reviewer gave it 100 and called it a miracle

[@BigLukeyBoi]

@@TonyCox1351the studio moved to Prague almost 2 years ago. More than enough time to make the game run properly

[@CrossGuardMania]

I hate the whole argument of “don’t worry guys, it will get better in a year”, I know this studio been through a lot but don’t you think your game should work day one ?

[@RubyRose23328]

So it's okay if Big studios like CDPR do it but not them? Interesting standard.

[@Pillshere31]

@@RubyRose23328 where did he say that its fine for CDPR to do it? its unacceptable regardless who does it.

[@RubyRose23328]

​@@Pillshere31SkillUp doesn't think so. But i get it you guys need your daily does of hating Xbox, Bethesda and anyone who isn't Sony or CDPR. So enjoy.

[@Pillshere31]

@@RubyRose23328 take your meds. going from "buggy mess on day 1 bad" to some garbage about hating on xbox? i just like my games working fine on day 1, no matter who made them or on which platform i play on, its that simple

[@RubyRose23328]

​@@Pillshere31So why do you follow and support someone who doesn't believe in what you do? Seems counter intuitive don't you think?

[@dkerr200]

My lasting memory from an old Stalker game is that I ended up in this corridor surrounded by enemies. It started off with one or two in front and behind. Each time I died and quick loaded new enemies appeared. I eventually made it out of corridor but I had to learn to play like John Wick.

[@barbusbogdan7]

Haha this is so relatable haha. Even enemies spawning next to me while quick loading. Enemies that originally werent there but spawned after the 10th quick load. It feels like you are playing superhot and learn how to best conplete the level but without the slow motion.

[@thomhous]

and then gun jam....

[@Keysco35]

IMPORTANT: Digital Foundry's Alex Battaglia just said this : My vid will be done most likely for tomorrow (21.11) as I have held it back so that it reflects the day 0 patch experience. Stalker 2 changed quite significantly during the review process which started last Wednesday. Reviews mentioning certain issues will not be reflective of the final game. My Stalker 2 review for Xbox Series S/X and PC is almost completed, I am examining the game using the day 0 patch at the moment to have the most up-to-date info regarding any issues. One thing that is noticeable is that the day 0 patch markedly reduces traversal stutter on console and PC alike.

[@robertsimplerino]

yep there were two patches already

[@shinramiddlemanager7949]

Cope.

[@flamingmanure]

@@shinramiddlemanager7949 learn to converse or get back to preschool little man.

[@piggymaster3209]

That’s good to know

[@mannyheffley4688]

@@shinramiddlemanager7949how is this coping lol? 😂

[@joshuachesney7552]

This could be selective memory but there really seems to be a curse of devs coming on the podcast to talk about their game and the game coming out in a bad state.

[@BransonYT]

if we remember the same clip i think that dev was talking about why it was delayed, im hoping to see better reviews from the post release version but ofc we'll just have to see

[@kjj26k]

Most games come out in a bad state, so it is the most likely outcome of guesting on FPSPodcast.

[@gerardotejada2531]

You need context. STALKER fans would have complained if the Game DIDNT have bugs 😂.

[@tnaxpw]

​@@gerardotejada2531As a fan and currently openxray player, I prefer jank physics and really random bugs, than half of game broken and with bad performance. Cant wait for the protondb reviews

[@R3GARnator]

Non-indies coming out in a bad state is the norm these days, people just never learn and continue to vote with their wallet FOR broken messes.

[@aidanwj]

The hype community will not be able to handle this degree of nuance and forward thinking. How dare you be so controversial yet so brave

[@aidanwj]

But as for the veteran stalkers we are welcome to the zone where bugs are features

[@cookieeaturface]

Jank is one thing, but it's disheartening to hear that so many systems and gameplay elements are just shallow, underdeveloped, or poorly implemented. Guess we'll see where it (and the mod scene) are at in year or so.

[@alejandroquinones3636]

The amount of people saying that it’s fine and expected for stalker 2 to be buggy is alarming because this attitude doesn’t really help anyone new get into the game.

[@Theaveragegamer_12]

Then it is being properly gatekept, the gamer must adapt to the game, not the other way around. Can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

[@BuryTomorrow12]

@@Theaveragegamer_12 That makes no sense. I get it, you wanted this game to be out so much, it's your precious little gem and you're going to love it no matter what. But don't expect others to have the same low standars you do have.

[@RealMajora]

@@BuryTomorrow12 When people say things like this it seems like they never wanted to get into S.T.A.L.K.E.R. in the first place. Like you are looking for a game that exists somewhere else, idk why you'd want to see a series lose its identity by contorting itself to appease you.

[@TheHalo294]

to not expect a buggy stalker at launch, one must be blind and deaf. GSC never released relatively bug free. what you see is a meme with stalker.

[@whenallelsfails21]

​@@BuryTomorrow12dude, this is stalker, it's how it's always been. Just go play metro. Much more up your alley clearly lol.

[@wardy4903]

"I was able to get it to work with a 4090" 💀💀💀💀

[@SPC1070]

I am so very tired of games being released unready and/or incomplete.

[@Unibot47]

Yep same. Too many good games in the backlog to waste time on broken software. And no matter what stance you take on this game, dummies will make it political (look at the steam reviews/comments) I'm just not interested in dropping $60 on something with all kinds of performance issues and shit. Hopefully they get it sorted out.

[@irritatingtruth9121]

You see the comments though!! “yEaH but StAlKeR!” They don’t need quality when that’s your consumer.

[@GoreHumanPudding]

The consumer wanted it early so thats what they get, the dev team is nothing close to rockstar employee count aswell so of course there's gonna be logistic issues, you can't really blame them.

[@Cuzinits]

@@GoreHumanPuddingyes you can they released a game that’s unplayable for lots of people

[@Mohgenstein]

The goofy ass stalker fans coping hard

[@Pinoisreadingabook]

they are charging $60, $80 and $109 for different editions... so i will judge the game like if it was from a triple A company

[@Muhammad-Jacobs699]

Saw this coming from a mile away. A few of the game reviewers who's channels I frequent hammered on the fact that All the early play tests were unplayable, and heavily carried by DLSS upscale. After hearing that I tempered my expectations for a smooth release instantly.

[@Not.A.Heretic]

gotta love how the fans don't give a damn about performance 🤣

[@czopik95]

Naah we just know there are bunch of whiny losers on 10yo hardware always complaining

[@SvestPest]

I'm a fan, and played all 3 previous games since their release. But somehow after 2077 fiasco, i do give a damn about performance, and I didn't bought S2 yet. I will wait at least a month+major optimization patches before i buy it.

[@mrbuIIets]

@@czopik95skillup played this on a 4090 and said performance was horrible. That means something.

[@halconnegrete2336]

​@mrbuIIets playing 4k max settings, also is that an ultra wide? That matters...

[@NotSsteVven828]

@@mrbuIIetsanything skillup mean you gotta take it with a grain of salt😂

[@BoomSlang001]

Wait, so YOUR flashlight can't cast shadows in 2024, but enemies can?! at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="198">3:18</a> I hated that being missing going from FEAR 1 to 2, but that was 15 years ago...

[@Chintmaster]

'stalker' refers to the illegal profession of people stealing scrap metal and the like from restricted areas, not stalking people.

[@DroneCorpse]

so why do they have the encumberance of a school girl with anemia

[@Tactom-dv9bz]

Scavengers, Trespassers, Adventurers, Loners, Killers, Explorers, and Robbers. It's an acronym for a reason

[@DaBlaccGhost]

@@DroneCorpse Go pickup 5 full sized rifles, and ammo wearing an environmental and bullet resistant suit and no gravity anomalies on your belt and run 100 meters and get back to us 😂😂

[@RubyRose23328]

​@@DaBlaccGhostDon't forget the bear and food he had.

[@KTJMProductions]

@@DaBlaccGhost Try and heal a gash with a bandage. Try to fix a gunshot with a syringe. Try and get a mutation from radiation that isn't just cancer. You really wanna go point for point?

[@blahblah14722]

Everyone talking about him complaining about encumbrance yet having a bunch of crap in his inventory- He says the reason its an issue is he had nowhere to store it because the map marker was bugged and he couldnt find the stash..so he didnt want to drop things until he found a place to stash them. Thats a fair complaint and not some "get gud" game journalist issue.

[@mipi12323]

clearly hasnt played other stalker games before in that case. Just jumps on band wagon cause its popular. Not because he is a stalker fan

[@Aftokraftor]

If he played any stalker game before this he'd know what the stash looked like He also thinks the term stalker refers to the action of stalking people so that tells me what I need to know

[@jack1ofdkind]

@@mipi12323 so only stalker fans can review this game? LMAO

[@mipi12323]

@jack1ofdkind they know where the stash box is, lmao

[@emptyforrest]

he had duplicate guns...

[@m0zu]

The day one patch will fix it. /Copium overdose

[@RubyRose23328]

Dude complains about the weight system while actively carrying 3 AKs and 2 sets of body armor.

[@grimoireweiss5203]

@@RubyRose23328 You are complaining and talking shit under multiple comments. Unhappy and living on copium from what I see...

[@irritatingtruth9121]

@RubyRose23328 Yeah and I bet you weigh more than the average man.

[@Hunne2303]

@@irritatingtruth9121 you mean? overencumbered by design? hmmm... seems to check out^^

[@randomvidsandmore]

everything he shown and the performance issues are fixed with day one patch, goodjob keep your sarcasm for yourself nexttime

[@Pårchmēntôs]

It’s fine to have different opinions on what makes games fun, that’s why we have different genres of games, and different types of games in those genres. The amount of people acting like the sky is falling because a KZbinr didn’t recommend their favorite game YET (because of the bugs and unfinished state at launch) is legit insane. If your biggest problem in life is this then you are truly blessed. Hope everyone has a wonderful day. 🖖

[@DDubzzz]

Yet, people are gullible and still pre-order games. This is why i do not anymore.

[@RubyRose23328]

If you trust the word of a rampant Trump supporter then be my guest.

[@irritatingtruth9121]

@RubyRose23328 1. He shows video EVIDENCE 2. I would trust them more than a random comment brining up an unrelated point all pointed towards an Aussie who cannot vote for that election anyway. 3. Nobody wants you in that way to abort the child. Calm down. You don’t need it anyway.

[@Hunne2303]

@@RubyRose23328 hahaha... still salty about the orange victory? please do cry more silently!

[@milkiestcookie8359]

@@RubyRose23328 What is this in reference to?

[@bjornightingale]

Hahha I was legit wondering where all the Stalker 2 reviews are! Thanks Skillup

[@MagicalMajestic]

Embargo was until now, 2hours before launch. Sadly points to this being a broken launch

[@split-atomz6487]

Embargo has just been lifted, no reviews were aloud to be posted until 3 minutes ago

[@Daniel-lh2zg]

still gonna play cos its on gamepass but man seeing that notification felt like a punch to the stomach.

[@Kangorrilla]

It’s skill up. Why would his awful opinions worry you.

[@ilililil490]

That's eurojank for you

[@mechanicalmonk2020]

​@@Kangorrilla ...

[@sleeplessguardian]

@@Kangorrilla well it does worry/interest you, otherwise you wouldnt watch it.

[@Daniel-lh2zg]

​@@KangorrillaBecause I don't get personally offended when one of his reviews doesn't allign with my own opinions on a game.

[@Shennzo]

I love Stalker games and I think Call of Pripyat had like 5 endings. I've never really played it for the story. The game drops you from the start with "figure out what's up in location X" and that's it. Stalker's all about the mood, removing the training wheels, and these empty lonely walks like "The Road" movie. You have to manage with what little you can carry on you and know when to go exploring a mysterious place and when to just mark it on your map, and decide to revisit later because your hunch tells you it's not a good idea right now..

[@Zuggeerr]

"You don't play Stalker. Stalker play's You" -Boris the Shashlik King.

[@andrewwaterworth5758]

Skillup rattling through all the bugs and pain and suffering he went through was absolutely hilarious to me in some sick sort of way, it sounded like an authentic Eastern European experience. I almost want to show my wife (who is from the region) this review just so she can laugh at the jank but also the irony of the the difficulties that the game presents mirroring the realities of daily life there.

[@keeptexasfree7361]

So it’s basically a Bethesda game after it’s been updated???

[@Yoppa4]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@merlinwarage]

Well, the developers are working under fire, with a few of them still out on the front line, risking their lives for their country.

[@p0k314COM]

​​@@merlinwarageLOL. Devs works In the Czech Republic, and even those who are of military age (i.e. most of the studio members) are kicked out of their country. Welcome to reality, fellow.

[@Ejohns1004]

Okay, I watched this entire review before commenting and I'm still waiting for you to explain your thesis of how this is actually a good game under the hood, because it seemed like you didn't have a single positive thing to say about it. Is it a good game or a good concept? Correct me if I'm wrong (not trolling, I genuinely want to be corrected if I'm wrong) but yoir conclusion was essentially 'I believe this team, with enough time, can make this into something special.' Exactly how do you believe that? Better yet why? Better yet what in this team's past has proven to you that this team can actually make a good game that is playable? You telling me that if you load up Shadows of Chernobyl from Steam with no fan patch or mods, that is a good bug free game? Ask any S.T.A.L.K.E.R fan if these games are anything more than what you showed here without a ton of mod and player help. The answer will be a resounding "NO!" Great games in concept but this studio's excecution is always busted

[@praetorian9823]

We need more games like the STALKER series, and I don't mean "clones of STALKER," I mean games that are genuinely mechanically and environmentally unique. While I can't *completely* blame you for not liking it if you just want to be casual, overencumberance is one of the most important aspects of STALKER. You're not *supposed* to be a Fallout character, carrying 10 weapons for every occassion. That isn't tense, that isn't desperate, it's a power fantasy. One of the best aspects of STALKER is the fact that every single thing you do comes with some sort of sacrifice. You might pack a shotgun expecting some close encounters in a few tunnels, only to realise you got sidetracked and now you're getting picked off by a Sniper. Or you'll sacrifice medical supplies to make sure you're properly armed, or you'll take on that extra weight sacrificing a chance to get all the loot you could've gotten before. Your complaint comes off more as someone who's angry the game doesn't adapt to them, when the entire point of STALKER is that you don't matter. It's a brutal, desperate struggle for survival, and the mechanics reflect that, you adapt to the world around you, not the other way around. I'm not gonna genuinely complain because Dark Souls health is too low or because they have stamina, if it's too much for me, I won't play it. STALKER isn't a Fallout game, it's a legitimate survival game. Don't go into STALKER expecting that. It's an insult to both games and what they actually want to accomplish.

[@ajax4165]

Every S.T.A.L.K E.R. must adapt to the Zone, or the zone will swallow them whole. Good luck stalker.

[@Killicon93]

Exactly! One of those core S.T.A.L.K.E.R. things is planning your ahead with the tools you have available and try to leave some space for the most valuable loot you can find. Inventory becomes far less of a problem once you realize that you aren't suppose to rely on trading in dozens of half rusted AK's for pocket change.

[@AlfredFJones1776]

Or I just wait until mods come out and I can turn it into a Fallout game.

[@Liam-oh2gb]

@@AlfredFJones1776have you seen the mods made for the original games? They make it harder not easier. The fans of these games don’t want fallout, and won’t make mods for you

[@praetorian9823]

@AlfredFJones1776 okay, good for you, that's a you problem, not the game, that's my point. Can't handle it? Wait until someone makes it easy on you. That's fine, but don't legitimately act like that's a real criticism for this type of game.

[@jimmymagic2438]

Love how the fanboys downplay the bugs with giggles and cringe jokes… keep the same energy with other titles, too

[@Kintabl]

New at stalker, eh?

[@antonkirilenko3116]

Love how the professional game reviewers downplay the bugs, too. This game cannot have a score of anywhere near 9/10.

[@beefstew6512]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="739">12:19</a> this is not a bug, this has been a feature since the first stalker game

[@Mr.LeoNov]

It's an ANOMALY

[@ITZBROKENhotDOG12]

😂😂 LMAOO

[@DanandDrake]

I don’t know whats up with the lunatic stalker fan boys in the comments. I’m sorry guys, this is a totally unfinished mess of code that was published to get a return in investment as the studio realised that they don’t have the ability to finish the game. A lot of you are harping on about skill up complaining about encumbrance and inventory stuff. Literally who cares. The game cannot properly render, the visuals and lighting are completely borged, the sounds glitch out and entirely stop working. How are you guys actually arguing this. It’s fine that you like stalker and enjoy that it’s hard, that’s not the problem here. You have to accept that this is an unfinished game and skill up is 110% in his right to review it AS IT IS NOW since the point of reviewing games is to inform the audience on whether it will be worth it to them to play. Since the game is broken it’s not gonna be worth playing to 99% of people and that makes perfect sense. Skill up is already being charitable as fuck by saying that he can’t recommend it right NOW but that he thinks it’s going to be a great game in the future. If that ends up being the case (I don’t think so, I don’t think this game will ever get finished) then I’m sure, literally 100% sure Ralph will re-review it. Not sure why so many of you don’t trust that. I get that the developers are in Ukraine but I do not like that they released this. Games should never be released in this state, this is significantly worse than cyberpunk was at release. If they need money really bad then they should have started up a foundation or charity stuff to help them complete the game. Choosing to release a broken game to get a return of investment is completely unacceptable in my eyes as well as in the eyes of anyone of most gamers and we DESERVE to know the truth. Honestly, from the few good visuals I saw in this I think the games vision of what it should be shows a lot of promise and I really like the vibe of it and the hard gameplay.

[@thomasbane0]

Lol devs were fighting on the front lines. Gun in one hand, pc in the other. Literally coding in the trenches. Imagine getting mortar fire but by noon you have to have your scripted cutscene complete. Cmon man just try to have some common sense. Be simpathetic and a good damn human being. Be better.

[@yourlocalhuman3526]

@@thomasbane0 They were in Prague mate....tf are you on about? Edit: I assume your comment was actually satire

[@Cheshire_Neko]

@@yourlocalhuman3526 Not all of them are in Prague. And yes, there are devs who worked on this game and went to the army. GSC's game designer Volodymyr Yezhov died near Bakhmut defending Ukraine.

[@Camad]

Advice to Stalker fans. Harassing people for rightfully criticising a broken video game will make more people dislike the game than like it.

[@timmy3822]

It’s funny because OG Stalker vets will feel right at home in a weird way with the game being buggy. I’m still excited to play this one and hope the devs manage to get the post launch support down. If any studio deserves the benefit of the doubt, these guys do. They’ve no doubt been through hell trying to get this game out whilst dealing with the realities of life in their country currently. ❤

[@hanniballecter7259]

Yep, thanks from Ukraine. The first one was a "bug's show" way back in 2007 and had been postponed far longer. And there was no war. However, it's a sort of masterpiece. Not sure that that game could achieve such hights, but who knows.

[@ziodyne7774]

They weren’t in the country 😂 Stop coping. War is a horror, but this has nothing to do with the game running like shit

[@Mr.LeoNov]

Performance anomalies, amiright?

[@NotSsteVven828]

Why do people keep saying that. ??? There really is a lot of people the doesn’t know anything about Ukraine. No the development didn’t took place at Ukraine and no this isn’t Russian propaganda 😂

[@hanniballecter7259]

@@NotSsteVven828 Partially in Ukraine, but I agree, it isn't so relevant.

[@Android480]

This does not look appealing to me in any way

[@ChrisM541]

Then why be so insane as to post that? Go away and find something you do want to play, and leave the grown up games to the adults ;)

[@vSoulreaver]

@@ChrisM541 Why is it "insane" to write that? This looks like a horrible unfinished game and even when fixed this might not be to their taste of games. You know, having opinions, for which the comments are made for? Maybe do your homework, kiss mommy good night and visit school for once. Might learn something there.

[@Teeheehee093]

What you meant to say is "Imagine Fallout 4 if it wasn't shit" Fallout hasn't been Fallout since 2010

[@njsteere]

Your Outer Wilds timestamp: <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1027">17:07</a> ✅

[@GudJuJuTV]

Advertising Nvidia with the crutch of AAA aka DLSS is the most ironic thing ive ever seen in an intro

[@ChrisM541]

Nvidia: Proud to advance graphics with fake frames and upscaling ;)

[@8-bitbenzu529]

Thanks for the heads up. Definitely a red flag when the devs say the rec specs are with DLSS on and deleting forum threads about anyone trying to shed light on it. I know some hardcore fans aren't surprised but we should expect more from a product they're charging money for. There's really no excuse. Delay it more if you have to.

[@Yesnomu]

I really appreciate how nuanced and in depth you get, and especially how you differentiate between your truly awful games (Day Before), ones that you didn't enjoy but might be up someone else's alley (Veilguard) and ones that just can't be recommended currently but can improve (this one). That kind of careful distinction is fantastic.

[@liveyourdreammedia]

So many people justifying a bug ridden game at full price. It's 2024. Just unacceptable.

[@jlb4685]

I don’t give a fuck about war excuses, not because I’m not sympathetic, but you can’t mass market a defective product for sale just because you had a tough time making it. It’s a scam. If it wasn’t ready then they should’ve either thrown in the towel or kept working on it until it is ready. So sick to death of games releasing half baked, they wouldn’t accept half payment for said games so why should we accept half a product.

[@antonkirilenko3116]

The initial release date after the reveal trailer was april 2022, two months after the war would happen. That means, the game was supposed to be ready at that point. They have also relocated most of the studio into Prague before the war happened. I think the overall effect of the war is exaggerated and it's being used as an excuse for their own inability to make a game.

[@nikki-nikky2861]

I can't play on my top-end laptop, the game constantly lags and freezes

[@steriskyline4470]

Because "top end" laptops are like, console performance 😂

[@Bunster]

@Valk-Kilmer it came out in Australia yesterday, seeing as they are 1 day ahead of most of us

[@flamingmanure]

@@steriskyline4470 nope, do desktop fanboys still delude themselves of that? a friends 3070 laptop was laughably stronger than a ps5 in practically everygame they played, more res and fps etc etc, and its about abit more than half in power of its desktop counterpart. that is a fantastic piece of hardware and no amount of basement dwelling desktopper delusions will change that fact.

[@jaykutts9664]

@@Bunster No it didn't. I'm Australian and it doesn't come out here for another hour. It's being released worldwide at the same time despite the timezone differences.

[@dynomar11]

​@@flamingmanureokay but can I cook an egg on the cpu?

[@kukuricapica]

Unral Engine will be undoing of a lot of studios that decided to build their game around it without implementing their own solution for the problems that UE5 is bad at. Like streaming of assets. Although I get they dont have the capacity for it there were couple of UE5 presentation and one of them from CD RED where they talking about how they are aiming or solved some issues (presumably for their next CP and Witcher 4). This engine is simply put not build for Open world games by default. It's an engine where you can build and interate quickly but it's not scalable. That darkness you were talking about is typical Lumen with just one bounce of light which can make a lot of occluded areas over darken without additional light source. Cyberpunk 2077 has no flashlight but was build in a way that you have light in the areas where you need to see. This could have been solved with couple of emissive lights, stronger flashlight and presumably moon in the night where entire skybox would act as giant emissive light. This is either weird choice or simply not finished product that will need a big overhault to address that issue.

[@Aiden_Dube]

Why would they even release this in garbage state it’s in?

[@merlinwarage]

The developers are working under fire, with a few of them still out on the front line, risking their lives for their country. There's a chance they won't be able to release it at all because they'll die. That's why.

[@Remis7]

@@merlinwarage Damn, things are really that bad in Prague?

[@antonkirilenko3116]

@@merlinwarage There are missile attacks in Prague that nobody's heard about? I mean, you do know most of the studio was relocated before the war started and by the end of 2022 they've relocated pretty much all of them(with few exceptions who chose to stay and fight, but those are just that - exceptions).

[@James-dc6ft]

If you're a stalker fan, and are pissed at this video and others like this, you're the reason this game isn't going to sell well.

[@RealMajora]

Thank fuck they didn't turn it into generic ubislop just to appease people like you

[@factoryreset855]

I've seen a post on the sub reddit blaming russian bots and socialists for giving bad review to the game, they're in full coping mode.

[@looper7159]

Skillup: bugs, bugs, bugs, lighting, quest markers, sound, performance, NPCs - all bugged Audience: WWEEEEEIIIIGGHTTT LIIMIITTT YOURE AN IDIOT REEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@xacvhFAs]

What I learned this last few days is that the stalker fanbase are painfully cringe and braindead.

[@1_Man_Media]

I really appreciate your integrity Ralph. Having had a stalker dev on the FPS podcast I could see you being biased, and giving it a positive recommendation. However, you are not doing that which I respect. This is why we need some of the best YT reviewers on the freaking game awards panel instead of random journalists that don't even cover games.

[@gthakur17]

what is it with games these days. 10yr old games look much better than this and play really really well

[@RubyRose23328]

No they don't. You're just lying to yourself

[@whitewall2253]

10 years of bug fixes, every stalker game comes out of the box being borderline unplayable.

[@m.v.r752]

“10 year old games look better” -mf that rides graphics

[@ProblemForSolution]

​@@RubyRose23328He is right. Compare shadows and lighting from shadow of chernobyl to this. Everything here looks either plastic or glossy in ue for some reason. Its not just the case with this game. Developers these days cant make a mirror work ingame for some reason. Sure some things look better but I wouldnt say overall that new games look better.

[@686Impulse686]

Thanks for your honest review Skill Up. I think I will wait and check out that book this game is based off while I wait for some patches to finish polishing the game. Cheers and looking forward to the next review!

[@tomw8250]

if you encounter an enemy and it's "too dark at night to win", then it's ok to retreat and/or find a better position. Some games require you stop and consider your approach rather than just moving forward regardless of the situation. Just because you encounter an enemy, doesn't mean your only option is to move forward and die until you win. Sometimes it's ok to leave and come back later. Not every game will be at it's best when you're forcing yourself to play through it within a time limit. Some games require you to take your time and immerse yourself, and sometimes to think before you engage.

[@BuryTomorrow12]

And some games have enemies that detect you at night, in the middle of the forest, with all your lights turned off, crawling slowly behind trees, also with the enemies having no night surveillance gear. I guess some games do that as well.

[@WheresSeamus]

Whoever is in charge of giving the green light for release needs to be reprimanded, the game clearly needs another year to flesh out and tidy up the systems yet instead we're getting an early access release, it's just sad man.

[@knowsage2429]

Could have ended the video at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="198">3:18</a> and it would have been enough

[@Shinom4ever]

Nope, he needs to do it longer, so the algorithm can pick it. He doesn't do daily updates so he needs to gather more numbers of retention channels that bring various 3-minute videos per day.

[@julioramirez8179]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="127">2:07</a> YOU MONSTER

[@crome2sniper]

As a dog from a post apocalyptic warzone , I say we give him a pass

[@ReptilianConman]

Well... glad I didn't pre-order... Finding out they're doing the chernobyl miniseries route with the english VAs was deeply dissapointing, like almost enough to get me not to play it. Not everyone wants to read subtitles, and I think nobody wants to hear british accents instead of slavic. I know some won't be bothered by that, but it's a very big deal for me. And now it gets released as a buggy mess after multiple delays, just like everything else coming out these days. One of my most anticipated games is very quickly leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I still love STALKER, but a lot of this has just been really dissapointing.

[@babyfaec]

You can just change the language to Ukrainian in the options buddy

[@AlMujrimun]

@@babyfaeche doesn’t want to read, he wants to be pandered to with slavicizations of english

[@vSoulreaver]

@@babyfaec Maybe read the comment again to actually understand the issue.

[@babyfaec]

@@vSoulreaver Yeah I misunderstood

[@robovinefilms1811]

I had a feeling this would be the thumbnail. You're getting a dramatically better experience months from now. Part of me wishes there was less shyness about using the "Early Access" tag.

[@thedude8134]

CHOOMS, THE GAME GOT CYBERPUNKED

[@jackbenny4458]

Just to let you guys know a lot of what the reviewer complained about has been patched. This is info from other reviewers who have played the game. GSC is patching like crazy right now.

[@antonkirilenko3116]

I can't blame a reviewer for showing and talking about the game that they've played instead of the game it became a day or two after the review was finished

[@IceBreak23]

"You get Over-Encumbrance" the dude has 5 weapons, are you sure you played Stalker before?? this is the only complain that gets repeated in the video

[@bytebusterentertainment4368]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="102">1:42</a> WAS, Fallout was build on it. under Bethesda there is not much left of the brutal and harsh world we expirienced in Fallout 1 and 2.

[@Lucax97]

Always funny to see the same commenters go between saying Ralph is honest or a paid shill based on whether they want a game to fail or not. Kudos to the team, hoping they get to finish it all things considered.

[@Archimagus7]

Well, no one invaded the country during the production of the first part, but the development took a very long time, the release date was postponed several times, and the game came out buggy and had a bunch of problems. I don't want to devalue the difficulties they had to face, but I don't think the game would have been better.

[@antonkirilenko3116]

The initial release date after the first reveal trailer was april 2022, that is two months after the war had happened. It was supposed to be complete at that point. They polished the game for 2.5 more years and it was still released in a disastrous technical state? They have also started to relocate the studio to Prague before the war started. Don't get me wrong, the war had absolutely had a bad effect on development, but I think it's being used as a convenient excuse for their own inability to make a finished game. GSC has been releasing unfinished and buggy games for almost 20 years and back then there was no war.

[@McHox]

ue5 performance strikes again

[@KittanBachika]

I can understand the complain about encumbrance, but brother, you have multiple assault rifle in your backpack and you proceed by picking 3 more, the fuck are you expecting?

[@Jprime777]

I'm not going to defend performance or bugs, but bro if you come back to this in the future you need to not play it like it's fallout

[@FynPrint]

I love how so many people are now conditioned to not only accept, but also defend, mediocrity in gaming. This is what your typical fanboy says: Stalker 1 was just as bad. So more mediocrity is not only "good" but what we wanted as fans. Incredible.

[@wwld9823]

"The name STALKER implies that you may be doing some stalking from time to time" its not stalker its S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Scavenger, Trespasser, Adventurer, Loner, Killer, Explorer, Robber did you even play any of these games before reviewing this one

[@RubyRose23328]

He's an avid Trump supporter so obviously not

[@emptyforrest]

@@RubyRose23328 the fuck does that have to do with anything?

[@Hunne2303]

@@RubyRose23328 aww shut it, you goddamn woke snowflake

[@irritatingtruth9121]

@RubyRose23328 I bet when you laugh, your face jiggles.

[@oldmatttv]

That's a good point, he clearly doesn't know that. But funnily enough, it still implies that you may be doing some stalking from time to time even if you do know that.

[@Darkreaper1982]

Sounds similar to the first Stalker game, which I picked up on release. Was very brutal regarding difficulty and mechanics as it didn't teach you anything so had to learn the hard way (i.e. dying a lot!) but bugs and glitches were pretty brutal as well! I did play it sometime afterwards with a load of fan patches and changes, and it was a million miles better. Can understand why it picked up a cult status despite the unstable day one release. This will probably go the same route. And I 100% agree that the book "Roadside Picnic" is definitely worth a read!

[@Halosrighthand]

Performance and bugs aside, I don't think you gave the game a fair shake. Maybe realism Mil-Sims just arent your thing, but complaining about realism in a game about realism was not the take I expected from someone who typically at least understands the genre they are reviewing. Trying to pick up 3 6kg rifles while carrying 2 more and 3 pistols and being confused and surprised that they're all too heavy for someone to sprint around with is a great example.

[@yourlocalhuman3526]

it's one thing... the weight limit, thats it. Since when is that the only aspect of realism? He even said that the hunger and thrist systems should have been more fleshed out

[@BuryTomorrow12]

Stalker isn't realistic bro. Step out and tell me where you see mutated fauna or enemies that turn invisible.

[@Halosrighthand]

@@yourlocalhuman3526 it's not just one thing, he complains about night being dark, or enemies seeing him with his flashlight on lmfao

[@yourlocalhuman3526]

@@Halosrighthand you mean when he opened that door and said that the enemies all detected him even tho he didn't walk in? In regards to the flashlight thing you mentioned. I don't remember him complaining about it being too dark tho

[@bp4861]

This is IGN levels of bad takes

[@abhishekjm8611]

I get that it makes more sense to mention it when outlining performance issues, but elden ring along with a myriad of other technical issues also has the same noticeable lighting issue and it is unfair that you choose to not call it out in that game

[@Fl4ttt]

I feel like this guy is starting to lose some credibility

[@username-jw8bs]

@@Fl4ttt The complaining about the encumbrance, the complaining about the enemies, just feels like he doesn't understand the story Stalker is trying to tell. Felt like 'Old Man yelling at sky'

[@Chris-sm2uj]

@@Fl4ttt today on things that never happened

[@Chris-sm2uj]

@@username-jw8bs stalker fans are the definition of brainrot

[@Fl4ttt]

@@Chris-sm2uj another review were his bias causes him to be overly negative. steam reviews are positive & people are having fun playing it. I mean he compared this game to fallout 4 when it couldnt be any different lmao

[@everincman500]

The honesty in this video is tough love and I’m glad you’re brave enough to make these kinds of reviews. That’s why I trust this channel

[@NotSsteVven828]

Brave??? LMFAO. Dude cannot even say the word woke. He is to scare, there by that logic, he will always filter everything he says and make. Don’t trust no reviewer on KZbin take everything what they say with a grain of salt because you have the ability to think freely for yourself

[@CAL1MBO]

Average Ukrainian scam. This was originally supposed to release in 2021, wayyy before the war. So the special military operation excuse is just a lame cop out.

[@fennoman9241]

war*, cope orc.

[@Chris-sm2uj]

Is putin watching your tweets it's called war sweetie because your daddy decided to invade for no reason at all

[@mafata4200]

Did you get 100 rubles for this one?

[@fennoman9241]

@ probably more like 10 for such low effort bot comment.

[@Overlord598]

Complaining about encuberance while carrying 1000+ rounds of ammo, artifacts, attachments, guns and 28 grenades on you instead of selling it all or dumping it... Are you serious?

[@Chris-sm2uj]

''stalker good hurr durr'' how does the slop taste?

[@randomvidsandmore]

If anyone checking the recent comments; The video is lying, this guy played with old build, there was atleast 3 patches and a day 1 patch today to fix every issue, check twitch any streamer, they are playing around 130fps with maxxed settings dlss on 4k, idk how this skill up guy forgot to mention he plays on press build, its crazy!

[@Hombremaniac]

Thanks for the very honest review. This makes me want to play Stalker: Call of Pripyat with some of those great mods it has instead of forking out money for glitchy mess.

[@рукалевая-ц8ш]

Political Scam

[@blubug768]

carrying 74kg complaining about the weight system... 💀 is this a troll review!?!?

[@xacvhFAs]

Do you have an original comment of your own?

[@blubug768]

@@xacvhFAs the bugs are expected...

[@Remis7]

@@blubug768 True, stalker games have always been broken and boring

[@Tehguuui]

This game is not for genz..for us og stalkers..we were born in the jank..only smooth brains focus on a game running smooth and base their opinions on it.. remember..you can fix bad performance but you cant fix bad content

[@Remis7]

The original slop slurpers. No wonder devs nowadays are releasing all games broken, that's how they got them when they were young

[@sillyskeleton]

Fortunately there's more than enough games out there with both good performance and good content for us smooth brains to play until STALKER does get fixed.

[@SellingSouls]

You're like those old people that can't get on with the times and are used living with the bare minimum.

[@fennoman9241]

You know many Gen Z played the og stalker games too.

[@MrLilredmachine]

Downloading as we speak. 🤟 Bring on the broken game fun. It'll only be ten years before the modders fix all the slavjank. OperatorDrewski has been having fun in it, but then he plays Stalker a lot so is probably used to a load of this sort of thing. 😂

[@MrLilredmachine]

Just an update, got it downloaded. I'm on an 7700XT and have everything on epic @1440p with FSR on quality and frame gen it's sitting about 100fps for me, no stuttering. Maybe it just don't like Nvidia?

[@BoojeeKnights]

Right now, I cannot recommend this channel: Skill Up

[@eatenbyghouls1849]

You mean, stalker is buggy? Genuinely don't have an issue with it considering the conditions the game has been developed under (literally from a bunker with 1 or 2 of their dev team killed in conflict)

[@rvh1999]

The cope is strong with this one......

[@TristLostIsolde]

Relocation to the Czech Republic began before the war, there were no bunkers

[@Chris-sm2uj]

Were they in a bunker in Czechia?

[@TristLostIsolde]

@@Chris-sm2uj nope, is was developed in Czechia, war is a just an excuse for buying a traditional buggy GSC product

[@Giz4269]

It's so fun to watch Skillup turn into a real gaming journalist. First he sold out and started writing paid reviews, then he starts getting confused about the basic game mechanics, lmao

[@WilliamJR123]

People are going to defend this game harder than Bethesda fanboys defended Starfield, no matter how beyond mid it is.

[@peteranserin3708]

People may not know this but when the original games came out they were borderline crap 5/10. The only thing going for them was the open world / atmosphere. They didn't get popular until some decent mods had revamped the gameplay and fixed the terrible bugs and spongy enemies. This seems like a stalker mod with nice gfx.

[@RealMajora]

Regarding the cherrypicking of which games are allowed to be buggy: It should never be acceptable to put a game on the market that is riddled with bugs. That kind of behaviour will always betray the consumer. However, there is a level of forgiveness afforded to a game like this when compared to something like Cyberpunk 2077. Cyberpunk came from a AAA studio with a greatly polished previous game. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. came from a AA studio with a poor track record. Bugginess cannot be excused, but the impact is certainly lessened (or heightened as in Cyberpunk's case) with context.

[@mfallen2023]

Wouldn't be a Stalker launch without it being a mess. I've no qualms supporting it as is, even if it doesn't get fixed (it will...) as the community will do crazy things with it regardless. And no Bethesda, I won't give you the same quarter, you don't have a real excuse.