| The big gaming-related event this weekend is the apparent shutdown of GSC Game World, the creators of the highly regarded STALKER franchise. This is incredibly sad news, indeed, as there are few modern singleplayer-oriented series which have been more closely associated with sophisticated, challenging gameplay set in immersive and dynamic environments with lots of player freedom and genuine interactivity. Despite the popularity of open world titles across a variety of systems, not even mighty multi-platform juggernauts such as the recently released Skyrim (which, for the record, I think is a uniquely impressive game in its own right) can quite match that quintessential STALKER experience of exploring a haunting, highly evocative game world which is harsh and dangerous and yet at the same time so manifestly *alive*. Some commentators were quick to point out that a couple of former GSC employees now work for that *other* major Kiev-based developer, 4A Games. But as memorable as Metro 2033 and the upcoming Metro: Last Light no doubt are, those linear shooters only share superficial similarities (such as the post-apocalyptic settings and sophisticated use of horror elements) with what made the much more open-ended STALKER series so great. PC gaming needs exceedingly ambitious titles like Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat to stay relevant and distinguish itself from the console marketplace (which is only temporarily weakened by the sheer age of currentgen ... |
