Many of you, quite rightly, have an unnatural adoration for Ukrainian developer GSC’s open world post apocalyptic survival horror shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R. One of the more impressive PC exclusives, the game did incredible and ambient emergent gameplay that still hasn’t really been replicated. The people behind those games are looking to make a spiritual successor.
That game is called Areal by West games, made, presumably, of former GSC employees. It’s available for you to gawk at on Kickstater. It’s not a live project yet, so you can’t actually back the thing, but you can see how the game is shaping up.
Here’s what the Kickstater says:
Areal is a new video game that’s being developed by the people behind S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Metro: Last Light. It features a massive and intricately detailed open world environment that is extremely varied and colorful, even though it’s set in a post-apocalyptic setting. Areal depicts a future where civilization has fallen apart due to an unearthly material called Metamorphite, which eventually spreads, corrupts and infects the whole world. The source of Metamorphite comes from a meteor that impacted the earth long ago, and it is the site of constant conflict and bloodshed.
Areal’s story is not linear – players can choose how their characters act and speak – everything from how you talk to who you kill changes the storyline of Areal. There is no morality system in Areal, so you are free to make choices that you think are best in any given situation, without being blinded and limited by a standard good/evil system. Ultimately, Areal is the culmination of everything that we want to see from a post apocalyptic game, and it’s something that we can realize with full creative freedom because of the unique platform that is Kickstarter. All we need is your support!
Here’s some concept art for your eyeballs. Check out the Kickstarter draft, where you can see some video too.
Last Updated: June 24, 2014
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 24, 2014 at 12:01
This is most excellent!
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 24, 2014 at 12:02
Has anyone played the STALKER Lost Alpha mod?
Axon1988
June 24, 2014 at 12:56
I am one of the testers for it 🙂
Brian Murphy
June 24, 2014 at 14:05
I play it, so does my brother 🙂
Xcalibersa
June 24, 2014 at 12:13
The game will be nothing like the pictures.
Kensei Seraph
June 24, 2014 at 12:15
Well that’s what usually happens with concept art.
Rince&exhale
June 24, 2014 at 12:16
“Well, that’s what usually happens with Consoles” Fixed.
Kensei Seraph
June 24, 2014 at 12:18
Oh.
Did you finally earn a place among the Master Race?
Or are you still just a peasant?
Rince&exhale
June 24, 2014 at 12:18
I’ve always been both 😛 Just my PC is only powerful enough to run DOS in safe mode 😛
Kensei Seraph
June 24, 2014 at 12:20
So you’re a failed product.
Maybe one day you will be able to look down on the peasants while trampling their lands.
Rince&exhale
June 24, 2014 at 12:21
Your face is a failed product!
Kensei Seraph
June 24, 2014 at 12:22
Don’t make me hurt your eyes even further.
I still haven’t unleashed my full potential.
Rince&exhale
June 24, 2014 at 12:23
That’s what she said?
Kensei Seraph
June 24, 2014 at 12:28
Must… fight… urge… to… respond…
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 24, 2014 at 12:29
Is that what she said as well?
Rince&exhale
June 24, 2014 at 12:29
HAHAHAH!
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 24, 2014 at 12:30
XD
Kensei Seraph
June 24, 2014 at 12:31
No, your sister’s mouth was to full to say anything this morning.
Rince&exhale
June 24, 2014 at 12:32
0-O http://persephonemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/jon-stewart-popcorn.gif
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 24, 2014 at 12:33
If I had a sister I would have said “not in your case”
Kensei Seraph
June 24, 2014 at 12:35
I apologize.
I couldn’t resist any longer.
Although I should now be able to hold it in for another 2 months.
Rince&exhale
June 24, 2014 at 12:30
If we carry on @hammersteyn:disqus is going to bust a gut from all the popcorn he’s consuming 🙂
Kromas
June 24, 2014 at 12:23
DOS had no safe mode.
Rince&exhale
June 24, 2014 at 12:23
I know that *wasted opportunity
Kromas
June 24, 2014 at 12:25
Dammit I am in full server admin mode so my understanding of humor only lasts as long as the coffee in my cup. Let me try again. DOS also had no BSoD. 😛
Rince&exhale
June 24, 2014 at 12:27
hahaha! Okay, you made me choke on my coke there.
Kromas
June 24, 2014 at 12:56
“General Error Reading Drive A: ”
Who the hell is General error and why is he reading my drive?!
Also my age has just been given away. 😛
Mossel
June 24, 2014 at 12:23
It lags on a 16×16 Minesweeper grid.
Rince&exhale
June 24, 2014 at 12:27
It lags with 2 Tetris blocks on the same screen 0-O
Mark Treloar
June 24, 2014 at 12:24
DOS is safe mode unless you type Format C: ..
Kensei Seraph
June 24, 2014 at 12:25
You nearly made me choke on my lunch.
Kensei Seraph
June 24, 2014 at 12:16
Dam that looks awesome.
I just hope they do more than Fire, Water, Earth, Air for the metamorphites.
And I don’t mean Heart.
Mossel
June 24, 2014 at 12:22
lol Captain Planet.
Rince&exhale
June 24, 2014 at 12:23
Hehehehehe
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 24, 2014 at 12:35
Yes please!
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 24, 2014 at 12:38
Have you jammed STALKER Lost Alpha?
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 24, 2014 at 12:44
No. Too busy trying to actually finish a few games to go back & play mods for games I’ve replayed so many times.
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 24, 2014 at 12:47
I spent about 2 hrs in it, and let me tell you, BRILLIANT
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 24, 2014 at 12:48
Which Stalker game is it for? 1, 2 or 3?
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 24, 2014 at 12:51
Nr1. It adds a crapload of things, even if you just check it out for 1/2 hours, just to appreciate the love and effort the guys put into it
Axon1988
June 24, 2014 at 12:58
We are releasing the newer patch soon which will also add a couple of more features and fix many of the bugs. There were some seriously terrible bugs in 1.3002
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 24, 2014 at 13:14
Lemme know when it is out so that I can patch it then
Axon1988
June 24, 2014 at 13:22
I will try to remember. But it should also appear on the moddb page.
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 24, 2014 at 12:52
Simon B. about 1 hour ago
Sounds like a cool game, but it looks like single player only.
From my point of view would it be a lot of fun to go online and play in this scenario with friends. Not like an MMORPG or MMOFPS like BF4 and all that. More like a mixture were you can play with or against other people, form groups to rob other groups or something like that.
It’s something that I miss on market
IS THIS GUY ON THE CRACK? The whole goddamn point of Stalker was that you were alone against the Zone FFS. His idea is EVERY new FPS that’s being announced.
Axon1988
June 24, 2014 at 12:59
I’ve had a lot of thought regarding this. And if they made it co-op with a maximum amount of 2 players then it could still work… If you use the right recipe of course.
ToshZA
June 24, 2014 at 13:34
Then why not just play DayZ or Rust or their ilk? Honestly, Trev is 100% correct. The Stalker games worked because you were ALONE.
Axon1988
June 24, 2014 at 13:40
Because all those games lack the stalker atmosphere. And this just points it out even more. It could work, if done right. And that is why it has never been done.
ToshZA
June 24, 2014 at 13:45
But part of that atmosphere was that you were alone. Look what co-op did to Dead Space, a lot of the atmosphere was gone. Sure, it added some more gimmicks, but with 2 people shit isn’t scary any more. Your pants don’t get wet. You don’t jump in your seat. Why? Because your friend is right there.
Axon1988
June 24, 2014 at 13:48
Ah but you see what I had in mind is a little different. Only one of you can be a stalker. The other one randomly spawn as a mutant or some such… Either way, single player is still best. No doubt about it.
Brian Murphy
June 24, 2014 at 15:15
Some of it was you were alone, some of it was the environment, weather, fauna, the eerie nature of Pripyat and the other structures that were just abandoned, mid meal, clothes on clotheslines etc.. (and how well they recreated it all), the constant struggle to locate and circumvent anomolies, radiation poisoning, bleeding etc..
It wasn’t just being alone, but that did play a factor. I think it could be just as nail-biting in co-op. Especially of the X-Life engine is anywhere near as complex as their X-Ray engine from STALKER, roving bands of mutated animals coming to kick your ass and anyone else who’s unlucky enough to get in it’s way lol. Dark, dark, dark tunnels filled with baddies of terrifying destructive power etc. It doesn’t matter if you’re with someone else when you’re running into the cloaked dudes who can blast you away. It’s just a matter of who can cripple the other guy, so you can get away safely while the creatures attention is on your partner. lol.
Their games just ooooze atmosphere from every orifice.
Axon1988
June 24, 2014 at 12:57
The one thing I hope this game will have, is atmosphere. That is what made the stalker trilogy such an amazing adventure. You can completely lose yourself in the games if you play it with the right mindset.
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 24, 2014 at 13:01
That’s the truth. Going underground in Stalker was an exercise in tension management, you never forget your first time.
Axon1988
June 24, 2014 at 13:05
In Lost Alpha when you finally go into the last underground lab… the tension goes through the roof. However in all my honest humble opinions, the in game cinematics really do suck ass. But that’s because of the limits of the engine and the limits of dezowave’s animation department. (Which I think consists of -1 persons)
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 24, 2014 at 13:15
You said it. I dreaded going underground the first few times
Brian Murphy
June 24, 2014 at 15:18
Yeah as I said above, the Stalker trilogy just oozed atmosphere, these guys _really_ know how to put you in there, and alter your frame of mind to whatever suits their purpose lol. I’m so effin excited!
Axon1988
June 24, 2014 at 15:33
*thumbs up*
alcatraz5953
June 24, 2014 at 13:43
sounds like it could be cool
Brian Murphy
June 24, 2014 at 14:05
OH FUCK YES!!!!!!!!