We really enjoy doing two things on our social media: replying to comments from our community (it's about you!) and posting screenshots from Chernobylite. In the latter case one thing needs to be clarified: we don’t just shoot some photo in a random place and call it a day. If that was the case, we would post new photos on social media 15 times a day.

Taking pictures in a game is a very complex process with things like setting the right frame, positioning the camera, lighting, etc. You know, just like in real photography. But doing it in the game gives us the advantage of setting the right mood with the help of the weather.





As you know, there are four types of weather in the game that appear randomly on the maps: sunny, cloudy, rainy and foggy. And someone might consider it extravagant. Surely It was enough to give some sunlight and that's it, so what are all these goodies for? Probably the best answer to this question comes from our level designer, Sebastian Nowak. “We didn't want to stay in one static light, mainly because the Zone itself is also changing. When wandering through the Zone, we feel certain emotions - this place can both delight on a beautiful, sunny day and scare when it is cloudy, dark, and raining. Foggy places make it a complete horror movie."




It's hard to disagree. For example, Kopachi looks fabulous when the rays of the sun break through the branches of the trees.





And Pripyat Central in the fog looks like the Silent Hill. (Fog has also an additional advantage: we’re less visible to enemies).




The weather sequences are of course not just for show, but also serve a certain purpose. The Zone was never supposed just to “look nice”, but also to affect the player's imagination in a specific way. "We wanted to add it to the game, so that we could admire the Zone, graphically absorb how beautiful it looks, but at the same time feel the terror and the history behind it. To do this, we have prepared four weather scenarios: two a little brighter and two somewhat darker. The idea was for them to appear in sequence, eliciting the feeling of anxiety about what the next day would bring."





But it is not everything. In addition to these four basic weather zones, there is another additional one - the chernobylite storm. It is directly related to game story and the nemesis of the main character, Black Stalker. But we will talk about him next time.



Take care, Stalkers!




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Stalkers!

Test how perceptive you are in the Pripyat Ghost Stories Contest and win free Chernobylite game keys and awesome Survival Kit!

Head to the Pripyat "Ghost Stories Contest" channel on All in! Games Discord for more information: https://discord.gg/5NzG2XkHmA

• 1 game code,
  
• 1 glowing stick,
  
• 1 chernobylite crystal,
  
• 1 creepy doll,
  
• 1 gas mask,
  
• 2 A2 posters and 1 A2 game map,
  
• 1 Art of Chernobylite album,
  
• 1 Game Feature booklet,
  
• 1 T-shirt that glows in the dark,
  
• 1 bag,
  
• 1 branded metal ammo box,
  
• old documents, badges, and pins.

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We hope you have fun with the new content we shared with you last week.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3199253993188722560

We are especially curious to see how your bases with Blue Flames look like now. Also, don't forget to take a closer look at your companions (and opponents) in their new stylish masks.






Also let us know if you managed to find all the photos scattered around the Zone.



Today however, we'd like to take a closer look at the new weapon we've added to your arsenal: the crossbow, also known as the Silent Assassin. The weapon was teased by us many times, also as a part of our April Fool's joke. Today we will tell you what advantages and disadvantages the new toy has.



You don't need as many resources to craft a crossbow as in the case of a Blaster or Railgun, but you’ll still have to reckon with some ‘expense.’ However, at the end of the day, the balance will be positive anyway, because, unlike our BFG, the crossbow is an ideal ranged weapon for those who appreciate stealth elements in games.

First of all, there are a few questions you may ask. The first is: why the crossbow? As you probably know, Chernobylite was not supposed to be an action game, in which there is usually a huge arsenal of rifles, which are played very similarly. We wanted to limit the number of weapons, but make each one of them unique, characteristic and very customizable. Hence the crossbow - it perfectly fits the idea of a slow, strong and silent weapon, which was missing in our game’s arsenal. In addition, it seemed to have a great potential for crazy improvements.

The second question is, why didn't the crossbow appear in the game from the beginning? "You cut it out of the game because you wanted to get some extra cash from us hurr durr," the spiteful reply would be. The truth, however, is quite different. Chernobylite was created thanks to the efforts of a very small team, so every element of it was refined in the smallest detail. This was also the case with weapons. If we were to add more weapons to the game at once, it would be difficult to ensure their quality, as well as other elements of the game. More weapons mean a bigger game, so more things to test and less and less time to do it. And that means one thing - bugs…
Maybe the crossbow did come quite late, but we believe it was worth waiting for!



The crossbow is extremely quiet. A bolt fired from it pierces the body of one of the NAR soldiers will not alarm his companions, so you can camp in the bushes at will, waiting for the right occasion.



You just need to remember one thing: not to shoot the enemy, being aware that there is another patrol three steps away from him. They may not hear the gunshot, but they will rather notice a buddy falling face down on the ground with an arrow in his back.



The crossbow has basically one drawback: one shot and you must reload it immediately. Therefore, in the direct clashes with a group of opponents, we rather propose something more... dynamic.



Fortunately, the crossbow is a highly modifiable weapon. Therefore, there is nothing to stop you from transforming it into a tool which even William Tell would not be ashamed of...



...a real war machine, which can make quite a stir with one shot.



There is nothing else for us to do but wish you a good (silent) hunt! Did you try the crossbow yourselves? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments!



Take care, Stalkers!




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The long-awaited moment has finally arrived: Chernobylite Enhanced Edition and Season 1, the first major update this year is now available to everyone! That means a lot of new content for the base game, which we've been continuously developing since its launch in 2021. So those who think they know Chernobylite inside out, think again.

If you want to read more details about it, we encourage you to read the post below:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3199253993182682526

In short, we are giving you a lot of new stuff, including the Tactical Crossbow, an extremely quiet and highly customizable melee weapon, as well as the opportunity to learn step by step the love story of Igor and Tatiana through the photos scattered around the Zone. In addition, we have packages of paid content for you, which will slightly decorate life in the Zone. At the same time it'll allow you to stay in the Easter atmosphere for a while.

But the biggest novelty is the one hidden under the hood. We gave you the Ray Tracing technology, thanks to which the world presented in Chernobylite looks even more realistic. It is complemented by Tessellation, which makes the vegetation in Chernobylite look more natural. The final effect exceeds our wildest expectations. But pictures are better than words - they speak by themselves.













The game today is different than the one you remember from the PC launch in 2021. Check out our previous major updates here:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/4453495168680241953
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3085522248128497048

Take care, Stalkers!




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Stalkers!

We’re bringing Chernobylite to PAX East 2022 on April 21-24. Drop by our booth 17105 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and get some great loot.

In addition, you’ll be able to explore Chernobyl’s Exclusion Zone on next-gen consoles firsthand! Visit booth 17105 and play the game on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 on our gaming stations, more immersive than ever.

See you there!




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This is it! Season 1 and Chernobylite Enhanced Edition - the first big update in 2022 and one of the biggest ones planned for Chernobylite is now live!



You will not only be able to see the Zone like never before thanks to the implementation of Ray Tracing and Tessellation, but you will also find new, exciting content!



First of all, New weapon - Tactical Crossbow - which will allow you to even better adapt to the stealth style of play. Then you will find new story details about Igor and Tatiana in Memory of you, and, last but not least, a new DLC pack that allows you to include different additions to our base, environment and NPCs!




A tactical crossbow - new, silent weapon for close-quarters combat with a dozen or so improvements that can be made on the new crafting table. Highly customizable weapon to emphasize on the stealth combat approach and to expand the existing weaponry arsenal.



Igor will get the opportunity to search for dozens of Tatyana photos scattered in hidden places around the Zone. Each photo will display a short animation and play the voices revealing the part of the backstory of Igor and Tatyana.

Ray traced effects allow for more realistic reflections and level lighting. This is a significant change in the quality of graphics and you will be able to notice that difference right away ;)

The trees now look more realistic thanks to much greater detail.



The structures that we build in the base and outside of it will now have a blue aura giving your base a new and gloomy style.

Hidden Easter eggs appear in the zone. Will you find them all? ;)

The look of the masks of our comrades and opponents is now more like the masks of the clowns everyone likes so much. You all do love clowns right?



We hope you enjoy the new content and your experience with the game will be even greater. Remember, this is not our last call because we’re planning more massive updates this year :)


The game today is different than the one you remember from the PC launch in 2021. So far we added a huge new location - Pripyat Residential, new missions, new monsters and today also a new weapon and story elements. You can read more about previous major updates here:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/4453495168680241953
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3085522248128497048


Recently we launched a Charity DLC to aid Ukraine. During the war this country is being bombed every day and more civlian casualties and victims need help. Help which will be needed in the following weeks and months. For this reason, we and our publisher All in! Games will take long-term measures to meet the current needs and deliver resources necessary to rebuild the destroyed cities in Ukraine.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1935250/Chernobylite__Charity_Pack/

We’re not gaining any profit from it, all we earn goes for charity. If you feel like it, please support the cause. We want to do as much as possible for our friends in Ukraine. That’s all.

In the last post, you learned how the sounds of the surrounding reality are made. Recording an echo inside a container or an unfinished cooling tower and the noise of the wind is not an easy task, but it turns out to be extremely important. Since the whole world is made of sounds, and it's impossible not to hear anything. This rule also applies to games.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3203756329339831651

Nevertheless, doubts still arise as to whether sounds are really everywhere. Questions still arise, for example, how does an empty building sound? After all, the setting only comprises of four walls, the floor and the ceiling while the windows are mostly closed. There is no living soul around, no active source of sound. But Adam Dryszka, our sound designer, claims that yes, it is indeed possible to give a building a sound, but first you have to do a few thought processes.




Before we start solving the issue related to sound in closed spaces, it is best to start with one general problem. “When I started working on the Chernobylite project, I found out that the action takes place in quite well mapped locations. For a long time I wondered how to approach it. However, it is a place abandoned by man and overgrown - nature absorbs all creations made by man at a rapid pace. How do you make it “sound” when usually this category only logically applies to busy cities or villages, with driving tractors, flying planes and loud noises of human conversations?" - asks Adam.




If you think about it longer, it really makes sense: compared to a busy and noisy city, where you can hear people and cars speeding through the streets, the area around the Zone is a silent oasis of peace. But that doesn't mean it's absolutely quiet. The local flora and the weather conditions in the sky also help to generate sounds at such places. "Our main goal was the richest possible sound reproduction of nature itself: the rustling of leaves, howling of wind or splash of raindrops falling on various surfaces" - says Adam.




This may come as a surprise, but the same goal can be achieved in the interior of rooms and buildings. “If you're not an urbex guy, you don't know what an empty building sounds like. It might seem that the building doesn't sound at all, that it's just quiet there. But the fact is that wherever we go (maybe except the vacuum), there is a sound all around us. The thing is, this sound blends with the ambient noise, to which our ear gets used to, and our brain tends to filter it out. So, you may not notice it, when it’s there but the moment it suddenly disappears, you definitely will. I have to make sure that this silence is nowhere in the game,” says Adam.

And he emphasizes that it’s worth paying attention to even the smallest details. “If you listen carefully, turn around your axis, you will notice that somewhere near you the raindrops are bouncing off the glass, or that there is a draft, or something has fallen somewhere, or a rat just crossed the corridor (perhaps a monster)? All that needs to find its way into the game”.




Now you know what the secret is. So, next time you enter buildings, e.g. on the Moscow Eye, we recommend taking a walk with headphones on. Nice views are nothing without the sounds that surround them.

Oh, and one more thing.



This one is related to the "sounds in the game matter" topic: Adam tested the bass boost when shooting guns in an open space. At times like this, we wish we had added some space technology to the game. Would fit like a glove.



Take care, Stalkers!




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Last month you had the opportunity to read a series of entries devoted to the music in the game - how they were created and what the composers were guided by. However, keep in mind that Chernobylite’s soundtrack is not only about atmospheric music, but also about the sounds of the real world that surrounds us.

During our last trip to Chernobyl, we had the opportunity not only to collect videos and photos from the inside of the unfinished cooling tower and its immediate vicinity, but also to record sounds in these places. Someone might ask "but why do you need to record the sound of a blowing wind". Well, believe us, there is a method in this madness, as our sound engineer Adam Dyrszka will prove to you today.

Do you remember this photo? It’s our team setting up all the equipment to record sounds from inside the cooling tower.



We asked Adam about the details of the entire operation. It turns out that to record such sounds you need to do much more than just place microphones in several places.

“First, we generate a special audio signal at the frequency range which is audible for humans for 5, 10 and 60 seconds. Subsequently we place a loudspeaker and microphones at a certain distance from one another in the center of the facility (or in a different one that is characterized by interesting acoustics). Then we play this generated signal through the loudspeaker while recording it at the same time with microphones. The source signal and the recording are passed through a program which generates a sound file with a mapped "image" of the acoustics of the recorded space. Then we throw this file in the appropriate plug in Wwise (Convolution Reverb), which can convert such a file into a reverb simulation. From now on, all sounds that come through this plug will have the same reverb. ”

As an example here’s a recording from a gameplay piece, where you can hear how the gunfire sounds inside the tower. The impression is actually surprisingly similar to what we experienced while standing in the center of the cooling tower.



The same method allowed to reproduce the sounds... from inside the container.






Again, one might think this is unnecessary work. However, if you take a walk inside this "room" in the real world, you can hear that there is also a characteristic, slightly metallic reverb coming from there. Therefore, the recording of these sounds was also a necessity. The final effect? Listen for yourself.



For Adam, however, the most amazing thing was to record the reverberation from the pond by the cooling towers. “A view of this panorama of two gigantic concrete objects around industrial infrastructure in the light of the slowly setting sun. All this combined with the reverbs created there. It was clearly audible when the reflection from a specific tower came back to us. Plus knowing we're still basically in radiation. Very low, but there were nevertheless outbreaks of higher radiation in that location."



Of course, while working there we were sometimes surprised. And not necessarily by technical issues. During the recording from inside the tower and its surroundings, tourists suddenly approached us. They were terrified by these sounds, they said that they could be heard from a kilometer away. Well, they had some extra thrill while being there! For free! :D

Another time, when we were recording from inside Duga's buildings, a plaster from the roof fell on our heads. This is called dedication to work despite the circumstances! Now each time you will walk around the interiors of Chernobylite, keep in mind the dev team risking having concrete fragments falling over them when collecting data from these places :P

But we will talk about how to record sounds from inside empty buildings (which is an even more difficult task) in the next report. Stay tuned!

Take care, Stalkers!




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The day has finally come! After many months of hard, intensive work; after many trials and errors, we can finally reveal it: we’ve released a new, free DLC! Prepare some space on your hard drives, because there's a lot of new content waiting for you.

If you remember, we recently announced that we will give you a crossbow - a light and silent weapon that allows you to take your opponent out of a distance without noise. In the new DLC, we've added a small tweak to it, making the crossbow a truly powerful weapon. From now on, there is only one rule: one hit = multi kill.



In addition, we gave the bolts reason, dignity and self-awareness. If any of them don’t feel like fighting, they can simply fly off into the sunset in search of new adventures.



The trusty handgun couldn’t escape improvements either. Perhaps you thought only a railgun and a blaster could be wreaking havoc? Then you thought wrong, fellow Stalkers. Thanks to new technology, this innocent looking pistol will be more powerful than the railgun and the blaster combined.



We know perfectly well that you like to set up large gardens in the base. I mean really big ones. Like who wants to be a Stalker if becoming a farmer is so much fun?



That's why we’ll add the Farmer Mode to the game! You will get access to a wide range of agricultural products that will allow you to turn a gray base into a thriving farm. Weeding flower beds, watering, sowing, and also - drum rolls! - animal breeding!

Do you like games like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley?



So you will be delighted! It's like playing these games, but with a Chernobylite twist!

We have decided to beautify the places you love to stop by even more. Look around next time when visiting buildings or while taking walks in open spaces. You never know what you will discover. Here's an example: a brand new train has hit the railroad tracks in Red Forest.
I wonder what it used to carry?



We also took care of new content in the storyline. You all know Mikhail - he's the hot-tempered guy with a lopsided sense of humor who has the NAR at stake. The new quest "The Meaning of True Love" is an attempt to show his sensitive nature. Will Mikhail finally meet his soul mate? Will this love stand the hardest test? Is it safe to perform the scene from "Titanic" on top of Duga? You have to find the answers to these questions yourself.



Take care, Stalkers!




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Reminder: we have launched the Chernobylite Digital Charity Pack DLC. The total net proceeds of this package will be donated to The Pure Heart foundation - an Ukrainian organization focused on humanitarian and medical aid projects. This is a direct support to the victims of the war in Ukraine. More information can be found below:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3114808330563550066
We, both as a team and as a company, are determined to help the civilians who are suffering the consequences of this war. Many of them don’t have access to clean water, food or electricity, not to mention medical care. Those everyday services that we take for granted are beyond reach for those affected by war. Therefore, the aid we provide to Ukraine is humanitarian and medical in nature, aimed at these victims who need immediate help. We would like to thank everyone who already supported our initiative. Please don’t stop.

We’re leaving the Cafe "Pripyat" and heading west along Kurchatova Street. On the way, we’re walking past an estate of residential buildings and the "Prometheus" cinema. A bit further we’ll go to a place well known to all Chernobylite players. Welcome to Pripyat Central.

We begin our journey at the “white house” with a characteristic yellow telephone box. If you recall, we took some photos of our Tatyana in it.




From here you can see two equally characteristic places. One of them is the Polissya Hotel - a 6-storey building erected in the mid-1970s. It had 62 rooms with 108 beds, where delegations and guests visiting the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were hosted. The city hall building was located behind the hotel.




After the disaster at the power plant, the upper floors of the hotel along with the viewing platform were used by the government commission investigating the consequences of the accident. For some time, there was also a makeshift, temporary air traffic control used to direct helicopter flights over the reactor building of power unit IV.



Here we took the opportunity to do a photo session.




The hotel roof provides a great view of the square (filled with vegetation, and in the game - with NAR equipment) as well as the famous "Energetic" Palace of Culture. We use the word "famous" for a reason - it was one of the first in the city to meet the cultural needs of the inhabitants. It was their joy and pride.



The building was put into use in the mid-1970s. The complex had a large number of facilities, incl. a restaurant, a gym, telephone exchange, a swimming pool and even a boxing ring. Such a wide scope allowed for various activities: artistic gymnastics, dance teams, children's sports clubs, book clubs and literature evenings, theater performances and games, discos for young people, concerts and many others.



The Palace of Culture "Energetic" was a prime example of socialist realism, the common style of all art of the Soviet period. Although, it contained elements that differed slightly from this architectural trend. One of the best known is the signboard: the inscription "Palace of Culture" is highlighted in blue, and "Energetic" - in red. It looked impressive at night.

After the accident in 1986, the building's premises were used as service rooms for the maintenance of the power plant which was running in an emergency mode. When "Energetic" closed down, like many other places in Pripyat, it gradually began deteriorating. As you can see in the photo, the windows are broken, many plants have begun to grow in the gym and the moss is slowly covering the floor’s parquet.



Walking towards one of those huge broken windows, you can see a view of the last, but the probably the most iconic object in Pripyat: the amusement park.



The amusement park was supposed to have its grand opening on May 1, 1986, on the International Workers' Day. These plans were thwarted by the disaster at the power plant that had taken place just a few days earlier. There are unconfirmed testimonies of witnesses that the park was briefly opened on the morning of April 27, that is, before the evacuation of residents, in order to divert attention from the disaster.

The amusement park consisted of five attractions: the iconic 26-meter Ferris wheel, bumper cars arena, a carousel, swings and a shooting range. Even though the park was not ready yet (e.g. the carousel did not have decorative umbrellas), the excited residents were eager to visit the place before its official opening.




The park is deserted now. The cars are still standing where they have been abandoned, the carousel seats are rusted, and the yellow Ferris wheel cars are fading, rusting and slowly peeling off the paint.

We visited all these places, like other places in Chernobyl, many times. Recently at the end of last year. Thanks to the materials we have collected, you can visit them yourself in our game.



Take care, Stalkers!




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