Stalkers!

Stalkers! You can now win a Chernobylite key, DLC's and an awesome Survival Kit inspired by the game!

All you need to do is to discover your inner Michelangelo.

Join the All in! Games Discord and head to the contest channel for more details: https://discord.com/invite/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.

Before we get to the main course, we have a special announcement! The editors of the Polish edition of the IGN nominated several Polish games to compete for the title of the "Best Polish Game" of 2021. Needless to say, Chernobylite is one of these games.

But this is just the beginning! Each nominated game also has a chance to win an audience award in that category. And at this point we count on your help! Please vote for Chernobylite! Voting lasts until June 5. Thank you for all the votes!



Frequently we’re getting a lot of questions from you about the world of Chernobylite itself. For example, why did we decide to divide our game into several smaller areas rather than designing a fully open world. To fully understand our decision, you need to go back to the very beginning. In the next reports, we will be presenting the origins of the idea for dividing the Zone and how we translated this idea into something interesting to the players.

As you probably know, the idea for Chernobylite came from our earlier project - Chernobyl VR Project. We got very interested in Chernobyl, more and more the longer we were traveling there to collect data. We decided that this is a great place and the virtual tour itself is not enough - it was worth making a game there. Furthermore, we had a lot of scanned materials, over time we gained experience with photogrammetry so it would be a shame to waste it all without doing anything else with all this background.



In addition, the very fact of creating a horror game in Chernobyl triggered the imagination of players more than a psychological thriller, the action of which was set in a psychiatric facility (in Get Even, we used a public facility for the mentally ill, founded in 1838 in Owińska and operating until World War II). So we already got the amazing foundation and a location. After that, there was the question how to transfer the Zone to the game.



The scans we did in Chernobyl offer a surprising quality comparable to what can be seen in AAA games with a lot less workload. But it’s not only rainbows and sunshine with photogrammetry, there are some limitations and obstacles with this technology. One of them is the huge amount of memory used - each scanned wall of a building is another texture, the meshes are very complex and many other elements that together weigh a lot. If we decided to include huge locations in the game, they would take up an awful lot of memory space and impact the performance really badly.




In addition, we ourselves - as game developers, but also as players - were a bit tired with the open worlds, where we spend most of our time running around huge maps back and forth, while the actual gameplay takes only a small percentage. All this resulted in the decision to divide our game into specific stages and focus on the essence of the game - on the gameplay that we would refine as much as possible.



But it's not that the idea just suddenly came out of nowhere. It took us a while to think about how to convince the gamers, who are used to open worlds, that what we are doing makes sense. In the end, the solution was brought to us by... reality. When we enter one of the highest floors of the unfinished reactor in the power plant, we can see practically the entire area of ​​Chernobyl and Pripyat. While standing there admiring the beautiful view, we asked ourselves a question: what if the player had such a view every day, and from this perspective they could choose the place they would like to go to? They could also see directly how their actions affect the whole world, without having to run from one end of the map to the other.



This solution also allowed us to circumvent certain technical limitations that usually result from open worlds. But we will tell you about this and the benefits for players of splitting the map in the next section.



Take care, Stalkers!




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In last week’s report we talked about the weather in Chernobylite. You can read about why the game has four weather conditions and how they affect the "decor" of the Zone and the overall atmosphere in the post below:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3199255277322232884

But as we mentioned, there is another weather phenomenon in the game just as important: the dark Chernobylite Storm.



The Chernobylite Storm occurs when a player remains at a given level long enough. In an instant, the sky darkens, lightning starts striking the ground, creating flames in these places. The Chernobylite storm is not only an unusual atmospheric phenomenon, but above all a warning - here comes the Black Stalker, in all his glory. He moves from place to place, wielding a powerful weapon that can cause considerable damage. He has one goal: to get rid of the player.



Okay, everyone knows that. But no one really knows what the story is behind the Chernobylite storm. Why did it arise, how did its concept change, and how does it relate to the Black Stalker? We will answer all these questions today.

From the design side, we set ourselves two goals: to make the player feel the Black Stalker's breath on his neck all the time and to emphasize that the only place that is truly safe is the base. In general, the idea was for our nemesis to be constantly present in the gameplay and for the player to reasonably manage the phases of the day.

At the very beginning of designing the game, we placed a watch in the upper right corner that counted down the time until the appearance of the Black Stalker. Also, this character was very powerful to make the encounter with him suitably traumatic. Unfortunately, this design choice was very poorly received by the players, because it only gave the feeling of a "time limit", after which the antagonist appears and murders the player. Among the critics, there were a lot of supporters of slow exploration for whom this solution was unacceptable. One thing is worth emphasizing here: it was not a time limit. It was a feature that was not fully understood.



Therefore, we decided to modify it a bit. We weakened the Black Stalker and threw the watch away in favor of something more immersive - that is, a brewing Chernobylite Storm. Its occurrence can be predicted by observing the sky, and even slowed down with a special device built on a map. Everyone liked this solution much more because it was unique and visually attractive. The Black Stalker, on the other hand, could be defeated, escaped, or heavily delayed.



But the question is, what does the storm have to do with the Black Stalker? Well, you have to remember that Black Stalker was treated with chernobylite, so he can only move freely between places where its concentration is high - i.e. a power plant and a storm. Such conclusions could be reached by collecting information about the Black Stalker. It is thanks to them that you can understand how the Chernobylite world works.



We are extremely proud to announce that our game - Chernobylite has been nominated for four Digital Dragons awards this year:

• Best Polish Game
  
• Best Polish Game Design
  
• Best Polish Game Art
  
• Best Polish Game soundtrack

Thank you for the recognition and nominations. The award ceremony will be part of the Digital Dragons conference this Monday, May 16th! Wish us luck and keep your fingers crossed!



We have a contest for you where you can win game keys and an Autumn Dread Pack on PC, PS4 / PS5 or Xbox One / Series. Details can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Hurry up. We are waiting for your applications by Sunday.

Take care, Stalkers!




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https://store.steampowered.com/app/1016800/Chernobylite/

Stalkers!

We have a set of free keys for Chernobylite for you to win! Solve our riddle to get it.

Join the All in! Games Discord and head to the contest channel for more details: https://discord.com/invite/5NzG2XkHmA

Like us on Facebook
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https://store.steampowered.com/app/1016800/Chernobylite/

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.

Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1016800/Chernobylite/

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.