After celebrating Chernobylite's 1st anniversary it's time to get back to work. We continue with our mini-series in which we present to you the profiles and purpose of our companions. On today's episode: Olivier and Anton.
If you’re familiar with the game, you know very well that Olivier will become our companion at the base, while Anton one will sadly die at the hands of the Black Stalker in the prologue. Before the tragic events happen, they both assist Igor in reaching the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. You may wonder why we decided to create such a long prologue featuring completely random and strange characters? Some might say that we made this stage to give the game a strong start, others that we just wanted to show off our writing skills. However, the truth is quite different.
The power plant, Anton and Olivier were mere tools to introduce the player to the collection of mechanics and premises. The player had to clearly learn that he is in Chernobyl, that the main character is a scientist who avoids fighting, but can sneak up to his opponents. For this, it was necessary to implement unique features, for example: allowing the protagonist and Tatyana to teleport. In order not to get us lost in all this, for the sake of convenience, we have created a "visualization": a visual storyboard outlining the concept with a mixture of text and photos from the Internet.
Our inspiration was spying motives straight from Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid in the most Chernobyl place possible (i.e. a power plant), covered with a thick layer of the most generic hard SF motif, i.e. the Einstein-Rosen bridge.
A lot of things like that had to fly out for production reasons (e.g. a great shootout at the end of the crossing of the power plant, something that could not be done with one programmer assigned to this task) or for creative reasons (Black Stalker, as our nemesis needed to be introduced much earlier and in a more controllable environment). Instead, we've added more exposure space right before entering the power plant, and threw in some dream sequences to make you more attached to Tatyana.
But the very characters we meet in the prologue? Anton died at the hands of the Black Stalker, not random soldiers, and Olivier remained a spy/mercenary. The rest is history.
Finally, we would like to remind you that this little fella is waiting for his home! The plush Black Stalker can be yours, just follow this link for more information.
That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!
Will you join us? Let us know in the comments or on Discord.
365 days - this is how long it has been since Chernobylite left Early Access. On this day one year ago we gave you the full version of the game with a lot of fixes and a lot of new stuff in it, including the long-awaited part: "The Heist". You, in turn, gave us a total of over 7,000 reviews with a “Very Positive” rating, for which we would like to thank you very much.
However, it's not like we just released the game and completely forgot about it the very next day. Over the past 12 months, we've been bringing you additional new content: a new map, weapons and gameplay mode, new monster types, tons of skins, and dozens of new missions and side quests to complete. All this to encourage you to return to the Zone. But we're not going to stop there. We have a lot of other surprises for you to celebrate Chernobylite’s 1st Anniversary.
For a good start, a completely free digital short story entitled "Chernobylite Short Story: The Arrival", in which you can learn some more about Sashko Horobets, one of Igor's companions. Is this the beginning of a larger series? It is up to you. Let us know in the comments section if you liked it!
We also have a surprise for those who haven't had a chance to play our game yet. From August 1st to August 7th, Chernobylite and all DLCs will be available at a 30% discount! Don't hesitate! Jump into the Zone to get to know her again!
And finally, one last surprise: As you may have noticed there was no contest in the previous report. It was a deliberate move to whet your appetites a bit. Because today it's not one but first five people who will be able to win the Chernobylite keys! All you need to do is answer the following question correctly and as promptly as possible:
How many villagers can you meet in the village in Red Forest, including Olga and the gate guard?
We will announce the correct answer and the list of winners on Monday, August 1st.
That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!
Will you join us? Let us know in the comments or on Discord.
When we started traveling to Chernobyl to get materials for our new project, we didn't know yet where this would lead us. A few years later, in 2019, we were able to show you the first fruit of our labor - Chernobylite entered Early Access. Throughout this time, we've been collecting your feedback and working hard to make our game even better. Until that day finally arrived. Exactly a year ago, on July 28, the full version of Chernobylite was released on PC. To celebrate this occasion, we prepared something special for you! Read more to find out what ;)
It's hard to believe it's been a year now. And it would seem that everything happened only yesterday. Chernobylite has received tons of reviews (including from you, for which we thank you), as well as many awards and features. Yes, the first weeks after the premiere were intense and extremely exciting for us.
However, it's not like we released the game and that is where our work is over. For the last 12 months, we’ve been providing you with new content that made the game deeper and richer thanks to which some of you felt encouraged to return to the Zone.
Of course, this is not the end of the attractions we have prepared for you. We have some surprises for you to celebrate Chernobylite's first birthday.
The Arrival
Something different than the DLCs you got used to so far. We are giving you "Chernobylite Short Story: The Arrival"... for free! It is a short story about the fate of Sashko Horobets, one of Igor's companions. What brought him to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone? Will he find the answers he is looking for?
Plush Stalker
Together with Makeship, we launched a crowdfounding campaign. The goal is one: the plush Black Stalker! This soft little fella is entirely handmade and based on the Black Stalker character and might end up on your desk!
On the occasion of Chernobylite's birthday, we have another discount for you - the game and all DLCs released by us are available for purchase for 30% less! The promotion will take place on August 1-7. So do not hesitate! Jump into the Zone to get to know it once again!
FSR 2.0
There’s also good news for those of you who are less into gaming goodies and more into tech. Starting today, Chernobylite now supports AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 on DX12.
In this patch we are introducing AMD FSR 2.0 - new temporal upscaling technology to help improve framerates and overall quality.
Also, we were working hard to fix the known issue with the “Ghost of the Past" mission in Pripyat Residential Area and after thorough testing - we are submitting it with this patch. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
The complete changelog for this update can be found below:
Technology:
Added AMD FSR 2.0 feature (please make sure to run the game in DX12 to use it!) with the following settings available: “Quality”, “Balanced”, “Performance”, “Ultra Performance”
Improved overall stability - amount of crashes you were experiencing (especially in VR mode) should be reduced now
Improved Ray Tracing effects in some areas
Major bugs fixes:
The issue blocking progress in “Ghost of the Past in Pripyat Residential Area” is gone. If you have a save file where the quest is already broken - don’t worry, because going through the timeline is a solution for such a case.
The issue with some of the items (and extended slots) disappearing from inventory after leaving VR is fixed. Note: Loading broken save from outside VR won’t restore items, but if you load the game saved inside VR - both items and slots will be back
The event where Semyon asks you to mine the building sometimes was not progressing even if 3+ mines were set up. We extended the trigger area, so the problem won’t occur anymore
Localization updates:
“Select” and “Exit” text lines on the board with Tanya’s photos were always displayed in English regardless of currently set language - now all languages have their corresponding translations
We have corrected spelling mistakes visible in some of the dialogues/menus. Most of them were spotted by you and reported on the Steam forum, so thanks for that!
Other:
Amount of available ammo now always differ between VR and non-VR mode
Sometimes the game was crashing when Igor was killed by chernohost from specific events - it’s fixed now
We fixed some random crashes encountered when entering/leaving portals in VR mode
As promised, we are continuing with our series of entries, in which we intend to tell you how the individual elements of the game were created. Today we will talk about the most important one, which is the main character. Meet Igor Khymynuk.
Some players were very surprised that we don’t control the modern Rambo - one that breaks through the levels and unloads the entire series from a rifle at its opponents. This would probably solve the problem of entering the power plant area faster and more efficiently. The reason why it was different is quite simple: from the beginning, we didn't want to make a game that was totally action-oriented and/or shooting-oriented. On the contrary!
Chernobyl is a beautiful and mysterious place, full of secrets and dangers. The sight of a soldier definitely does not encourage fighting, but rather fleeing. We wanted to reflect our true emotions from real visits and experiences in Chernobyl, not to create an American abstract action movie. Hence, it was natural for us to create a hero of flesh and blood, who avoids fighting, does not want to kill, but is clever enough to defeat the opponent. When creating Igor, we had in our minds such characters as Joel from The Last of Us, a journalist from Outlast, and James from Silent Hill. They are just normal people who find themselves in an abnormal situation.
In addition, keeping with the historical realities, we also wanted to create a character who was somehow influenced by the Chernobyl disaster. Preferably one for whom it was her or his immediate experience, or even better - they worked at the power plant. And since the catastrophe took place almost 40 years ago, the hero needed to be of a specific age, and have a specific approach to solving problems. And so Igor is a man who’s been through a lot and has a doctorate in physics and chemistry. A person with such a background would rather avoid combat and construct traps than throw himself into action with a rifle in his hand. Besides, you know very well that Igor doesn’t react best when he needs to kill another person...
What motivated Igor to throw himself into the middle of the Chernobyl zone was the desire to find his beloved, who went missing on the day the power plant exploded. This is the main plot.
The Chernobyl disaster hides two particularly interesting puzzles: why did it happen, and what happened right after it? A lot of books, films and documents have touched the first question. (recently even a TV series). When it comes to the second question: stories about the victims of a catastrophe are a difficult subject of research and investigation.In addition, two days after the disaster, the city of 50,000 was evacuated - people were packed in buses and transported to unknown places throughout the USSR. Families were separated, many people disappeared without a trace. The fact that someone returns to Chernobyl to find a loved one who has disappeared is actually the first thing that comes to mind after hearing these stories. This motif was a perfect fit for Igor and Tatiana's story: two lovers separated on the day of the catastrophe and now trying to find each other after many years. The paranormal elements are merely a diversifying addition.
As for implementing the main theme - without going into too much detail, to avoid spoilers for those who haven’t yet played Chernobylite - we can say that the story has gone through three iterations: before the start of Early Access, right after the game's release on EA (we took into account the feedback of players who had some comments), and the third and final one, a few months before the official premiere. Each iteration more or less affected Igor. Because the more complete the vision of the game was, the more Igor evolved with it.
Before we finish this post, we have a little announcement for you. Be with us next week, July 28. We are preparing a lot of surprises for you on the occasion of the first anniversary of Chernobylite. You cannot miss :)
That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!
Will you join us? Let us know in the comments or on Discord.
So far, in our reports, we've talked about the genesis of the game and what path it took to release almost a year ago. So it's time to go from the general to the specific. In today’s and the following reports, we are going to tell you in the smallest detail how the individual elements for the game were created. In today's episode: monsters.
The first prototype of the monster was inspired by the "shadows" drawn in the form of graffiti on the walls (in the game, they are visible inside the buildings in the Moscow Eye). We thought it would be great if these shadows came to life. The living shadow motif is known in virtually every culture and is due to imperfections in the interpretation of the image of our brain: when we are tired, it is quite dark, we may think that we see a character's movement that looks like a "shadow", or that something has moved on the edge of our eyesight. So the concept sounded great from the conceptual point of view and fit perfectly with the atmosphere we wanted to achieve.
Unfortunately, Captain Reality has strongly verified our plans. On paper, the concept of living shadows looked great, but when it came down to creating it, it wasn't that fun anymore. Working on it was very tedious and caused only problems. The opponent was difficult to notice, the work on him was complicated, the influence on the performance of the game was quite big. Overall, it didn't work. And this despite the fact that the game at this stage was not supposed to be a typical shooter, but a more walking horror game inspired by Outlast, in which the player has to run away and hide from the opponent, not fight him.
Meanwhile, the other prototypes were doing much better. Despite the very small team, shooting with the soldiers was quite decent. And Chernobylite as the substance and the main antagonist of the game was becoming something more than just a strange crystal causing hallucinations. It can be said that what the game is now is the fruit of the inspiration of Expanse and Stranger Things.
We slowly began to understand that we simply needed more classic and physical monsters. Chernobylite, as a thinking substance began to change matter and adapt it to its needs, allowed us to make such changes. Shadow became a Borderer, a dark sack of skin filled with crystals with supernatural powers. We have replaced the chaos of the fight with a living shadow with the possibility of creating portals, and we have replaced running and hiding with classic weapons. The shadows remained only as a common name for all Chernobylite monsters. And as we mentioned, they can also be found on some walls as a graphic element.
The next monsters were just a creative use of this formula. Chernohost is actually a kind of clicker from The Last of Us whose appearance was inspired by radiation sickness and the fungus was replaced by crystals.
Duster, on the other hand, was created at a time when we felt that the scale of the game was definitely not tailored to the size and strength of the team. So we created a stationary creature with a very simplified AI that could teleport between preset points on a small area of a given level. Artistically, it was an earthworm made of crystals crossed with a spider. It could break into crystal dust at any time and regain its form anywhere else.
One more thing: we will soon be celebrating the first anniversary of Chernobylite. Get ready, we have a lot of surprises for you :)
That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!
Will you join us? Let us know in the comments or on Discord.
You received a lot of new stuff from us with the last major update. But the biggest (and the most intense for us) is the VR device. This small, inconspicuous toy that you can place at your base introduces a new challenge to the game. It’s not easy, but gives a lot of fun and satisfaction.
We have been thinking about exploring the fractal world in a way similar to roguelikes for a long time. If you remember, one of the first concepts of the fractal world involved walking with a weapon in a maze filled with enemies. It looked cool on paper, but didn’t work that well in practice. This concept was abandoned, but the very idea of creating your own roguelike remained. We had the opportunity to rewrite our concept a bit and finally implement it into the game.
The result of these works is a VR device that allows you to move into the fractal world and face opponents in several arenas. Each subsequent one is more and more difficult, and resources are limited. Below we present a short guide on how to navigate through the new game mode and how to survive in it.
1. Know your enemy (and be well prepared for him)
At the beginning of each round, you will see a large tube filled with liquid containing the creature. Use it as an indication of who you will fight on the fifth level. Use this knowledge to be able to adapt your arsenal to the final battle.
2. Your inventory is everything
It's not like you can go straight to the arena with a Blaster in hand. Your inventory is limited to what can be found in the big container at the start of each round: weapons, some ammo and some resources needed for modifications. There isn't much of it, and it is possible that you won't do too much with these resources before the first round, but they will increase over time. If possible, don't use up everything right away.
3. Recycling is handy
There may be a situation where you have too many weapons in your inventory (yes, such a thought may appear in your head at some stage), and not enough resources needed to create specific modifications. Don't throw your weapons on the ground! Instead, use a recycling device. It will allow you to gain much needed resources, get rid of the unnecessary stuff and make room in your inventory for perhaps better weapons.
4. Rambo would be a terrible fighter
Wandering around the arena and shooting blindly at everything may look cool, but generally it's a rather bad idea. Use the element of surprise, sneak and, if you can, take your opponent off silently. Stealth is good for you. You should have fun in Rambo style only as a last resort.
5. Don't lick the walls
In the arena, your task is to defeat your opponents and survive. That’s it! Don't look for resources because you won't find them anyway, don't wander around the board because you have nowhere to go (the arenas are small). Better spend your time learning about the paths your opponents are walking and plan your attack.
These are the really basic rules that you should know. There is nothing we can do but wish you a fruitful hunt!
We continue our contest of Chernobylite keys to win. We remind you of the rules: we ask a question related to the game, and the fastest correct answer wins.
Olga may (or may not) have some affection for one of the crew. To whom?
We will announce the winner and the correct answer in the report and in the comments on Monday.
EDIT:
Answer: Sashko
Congratulations to your evil twin :)
That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!
Will you join us? Let us know in the comments or on Discord.
Reminder! Steam Summer Sale is on. Until June 7, you can buy Chernobylite and the previously released DLCs at a discount of -30%! Dive yourself in the dark zone today!
Hello Stalkers!
In the last report as part of our weekly contest we asked you about the nationality of Daniel (he was a Scot), with whom Mikhail was supposed to have had a conversation about the Moscow sewers. This anecdote may seem random, made up for the game by our writer... but this character is actually inspired by a real life writer.
The person that Mikhail spoke about is actually Daniel Kalder - a Scottish-born writer who spent ten years in the former Soviet Union, where he undertook all sorts of jobs. He described the experiences gained while visiting disused Moscow Metro tunnels and sewerage channels in one of his books called "Strange Telescopes". By the way: we recommend it wholeheartedly.
Chernobylite is filled to the brim with all sorts of references and easter eggs that harken to the real world as well as pop culture. The example with Kalder and the already widely known quote from HBO Chernobyl "3,6... Not great, not terrible" are among them. However, believe us, there is more. Today we are going to present to you only some of them.
A mysterious stalker, whom we can meet nodding in a chair with a revolver in his hand, is a source of a whole bunch of references. At first glance, we are dealing with a possessed person through whom evil forces are speaking. However, the words he utters, although they sound like gibberish, have hidden meanings.
For example, "Do you have to open graves to find girls to fall in love with" is nothing more than a quote from the 1932 movie "The Mummy" (great movie by the way).
"Crudox cruo" and "En marana" are the lines spoken in a mysterious language of the cultists you can meet and hear in Blood 3D, an FPS released in 1997.
H. P. Lovecraft also had his guest appearance. "That is not dead... that which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even love may die" is a slightly modified quote from the story "The Nameless City", which originally reads "That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die”. One word, but how much it changes the meaning of the whole.
Speaking of pop culture, it's hard not to mention the good-natured Evgeniy. When Igor asks him about lootboxes, he at some point replies, “My lootboxes are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get." This is, of course, a nod to the movie "Forest Gump".
Dialogues with companions are another powerful source of reference, but this time to historical events that happened in reality. An example is Mikhail, who tells about his deceased friends: Zina, Yuri, Ludmila, Igor. These are the names of the four out of nine students who mysteriously died during a so-called Dyatlov Pass incident that is still shrouded in mystery. You can read more about it here.
By talking to Tarakan, we can also learn something interesting…and disturbing. In one of the dialogues, Tarakan will say: “The gulag at Nazino Island… thousands of little city mice… sent on a voyage to hell. My father was there”. If anyone wanted to explore this thread, they would find out that such a place really existed. A story about Nazino Island, also known as the "cannibal island" is terrifying, too strong even for a Steam entry. If you want to know more, we refer you to books and documentaries.
To relax the atmosphere a bit, let's move on to one of the conversations with Sashko. On one occasion he questions our protagonist’s’ taste in music and says:
“We need to remedy this situation, pronto! I want you to listen to "Sex, Kvas and Hardbass." It will change your understanding of music forever!”.
It is an authentic piece which is also a milestone in the hardbass trend. Enjoy!
What we just presented to you is only part of what you can find in the game. When playing Chernobylite, it pays to keep your eyes open. Who knows what you may stumble upon! Let us know if you were successful!
We continue our contest of Chernobylite keys to win. We remind you of the rules: we ask a question related to the game, and the fastest correct answer wins.
“Don't worry about me, just wipe the servers! Go to "[blank]", download "smelly_panties_of_doom", and execute!". What is the full site address?
We will announce the winner and the correct answer in the report and in the comments on Monday.
Before we get into the report, we have two very important pieces of information for you!
New, free content for Chernobylite already available with Season 2!
Season 2 Red Trees is now available to everyone! A new pack introduces a new VR set in Igor's base that will allow players to play a game inside the game, introducing a new, roguelike inspired, mode - VR Games.
Another addition is 6 new story missions. The Ghosts of the past expansion sees Tatyana manifesting in Igor's dreams. This sets the protagonist on a journey to iconic locations in the Zone.
There is also a video game station! This element is part of a cosmetic Play it add-on, and with atmospheric post-soviet looks will compliment the player’s headquarters.
For more info about Season 2 check out our news bellow:
If you haven't had a chance to play Chernobylite yet, now's a good opportunity to do so. The game and all DLCs released so far are available at a lower price of -30%. Dive yourself in the dark zone today!
Hello Stalkers!
We've proven in previous reports that in order to survive in the Zone, you need more than to fire an entire moon clip from a revolver. First of all, you need to use your head. Igor seems to be perfect for the job - he’s a scientist, not a soldier. On the other hand, you also need weapons to protect yourself from NAR mercenaries and monsters. Again: Igor is a scientist, not a soldier.
But it's not like he's going to magically produce a rifle out of his pocket. He can, however, create said rifle from the things he finds in the Zone and then learn how to use it. Moreover, he can even modify his weapon to suit his needs. Because crafting is not only a complex element of our game, but also a way to show Igor as a credible character who can adapt to the conditions. Something like MacGyver in Chernobyl (BTW who remembers the TV series eh? Let us know! ;))
When designing the crafting system, we tried to convey the essence of hand-made things. Therefore, the first thing that catches your eye are the visuals associated with it. The crafting tables themselves were designed from the very beginning in such a way that the player could, upon first glance at a given table, recognize what he could use it for. That is why we embellished it with elements characteristic for a given type of weapon, and added a whole lot of other stuff that can be found in virtually every garage workshop.
The weapon modification system itself also works primarily visually - each weapon has specific elements attached or modified that almost completely change the appearance of a given weapon. But what was most important to us was that these add-ons should not only change the numbers in the parameters, but also give something extra in terms of looks and feel.
Several things are happening from the artistic and gameplay side. First, the animations change when using weapons. Take, for example, how a character behaves when replacing a magazine. The magazines are modified in various forms (they are of different sizes and widths), so the artist had to prepare dedicated animations for each one of them. At this point it is worth emphasizing that these animations are not standardized - literally each of these animations is made completely from scratch. There is no point of reference between them, no recycling of the previous animation, no copy-paste. Multiply the number of various magazines by the number of weapons in the game, and you will get the number of animations.
Secondly, depending on the modification, the reloading time also changes, e.g. a large magazine makes reloading longer, a small magazine - shorter. Also, if we focus on the magazine capacity, we pay for it with time, which can be of great importance when confronting a stronger opponent. A small magazine, in turn, means a shorter reload time, but also the risk that the enemy will not die after unloading the entire series on him.
This is obvious. But what is less obvious is, for example, the recoil of the weapon when fired. Gun firing is also done as an animation, not something procedural. Thus, any modification of the weapon that affects the recoil of the weapon (gameplay side) also changes the shooting animation (artistic side). That is why it is important to experiment when modifying a weapon, check various options, test, so that the end result is fully satisfactory for you.
Fun fact: in one of the magazines you can find a pattern that Igor associates with Tatiana. You just have to remember that Igor is a scientist, not an artist…
We continue our contest of Chernobylite keys to win. We remind you of the rules: we ask a question related to the game, and the fastest correct answer wins.
When Mikhail was living in England, he met a guy named Daniel with whom he talked about the Moscow sewers. What was Daniel's nationality?
We will announce the winner and the correct answer in the report and in the comments on Monday.
EDIT:
Answer: Scottish
Congratulations to iRkQ :)
That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!
Will you join us? Let us know in the comments or on Discord.
The second huge update in 2022 is now live! This time we also have new, amazing free content: new story missions, game inception arena as well as awesome DLC which will change the look of your base.
Additions:
VR Games - a unique and challenging game inception inspired by roguelike games which you may enter through a VR helmet in the Base. You will be transferred to the fractal world where you will face enemies (humans and monsters) in several arenas, each more and more difficult! Are you ready for a challenge?
Ghost of the Past: 6 new story missions in which Tatyana manifests in Igor’s dreams and encourages him to visit various places in the Chernobyl Zone and learn the true history of Chernobyl.
Play it! - Who said you can’t have a little fun in the Zone? While learning to craft various and very complex structures, electronics and tools, Igor found a way to build… a gamer’s hardware! Now you and your companions can have a little break from all the stresses and terror lurking in the Zone.
Paid content:
Red Trees Pack
Bring the menacing Red Forest spirit into your base and give it an ominous look with the addition of new skins—the Red Trees Pack. Rusty leaves and the red glow emanating from devices will fill your companion’s hearts with warmth and strength for another tough day in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone..
New content is not the only thing we worked on. There are also a few fixes and changes:
Stuttering optimization - we implemented a couple of fixes so the issue should be improved. Let us know if this helped on the Steam forum.
Major changes in Turkish localization. We hope you like it better!
And other minor improvements.
That’s all for today! Enjoy the new content and remember that this is not all we have planned for the game this year. In a few months we’re going to add a whole new location and an extremely challenging game mode!
Also, join us today on a livestream at 1:00 PM CEST via Twitch or Facebook!