The replace 1.1 for the shooter addresses one of many greatest criticisms: the A-Life. We summarize what this implies for our score of Stalker 2.
Christmas got here a bit early to the Zone this 12 months: GSC launched the 110 GB patch 1.1 for Stalker 2 simply earlier than the vacations. The replace fixes a whopping 1,800 points, most notably the largest level of criticism: the lacking/damaged A-Life 2.0.
Patch 1.1 is already the fourth main replace for the reason that launch on November 20, 2024. We devalued the launch model by 15 factors attributable to bugs, plot stoppers, efficiency and technical issues.How can we proceed our take a look at and a doable improve now?
When will our overview come?
Initially, we wished to ship a follow-up take a look at to Stalker 2 earlier than Christmas – now, all of the sudden, at some point earlier than the Christmas trip, the tester Patch 1.1 pops up.
In fact, we might write a follow-up take a look at and an improve primarily based on the impressions of some hours of play. However that wouldn’t be truthful to the sport and the builders after a lot effort and work has gone into fixing bugs and different points.
At first look, a couple of necessary issues have improved lots, however within the three hours or so of gameplay, we continued to wrestle with points we skilled within the launch model. Additionally, we now have solely been in a position to take a look at the patch on one machine to this point, which doesn’t give a complete impression.
We have now due to this fact determined to postpone the retest to the start of the 12 months, presumably January 2025. We wish to make investments extra time within the patch, together with enjoying by means of beforehand bugged quests once more, attempting out aggressive and stealthy play types, taking a better have a look at the in-game economic system, and rather more.
Small spoiler upfront: There might be an improve in any case – however we will’t inform you how huge it is going to be at this level
First impressions after patch 1.1
What has improved?
Enemies not spawn on the tip of the nostril: Earlier than, we might actually see enemies manifesting out of nowhere two meters in entrance of us. After the patch, the NPCs not spawn within the visual field of protagonist Skif.
Extra random encounters: Random encounters with factions and mutants have been already current within the launch model. Nonetheless, it often regarded like this: the enemy spawns straight in entrance of Skif, is straight aggro, and Skif shoots round in panic. There was no room for various approaches and even tactical retreat. After patch 1.1, these moments really feel rather more pure and are extra paying homage to the predecessors. Factions combat amongst themselves, mutants assault loners – and we will resolve whether or not and the way we wish to intervene.
Financial system: In earlier patches, the builders already gave the economic system a money injection. This was mandatory as a result of within the launch model, for instance, we have been within the crimson if we wished to restore a damaged weapon after which promote it. Now, not solely can we make some huge cash, however the restore prices have additionally dropped considerably. This makes the economic system a lot much less grind-heavy and significantly better balanced total.
Efficiency: At first look, efficiency appears to have improved on our RTX4070 take a look at machine. Even in later areas like Prypjat, the sport runs with out stutters or FPS drops. In fact, we’re testing on extra machines and over an extended time period to have the ability to give a extra correct estimate right here.
What nonetheless didn’t work properly for us?
Group AI: Whereas the habits of particular person opponents works significantly better within the open world, in order that we will even outsmart NPCs in random encounters, the AI completely can not address us in confined areas and in teams. NPCs both lose sight of us instantly, though we’re standing proper in entrance of them, or they’ve already focused us though we’re nonetheless 200 meters away, cowering behind a constructing.
Even stealth doesn’t all the time work reliably: Though we take out particular person opponents with knives and silencer pistols, everybody within the camp is aware of instantly – it nearly appears as if your complete NPC group shares an AI mind cell and reacts to the identical stimuli collectively, though Skif is barely concerned with a single particular person.
Graphics and Clipping Errors: Flickering textures, enemies clipping by means of partitions and flooring, corpses in T-poses, respawning garments, and so forth are nonetheless current and spoil the in any other case nice environment of the shooter.
What can we nonetheless wish to verify extra carefully?
Quests: Can we now full necessary principal quests with out plot stoppers?
Sound: Has the sound design improved? Within the launch model, it was usually very troublesome to find enemies. Typically the improper sound backdrop was performed.
Enemy AI and A-Life: We’re trying much more carefully at what the revised AI is doing and whether or not this adjustments the texture of the sport.
Efficiency: We’re testing on totally different computer systems to see if Stalker 2 is now higher optimized and not crashes at 10 FPS.
Please be happy to inform us within the feedback what adjustments you seen after patch 1.1 and whether or not you needed to cope with many issues earlier than that.
