Chernobylite – Review

Our Rating: 8/10

The infamous Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the city of Pripyat, the exclusion zone, and, in short, everything that surrounds that tragic accident has served as a rich source of inspiration for a variety of works. This includes books, video games, films, and television series. In video games, which is what we’re concerned about, we’ve had the great STALKER; a true PC gem who undoubtedly served as inspiration for this Chernobylite.

Love in the middle of a disaster

As soon as we begin playing, we realize we are dealing with a game with a significant narrative component. Dialogues, flashbacks, and document searches, among other things, will aid our understanding of Igor’s story. A man tries to survive as best he can in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. While investigating the powers of Chernobyl, a mineral was created as a result of the disaster. It contains supernatural properties such as allowing travel between dimensions or opening portals to allow “fast travel,” among many other possibilities unknown to our protagonist.

The coronavirus has successfully entered the exclusion zone. Normally, we would encounter strange characters like this one who would provide us with information, offer us a trade, or force us to make a difficult decision.

What motivates you to work on Chernobylite? Let’s pretend that good old Igor has lost his beloved Tatyana amid all the chaos. So, he tries to locate her using the supernatural powers of this mineral. To do so, he’ll have to go deep into the nuclear power plant. However, not before devising a master plan and gathering all the resources needed to defeat the NAR, a group of mercenaries who control the exclusion zone… Let’s leave it at that, even though there will be some more “supernatural” foes.

The plot premise is unique, and things improve as the dialogue progress and the decision-making in them becomes more prominent. Farm 51 has created a non-linear story in which we can see the effects of all of our actions in all aspects of the game. This goes far beyond simply reaching a good or bad ending. As a result, it should come as no surprise that this game has such a high level of replayability.

 A very successful hybrid of genres

We are STALKERS (and this has nothing to do with the other game; it is the protagonist’s “profession”). There, in the dark, is the Black STALKER, our arch-enemy who will cause us to have a bad time now and then. Chernobilyte isn’t your average game; it’s one-of-a-kind and full of personality. All thanks to an odd mix of genres that defies the rule that “he who covers a lot doesn’t squeeze.”

And it’s that Chernobylite has it all. Shooting, stealth, exploration, walking simulator, role, management, survival, and supernatural terror. From behind, “stalking” an adversary. If we are well supplied, killing them is justified so that we can keep everything they own.

Although the overall mix is fairly well balanced, there are a few major flaws. For example, in terms of action, the game’s inability to shoot from the hip, forcing us to always be aiming. It sometimes feels like fireworks. Is it possible that it’s a bet on realism? It’s possible, given that this isn’t a game about making crazy shots. However, if it were up to me, I’d change it in future patches.

The Narrative

We can access “virtual reality” by finding hidden documents and completing missions. These will be scenes from the walking simulator game as well as a pure narrative adventure in which we can piece together the story and learn more about what happened to our beloved Tatyana. The truth is that explaining the entire set of playable mechanics in this game is a difficult task. But, we’ll try our best to give you a quick overview of what Chernobylite is all about.

As previously stated, the primary goal is to storm the well-known nuclear power plant to save our beloved. We won’t be able to do it alone. We’ll have to assemble a group of idiots willing to risk their lives for a woman they’ve never met. We’ll need a good base of operations for this where we can make a variety of items, rest, eat, and hang out.

Missions

We will choose which expedition we want to do on the current day in the mission selection screen. We can also dispatch our companions on another mission. But of course, there is no guarantee that it will be successful, that it will not die, or that it will not be kidnapped. The game’s management component has already arrived at this point. For example, we’ll need to provide food to our team so that they don’t starve or go insane. As well as a comfortable place to live in the base, which is massive and customizable to our liking.

All of this, however, would be impossible unless we were able to obtain sufficient resources, which would force us to conduct a series of expeditions across the entire exclusion zone. These are the game’s missions, where we will unlock plot events, meet new characters, and so on, in addition to obtaining resources.

Exploration

Exploring the interiors of the buildings is a thrilling experience that you will only fully appreciate once you have tried the game.

Sure, if the entire place wasn’t patrolled by unwanted enemies, all of this would be thrown away. Shooting ourselves with NAR soldiers or more “supernatural” enemies is an option, as is charging us all in silence or skipping the topic entirely.

And we only have one day in the game to accomplish all of this. When we return to the base at the end of the mission, we will be able to use skill points to improve our character or the base, make whatever we need, care for our injured or sick companions, and sleep. Then a new day will begin, with new missions and changes in the exclusion zone that will either make or complicate our lives.

Weather and Settings

In some areas of the Chernobylite map, foggy or rainy conditions may occur, making stealth easier. However, there will be other occurrences that will complicate things on other occasions.

Okay, so far, everything has been a complete disaster, and yes, at least in the first hour of gameplay, it has been. One of the game’s successes, however, maybe that it avoids delving too deeply into all of the mechanics it offers. With which, we will quickly become accustomed to the game system and see progress; this will lead to a sense of fulfillment and, as a result, a vice of spending hours upon hours in front of the screen.

Vegetation is consuming the old buildings at an increasing rate. These locations will be familiar to Chernobyl historians.

Exclusion Zone

The game is set in a series of open spaces surrounding a nuclear power plant. This is, without a doubt, one of the most criticized aspects of the game, as we will only be able to access one of these areas every mission, rather than being able to explore the entire map.

However, because these areas are so large and full of nooks and crannies and places that it will take many expeditions to discover them, I have not found anything so reprehensible. This also gives us more freedom when dealing with enemy confrontations, as well as forcing us to deviate from our usual paths in search of more resources.

Nuclear Power Plants

The interior of the nuclear power plant will, without a doubt, be rebuilt. In any case, the best part of the game for me is exploring the exclusion zone. The Farm 51 has recreated the entire location using 3D scanning, with incredible results using Unreal Engine 4. We can get a sense of being there in Chernobylite by exploring the old demolished buildings, seeing how nature and time have consumed the site, and observing old memories and belongings of those who lived there before us… The real deal.

The amount of detail in Chernobylite is limitless, and the graphic and technical quality, as well as the fidelity with which everything is depicted, is truly astounding. Have you seen the videos from Chernobyl’s urban exploration? Well, despite its mix of genres, I believe that this game is truly an “urban exploration simulator,” as that is the feeling that The Farm 51 was attempting to convey to us with this game.

Final Thoughts

Chernobylite provides us with views like this one. And that neither Ray Tracing nor anything else in the game has been implemented yet. Furthermore, The Farm 51, fully aware of the game’s most valuable asset, has perfectly balanced the expeditions. This way, we’ll be able to find the right number of enemies (although they’ll be quite lethal) without interfering with the fun of exploring the game maps.

Where vegetation abounds, which we will use to hide from enemies, and hey, the stealth mechanics are simple but extremely effective and affordable. I usually despise these kinds of mechanics, but in this game, hiding in the bushes or whatever and ” stalking ” enemies has been a lot of fun.

A house in the middle of nowhere can be seen in the background. The majority of them will be open to the public to explore, with basements and even underground tunnels… They can, however, prepare for dangers on the inside.

Yes, I believe Chernobylite and The Farm 51 have achieved their goal. His most ambitious project to date is a unique blend of genres, unlike anything we’ve seen before. It’s a one-of-a-kind and easily accessible experience that Chernobyl fans will undoubtedly appreciate. It should also be noted that, due to its characteristics, it is a difficult game to explain and analyze; however, the best way to judge a game’s quality is to play it. You will not be disappointed.