Summary
GSC Game World launchedStalker: Legends of the Zonelast week, a collection that includes remasters of the original three Stalker games. Unfortunately, all three games quickly fell to mostly negative reviews. However, those reviews have since recovered thanks to the trilogy’s devs listening to, and acting upon, vociferous feedback.
There were a few reasons forthe enhanced edition’s review bombing, some of which were tied to the collection’s performance. However, as demonstrated by the comments left along with the negative reviews, it was the removal of Soviet imagery from the games that annoyed fans the most.
That’s why, in an update that was rolled out over the weekend, GSC has returned the imagery, which includes monuments and posters, to the remastered versions of the games. Stalker fans have thanked the team for listening not only by reversing or removing their negative reviews -all three games are now back up to mixed on Steam- but also by sharing their appreciation onthe Stalker subreddit.
Stalker’s World Now Looks Like It Was A Part Of The Soviet Union Again
Just Like The Real Chernobyl
A post bySurDnotitled “They listened!” three times in all caps, which has an image attached showing a reinstated Soviet monument in the now-updated remaster, shows just how appreciative the game’s fans are. Lots of thank yous in the replies, and some surprised that the dev team was listening to feedback and reversed the decision so quickly.
It’s a tricky situation that’s easy to understand from both sides. The Stalker games, while fictional, are set in a real-world location, that location being Chernobyl. Both in real life and in the Stalker games, Chernobyl is a place trapped in time. That time is 1986, when Ukraine was still a part of the Soviet Union. A Chernobyl that doesn’t look like it was a part of the Soviet Union does not reflect the real Chernobyl.
As for GSC, its Ukrainian devs are currently living through Russia’s invasion of their country. The development ofStalker 2was delayed assome of the team had to flee where they were working on the game due to the conflict. you may understand why they might have wanted to remove anything from their games representing a time when the country they call home was a part of a country they’re now in conflict with.
