STALKER 2 Trailer Did Not Include In-Game Graphics

If you are like me, you watched yourself lick your finger to get the last bit of something out of a jar. If you’re also like me, you watched the Xbox Games Showcase last week with a little bit of apprehension. Now, I could be wrong, but it was my understanding that Microsoft and Xbox had learned to show gameplay or anger people. That’s why soon after their last showcase I ended up writing about the topic of the “bullshot.” A bullshot is a term for graphics that have been pumped up. It is a portmanteau for screenshot and a regular explicate exclamation of disapproval.

Like most of you, following the pre-show and Halo: Infinite section, I don’t think there was much gameplay anywhere in that showcase. This was somewhat confirmed by Ukrainian developer GSC Game World. Their next game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, which was showcased in the conference, has now been clarified via Twitter with a statement of “The trailer demonstrates the level of graphics and atmosphere we are aiming to achieve on release.” To use another one of those phrases from industry types, that would be called a “target render.” If you’re confused, that just means the graphics are set to where a developer and publisher think they can get to by release of the game.

The reason both phrases are connected is due to Ubisoft’s rather fast-and-loose understanding of target rendering. The important question to ask when looking at the trailer is, “Did it look magnificent, as if we’re leaping into the future with this one game?” No. I could understand the very high end of PCs coping quite well with those rather fine graphics. We’ve seen the PS4 handle Death Stranding and The Last of Us Part II quite well, and I’d argue they looked rather more impressive.

Was it another case of bullshot? Not really. Games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, which in itself is a game that is meant to be a mix of FPS, RPG, immersive sims, survival, horror, and open-world gameplay, have this same kind of graphical fidelity often. I don’t see GSC Game World digging themselves a hole by trying to push themselves too hard. Though keep in mind, this is a game to come at the start of a new console generation that will also be on PC. As Taylor said last month, we’re not going to see a sudden leap forward that’s breathtaking. For a PS3 game, GTA V was breathtaking, but on the PS4, it was just another game. It’s the life cycle of consoles and developers extracting the best out of them.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2‘s trailer did look a little excessive on graphics, and I don’t believe they will render every blade of grass individually for the perfect reaction to in-game physics. However, it looked fine as it straddled the line of in-engine footage and gameplay. I know if I could role-play as a quiet little survivalist in Pryp’yat’, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 would be my choice of game.

Previously the release was targeted for 2021, as I noted in the showcase article. However, also confirmed in the tweet denoting the target render, there is no date set. It seems the developer may be pulling back from this previously indicated release window to aim as high as possible with development.