Areal - "Definitive Spiritual Successor" to STALKER

Yeti Beast

Although Vostok Games might have something to say about that...

Areal has appeared on Kickstarter. The developers (West Games) are calling it the "definitive spiritual successor to the cult hit S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series" and make some pretty bold claims about the gameplay. It all sounds rather exciting, especially when fans of the original series read;

The core people that developed the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series have come together to create a new team called West Games. Together, we're developing a game called Areal, which continues the spirit of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and adds an engrossing story, unique game-play and innovative features. With that said, Areal is not S.T.A.L.K.E.R., but a game developed by the people who made S.T.AL.K.E.R.. Most of our team is composed of former senior GSC Game World staff members, and now that we have our own fully independent studio, we can create the ultimate post apocalyptic video game.

Except, this is where it gets messy. Vostok Studios, who themselves are made up of former GSC employees, had a spokesman post this on the Survarium forums;

"We have contacted GSC's lawyers regarding this fraudulent claim of being the developers of Stalker and Metro Last Light. Please do all you can do ensure people know these claims are false."

It's possible that both Vostok Games and West Games have GSC staff members on their books of course, but the situation really needs to be cleared up. It's a shame really. I loved the STALKER games, but have no interest in Survarium because of it's focus on MP. For me, STALKER was all about being engulfed in the sinister atmosphere, exploring a post-apocalyptic world that straddled mysticism and horror.

If it's genuine, Areal might be able to conjure up similar experiences and that makes it a very exciting prospect (on pretty much every format - PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, Windows, Mac and Linux). But as it stands, it could well be one or two former GSC employees trying to cash in. The mere fact that it's a hugely ambitious project, but only requires $50,000 to complete seems dubious to me, despite their explanation. Watch this space I suppose. Or follow the story on EuroGamer.

Generic Dreadhead

I found STALKER to be terrible. Felt like a game from a decade earlier.

ShadowHearth

Cormac... wrote: »

I found STALKER to be terrible. Felt like a game from a decade earlier.

CrinkElite

The kickstarter video makes a lot of claims about the capabilities of their new engine
but they only show game footage from stalker, I'd be very skeptical about this one.
The post you linked from the Survarium forums has been removed btw.

Yeti Beast

CrinkElite wrote: »

The kickstarter video makes a lot of claims about the capabilities of their new engine
but they only show game footage from stalker, I'd be very skeptical about this one.
The post you linked from the Survarium forums has been removed btw.

Yeah, the video now seems to be the main bone of contention with Vostok Games. EuroGamer have now talked to Vostok's PR and marketing manager Oleg Yavorsky. He says;

My biggest concern with West-Games is using the footage and assets of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and representing them as their own, which is not only illegal, but simply just not right

Regarding the claims of the West Games team being made up of "core" GSC members, he says;

Well, some of those people did work for GSC for substantial periods of time. However their role as core team would be overestimated.

For those who didn't see the post on the Survarium forum, it was posted by a Vostok spokesman in the middle of a thread about Areal, but the entire thread has now been deleted. Basically though, his post only comprised of what I quoted above.

A lot of KS pledges have apparently been retracted now. I'd like to hear KickStarter's stance on all this too.

Nody

Yeti Beast wrote: »

STALKER was all about being engulfed in the sinister atmosphere, exploring a post-apocalyptic world that straddled mysticism and horror.

A friend said it well on another board; STALKER is about sitting up on a house in the middle of the night being piss scared about every sound you hear knowing it could be a mutant coming to rip your throat out and loving every minute of it.

Genghiz Cohen

Nody wrote: »

A friend said it well on another board; STALKER is about sitting up on a house in the middle of the night being piss scared about every sound you hear knowing it could be a mutant coming to rip your throat out and loving every minute of it.

It didn't have to be a monster, balls deep in a underground lab in the pitch black, creeping around, suddenly barrels float up into the air.

TomCo

I think this one should be given a wide berth for now.

http://www.miserymod.com/?page_id=1911

ShadowHearth

TomCo wrote: »

I think this one should be given a wide berth for now.

http://www.miserymod.com/?page_id=1911

Why on earth no one goes for Stalker franchise and makes a new one... such a rich setting. Great frachise being burried and if I am not mistaken thats not the first time someone tries to scam on Stalker love.

McSasquatch II

Weirder and weirder.

eurogamer.net/articles/2014-07-21-a-few-extraordinary-pledges-secure-areal-kickstarter-success

pixelburp

Well the Kickstarter campaign is now suspended, as of a couple of hours ago. No reason given just yet. Very strange developments all told; hard to know what to make of it. But rest assured, the potato salad Kickstarter's still going strong!

briany

Thought Metro 2033 was supposed to be the spiritual successor to STALKER??

Cormac... wrote: »

I found STALKER to be terrible. Felt like a game from a decade earlier.

Well, that's a somewhat understandable sentiment because the game was being developed for years and was stuck in development hell for a long time. There are some elements of the game that are a little clunky and wooden, but it's positives way outweigh it's minuses, for me, and I don't really think I've seen a shooter series before or since as complete and rich. Also, it did feel like a shooter from a decade earlier in the sense that it didn't hold your hand. It kicked your ass if it wanted kicking. Shooters have been, sadly, getting dumber since the late 2000s.

Genghiz Cohen

briany wrote: »

Thought Metro 2033 was supposed to be the spiritual successor to STALKER??



Well, that's a somewhat understandable sentiment because the game was being developed for years and was stuck in development hell for a long time. There are some elements of the game that are a little clunky and wooden, but it's positives way outweigh it's minuses, for me, and I don't really think I've seen a shooter series before or since as complete and rich. Also, it did feel like a shooter from a decade earlier in the sense that it didn't hold your hand. It kicked your ass if it wanted kicking. Shooters have been, sadly, getting dumber since the late 2000s.

With a slightly different setting it could have been the System Shock 3 we so badly need.

Cravez

Metro 2033 is a linear (but great) FPS shooter. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R games are more non-linear, open world FPS Shooters with RPG elements. While they share heavily similar themes to the 1977 novel 'Roadside Picnic', I would consider them different games altogether.

ShadowHearth

Cravez wrote: »

Metro 2033 is a linear (but great) FPS shooter. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R games are more non-linear, open world FPS Shooters with RPG elements. While they share heavily similar themes to the 1977 novel 'Roadside Picnic', I would consider them different games altogether.

Indeed. Both games are very different, but both Fantastic in their own way.

briany

Why doesn't somebody with money in pocket just buy the STALKER franchise and re-hire the old team? Areal looks OK, but I'd rather another STALKER game than something that's only maybe a bit like it.

CrinkElite

briany wrote: »

Why doesn't somebody with money in pocket just buy the STALKER franchise and re-hire the old team? Areal looks OK, but I'd rather another STALKER game than something that's only maybe a bit like it.

It's like any other creative medium. You just need the right people at the right time.

The big publishing houses are incapable of even imitating the breakthroughs of ID(original),LookingGlass, Bullfrog, GSC, Monolith, Bohemia etc..

Franchise is worth **** all, you need a genuinely gifted/interested staff.

briany

CrinkElite wrote: »

It's like any other creative medium. You just need the right people at the right time.

The big publishing houses are incapable of even imitating the breakthroughs of ID(original),LookingGlass, Bullfrog, GSC, Monolith, Bohemia etc..

Franchise is worth **** all, you need a genuinely gifted/interested staff.

The staff is worth nothing much if you haven't got a backer either. They kind of need to go together. Maybe we could see a Kickstarter campaign but then again there seems to be a difference in philosophy between developers who made STALKER in the first place, hence the division into at least two different studios, so maybe even with all else in place, the old team wouldn't be all that keen on reuniting.

McSasquatch II

So West Games are still trolling everyone with the recently announced crowdfunding campaign for Stalker Apocalypse (notice that's not an acronym).

Some good news in the meantime is that GCS Gameworld is back in business. Whether or not that means another S.T.A.L.K.E.R. title is yet to be seen, but we can hope!

Genghiz Cohen

McSasquatch II wrote: »

So West Games are still trolling everyone with the recently announced crowdfunding campaign for Stalker Apocalypse (notice that's not an acronym).

Some good news in the meantime is that GCS Gameworld is back in business. Whether or not that means another S.T.A.L.K.E.R. title is yet to be seen, but we can hope!

From that article

But the guys at West Games, that was the STALKER project they were working on - a flash game. So when they promoted themselves as having worked on STALKER, I was quite surprised.

I'm sure everyone is guilty of fluffing their CV a little here and there, but this?