[Playing…] STALKER Anomaly 1.5.1. (first impressions)

From time to time a video game appears that seems to hate the player, torturing them with its difficulty, with the little help it gives you or with the trolling it gives you. darksouls He is famous for it. Stalker Anomaly also.

It was developed as a mod of my dear Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl, but much more difficult (as if it weren't already). Using the original game map with expansions, adds a couple of game modes, apart from Story mode (point for the developers). So far I have tried the Sandbox mode, where you can move throughout The Zone with all zones unlocked. And most importantly, you can choose any of the 9 factions that make up the game. Even the fucking creeps at Monolith who shoot anyone who isn't themselves? Yes. With total freedom.

Stalker Anomaly brings us mild visual improvements with respect to the original game. Meteorological components have improved thanks to the new graphics engine they use (which is not very difficult for a game that came out so long ago), details of the use of gas masks, glow effects, and most importantly, the weapons no longer look terribly obnoxious! And they have added a huge amount, both of weapons and items.

This has a reason. They have taken very seriously trying to emulate realism at a survival level. Really, very seriously. If you want to look at the map you have to search your inventory for the PDA, equip it, make sure it has a battery (or, if not, you're screwed), take it out as if it were a weapon and... Then, only then, can you look at the map. If you want to change that ugly outfit for a vest with better features, then you have to take it off. And wait. A little more. Just a second... Okay, you've already taken off your outfit. Now equip the vest... Wait. Wait a minute, you're putting it on. And… You've already put it on. Even changing clothes takes a realistic amount of time according to the object! Breaking that barrier between gameplay and realism forces you to come across these things that, having internalized as players, become a problem or a real stress.

Survival is where it is most evident.. When you are damaged by losing life, it is usually accompanied by a bleeding effect (this, in itself, is not something new), but not only that. Your character may suffer other effects, such as hyperventilating due to the shock produced, or if you lose a lot of blood, starting to become dazed, making your vision go away as if you were close to losing consciousness (as used in the cinematics of many video games, but without being cinematic), even if it has been due to an impact or crash, the that you drop your equipment that you had on you.

And what can try to kill you in the game? Almost absolutely everything. It's absurd how easily you can die. in the game, and not because it is poorly designed. Do you remember when I told you that Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl Was it a difficult game? I laugh at it after trying it Stalker Anomaly. It seems that enemy generation is random, being able to come across invisible enemies at the beginning, with the strongest in the game or with members of random factions (within a logic, people from enemy factions will not be generated in the faction bases). But not only that, anomalies will also have that effect. They are much less noticeable than in the original game, camouflaging itself damn well with the scenery and doing a realistic percentage of damage depending on what type of anomaly it was. You have to walk with eight eyes looking everywhere and paying close attention to what is in front of you, or it will be your downfall. Cualquier encontronazo que tengas con alguna bestia mutante de la zona será de peligro mortal, incluso si fuese un simple perro lo que te cruzases. ¿Y los que son de facciones enemigas? Esos, todavía peor. Además, no esperes que el looteo que consigas va a ser una salvación.

Prácticamente todas las armas que te encuentras estarán extraordinariamente deterioradas y tendrás que repararlas en algún sitio incluso si quisieses venderlas, o si no no te las comprará ningún comerciante. Tampoco esperes una guía en el juego que asesore al jugador qué hacer o cómo manejarte por el juego. Parece que te dice: «Va a ser que no, crack. Asumo que eres un verdadero Stalker curtido en las demás entregas, no te voy a ayudar una mierda. Así que ale, a sobrevivir en La Zona, y que no te vea llorando por las esquinas, ¿eh?».

Y no, no está mal hecho este juego (ya me he acostumbrado a tratarle como a una entrega propia y no como a un mod). Todo tiene su maldito sentido. Me da rabia y gusto hablar de todo, porque es verdaderamente un reto. En lo poco que he jugado puedo afirmar que es el shooter más exigente que me he topado, y el más complejo juego de supervivencia en primera persona que se me ha cruzado, de momento, por delante. El juego te va a dar tanto como tú le des. Vas a sufrir mucho, gracias a lo cual te hará aprender, como el fenómeno Dark Souls but in shooter. Y si lo que buscas es un reto, un señor RETO, este juego tiene lo que buscas.

Señoras y señores, damas y caballeros, Stalker Anomaly. Disponible gratuitamente aquí.