S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Pripyat Euro Dates

Koch Media has announced the release date for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call to Pripyat for the UK, Italy and Nordic markets as February 5th, in line with the NA release:

Koch Media Announces Distribution Agreement for S.T.A.L.K.E.R : Call of Pripyat in UK, Nordic and Italy

UK Street Date confirmed as 5th February 2010

Koch Media, a leading distributor and publisher of video games today announced their partnership with bitComposer Games to distribute the forthcoming title S.T.A.L.K.E.R : Call of Pripyat in the UK, Nordic and Italian markets, while also confirming that the game will be available to buy in those territories on February 5th 2010.

“After the distribution success we saw with S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear Sky we are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue our involvement with the franchise through bitComposer and Call of Pripyat” states Craig McNicol, Managing Director, Koch Media UK.

“We look forward to working with Koch Media and anticipate a very successful release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat”, says Wolfgang Duhr, Director of bitComposer Games.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat takes PC gamers once again into the deadly area surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion of 1986. Cordoned off by the military, this highly contaminated "Zone" is scoured by treasure hunters known as STALKERS, who search the wasted lands for unique artifacts. In the role of Agent Alexander Degtyarev, players must go undercover as a S.T.A.L.K.E.R., to investigate the mysterious disappearance of five military helicopters while facing off against various S.T.A.L.K.E.R. factions.

Using the time-tested X-Ray graphic engine developed by GSC, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat skillfully combines first-person shooter action with role-playing elements in a realistic post-atomic world now with DirectX11 support. The grim realities of this deadly environment are underscored by the many desolate industrial ruins, reproduced using aerial pictures and the developers' own photographs. Mutants, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. groups, and lethal anomalies are everywhere, posing a constant threat to the player. The thrilling story is advanced through numerous quests, taking gamers through such diverse areas as a secret military base, the Jupiter factory site, and the city of Pripyat. The player decides how far to explore and which tasks they undertake – freedom determines the game play. Other S.T.A.L.K.E.R. groups respond to the player in a friendly or hostile manner, depending on the group to which they belong. In this ever-dangerous world, the player is supported by various weapon systems and upgrades, as well as several types of equipment.

More information.

For me, the original game was great, and in fact I'm giving it another playthrough with the Stalker Complete mod which updates the graphics. The Sequel, however, was another story-- boring, non-immersive and a major disappointment. I never finished it.

So what do we have here? Will it be the Matrix trilogy all over again, or will the third installment actually capture some of the charm of the original? Time will tell.

Originally Posted by migwell
So what do we have here? Will it be the Matrix trilogy all over again, or will the third installment actually capture some of the charm of the original? Time will tell.

Well so far most of the reviews have been very positive. I'm actually getting Windows 7 so I can at least use DX10 when I play it.

I bought the Ruskie version off of Ebay back when it was released cause I'm an impatient idiot. There were fan-made english subs but the ones I tried were so-so. I'm not sure whether I'll buy the English version when it comes out, maybe there'll be some way to hax the English localization into my copy.

Anyways, my verdict on what I played would definitely be a must-buy. It feels much more like the first STALKER rather than Clear Sky, but really, it feels pretty unique as well. What it does well is take the great atmosphere from the first one as well as the general gameplay improvements of Clear Sky (like weapon upgrading) and combine them. I really enjoyed what I played and think they did a wonderful job.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Well so far most of the reviews have been very positive. I'm actually getting Windows 7 so I can at least use DX10 when I play it.

I keep putting off installing Win7 - got it on the $50 pre-sale, but it requires a full wipe and install and I'm constantly playing *something* …

I split my 1TB hard drive into 2 partitions the last time I reformatted because I was already looking ahead to Win 7. This way, all I have to do is install it on the other partition, and choose which OS I want when I boot up.

What does the reviews say about Call of Pripyat?

I like the bold stalkers, but somehow I'm very doubtful about the content. Does it really bring anything new?

Nothing new. Just the best of the old. And nearly bug-free. Best Stalker yet, according to the reviews.

Sounds like a "must buy" to me.

Especially if it combines "the great atmosphere from the first one" and "the general gameplay improvements of Clear Sky (like weapon upgrading)", as Starwars says.

Though I could do without the excessive bandage usage. Bleeding to death from a very minor wound is annoying.

Originally Posted by Gorath
Nothing new. Just the best of the old. And nearly bug-free. Best Stalker yet, according to the reviews.

The best of the old is better than I could hope for. Clear Sky tried to do too many things and failed.

The original is quite good so there is no need to improve it too much. All I really would want are some tweaks here and there, make sure it's bug free, a new plot, and some new areas. That sounds like one good game to me.

And me. A tweaked and polished STALKER would definitely be on my list.

Originally Posted by Gorath
Nothing new. Just the best of the old. And nearly bug-free. Best Stalker yet, according to the reviews.

Sounds sweet … can't wait.