S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Lost Alpha—Director's Cut

PC Gamer checked out the free Stalker: Lost Alpha—Director's Cut:

Stalker: Lost Alpha—Director's Cut is the post-apocalyptic shooter at its best

Perhaps the definitive Stalker, and it’s free.

There is a scene in the classic Tarkovsky film Stalker, the game’s inspiration, where a fog rolls in and seems to change the landscape. The enigmatic Zone shifts around its guests, turning the familiar into the strange. Lost Alpha, an effort to recreate a version of Shadow of Chernobyl that never made it to the public, is like this. It’s a space you know and yet nothing is where you remember it. Those familiar with the games will wonder in confidence only to find themselves lost.

In that sense Lost Alpha was a remix. Not an improved or ‘ideal’ version of the original Stalker but rather a reimagining of it. Familiar components were reshuffled. Areas were redesigned, made bigger. New ones were created entirely. The story was the same yet followed a different series of events on way to its conclusion. There were new set pieces littered throughout that gave some direction to a traditionally formless experience. It wasn’t always enjoyable, however. An adventure through Lost Alpha exposed why the creators probably dispensed with certain ideas, such as huge stretches of empty levels and unforgiving set pieces ill-suited to Stalker’s kind of gunplay. Though in making the familiar new again, Lost Alpha was certainly an interesting experience.

The Developer’s Cut, then, is an attempt to turn the original Lost Alpha into a polished, coherent experience. This starts with the visuals. This is easily the best-looking version of any Stalker game and certainly the most appealing for modern players. Time hasn’t been kind to the character models but the environments, lighting and weather still have the power to make you pause. Nowhere in gaming has ever captured my imagination quite like the Zone, the radioactive and twisted world surrounding this alternate universe Chernobyl. None of the ambience has been lost here. Washed out landscapes and dreary buildings remain but with a dose of lush foliage and high-res textures, the Zone is able to exist in the haunting beauty you recall instead of the now dated version from 2007.

[…]

Thanks henriquejr!

More information.

I have all three S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games on GOG, but I played and finished only the first one.
I always dreamt of modding my S.T.A.L.K.E.R to a more beautiful world, but I think my current video card will not <ahem> respond properly <ahem> to this. (I have a GTX 760 4 GB VRAM).

Anyone who tried this Lost Alpha mod (as well as others) can tell me if the modded game does really need a beefy video card in order to run great on 1080p? (No, I'm not trying 4K or 1440p in near future).

Originally Posted by henriquejr
I always dreamt of modding my S.T.A.L.K.E.R to a more beautiful world, but I think my current video card will not <ahem> respond properly <ahem> to this. (I have a GTX 760 4 GB VRAM).

I haven't tried this particular mod, but I think a GTX 770 should be fine after watching some gameplay videos. Just Google the system requirements.

One of the most atmospheric games.

Originally Posted by JDR13
I haven't tried this particular mod, but I think a GTX 770 should be fine after watching some gameplay videos. Just Google the system requirements.

Sometimes, just googling the requirements doesn't answer your doubts regarding performance. Theoretically, things are meant to work in one way; in practice, sometimes they don't.

By asking that question, what I meant was: someone who tried using Lost Alpha mod (or any other STALKER mod intended to beautify the game's graphics) actually managed to get good frames per second? If so, were you using a video card as old as mine?

Loved this series, but have to be honest - this mod is a real PITA to download, install, and configure.

Honestly I don't get it or they don't get it. GSC Game World fell victim to graphics creep and apparently so did these modders. Maybe it's just me but the graphics had near zero to do with why this is a great concept and potential game. They get blinded by 'shiny', nearly abandon design and gameplay.

It was freaking night/dark 50% of the time, where everyone was the most scared, shocked and terrorize by the game, so where the fucking hell are the great graphics in the dark.