Games

Original STALKER Trilogy Launching On Another Platform

Published

3 months ago

October 9, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

STALKER: Legends of the Zone arrives on the Nintendo Switch on October 31, earlier than expected.
The original trilogy collection includes gameplay changes, optimization for the Switch’s display modes, gyro controls, and touchscreen functionality where applicable.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be an Xbox exclusive when it releases in November, with no PlayStation 5 version planned.

The STALKER: Legends of the Zone trilogy collection will arrive on the Nintendo Switch at the end of October. The original three games in the STALKER series were to be released for Switch in November, but there was no specific date. The trilogy’s release has been moved up to the fans’ delight.

STALKER: Legends of the Zone was shadowdropped on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on March 6, 2024, and later on June 27, it was released for PlayStation 4. The collection brought the games Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat with several gameplay changes, such as remapping controls for gamepads, the addition of an item wheel, modifying some in-game locations to the Ukrainian spelling, several UI changes, and the inclusion of trophies and achievements. A version of STALKER: Legends of the Zone for Switch was announced in August.

STALKER 2 Shows Off Stunning Open World

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl shows off the improved environment of the Zone and Prypiat in the latest trailer, Not a Paradise.

In a trailer, developer GSC Game World revealed that the release date of the STALKER trilogy for Switch had been moved up and will now arrive on October 31. The games will be available individually or as a complete bundle. The Switch versions have been optimized to support all the console’s display modes, including TV, handheld, and tabletop, along with incorporating gyro controls and touchscreen functionality where applicable.

STALKER: Legends of the Zone Trilogy Switch Release Date Trailer

STALKER: Legends of the Zone will launch for Switch on October 31.

For those unfamiliar, STALKER is a series of first-person shooter games with horror and RPG elements, set in a dark, sci-fi, post-apocalyptic world around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The series is highly acclaimed for its unique worldbuilding and gameplay, and it’s considered by many to be one of the best post-apocalyptic games, even though its experience can be a bit rough around the edges.

With the release of STALKER: Legends of the Zone on Switch, the trilogy will be available on all major consoles. GSC Game World hasn’t commented on the reason for the early release, but previously, the trilogy was slated to launch in the same month as the upcoming STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, which is set to release on November 20. STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be an Xbox exclusive, and in various interviews, the developers stated that there are no plans for a PlayStation 5 version, as they are currently focusing solely on Xbox Series X/S.

Their efforts seem to be paying off because, according to Digital Foundry’s John Linneman, who tested the sequel at Gamescom, STALKER 2 will run at 60 FPS while delivering “great image quality.” The game has faced numerous delays, all justified by GSC Game World as part of further polishing. With the release so close in November, another delay would bum out most fans eagerly waiting.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Chornobyl Exclusion Zone has changed dramatically after the second massive explosion in year 2006. Violent mutants, deadly anomalies, warring factions have made the Zone a very tough place to survive. Nevertheless, artifacts of unbelievable value attracted many people called S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, who entered the Zone for their own risk striving to make a fortune out of it or even to find the Truth concealed in the Heart of Chornobyl.

EPIC NONLINEAR STORY IN SEAMLESS OPEN WORLD
Take over a role of the lone stalker and explore photorealistic seamless open world in a 64-km² radioactive zone with a variety of environments that reveal post-apocalyptic atmosphere from different angles. Make your way through the Zone to define your destiny as you choose your paths within highly branching epic story.

VARIETY OF ENEMIES AND HUNDREDS OF WEAPON COMBINATIONS
Meet members of different factions deciding who of them worth your friendship and who deserve a bullet. Engage intense gunfights with a variety of enemies that follow different tactics trying to outsmart you. Choose your preferable firearms from 30+ types of weapons with numerous modifications that allow creating hundreds of distinctive lethal combinations.

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