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Hello Stalkers!
If we were to use the simplest of comparisons, we would say that Chernobylite resembles a large building made of many bricks. The bricks symbolize the elements that make up the game, such as graphics, music, 3D models, and also the less obvious ones like day and night mechanics and crafting. However, before these “bricks” were even created, we first had to have an idea for them. And we had to look for them.
Of course, the trips to Chernobyl and the experience with Get Even were quite important in laying the foundations for the new project. However, like any self-respecting game development company, we drew inspiration from many other sources. Including games. After all, we're all gamers.
We were looking for key references primarily in three main areas of the game: setting, story and survival. Let's start with the setting. We knew from the beginning that we wanted to make a game set in the very center of the Exclusion Zone, which we would be able to explore with our companions or compete with them. In this case, the most obvious associations fell on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - a game that popularized the word "stalker" and the image of Chernobyl as a gloomy place overrun by radioactive mutants and mercenaries. This atmospheric title was an important element in the search for an identity for Chernobylite, but not the only one. We also drew inspiration from the Metro series, from which we took some ideas (e.g., acquiring resources and crafting weapons and ammunition from them) and the Fallout series (exploring post-apocalyptic radioactive areas, interacting with the surrounding world).
In addition, there are also paranormal, terrifying phenomena and the fact that we are dealing with a place where time has stopped in the 80s. In this case, we looked to the Stranger Things series for a change, which was also very helpful when creating monsters in the Zone. You can read more about it in the material below.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/5639086788836370509
In the case of history, it is easy to guess which game series we used. Just read this description: the main character ends up in a ghost town in search of a loved one. In this place he is tormented by memories and voices from the past, experiences paranoia, hallucinations, and sometimes he visits other dimensions. Sounds familiar? For many of you, it certainly is. After all, Silent Hill (especially the second part) is the best and most important game ever, and for us too. As fans, we finally had the opportunity to put into practice the lessons we learned from Akira Yamaoka's work years ago.
The last element, survival, was much more difficult. Over the years, a whole lot of games have been created for which survival is the core, but we were looking for something special. In Chernobylite we have the main character who must survive in an unfamiliar environment, with danger around him, and to make matters worse, he must provide for the companions he meets along the way, who also have their own goals to achieve. While looking for the perfect solution, we came across a game that is in line with what we wanted to achieve in Chernobylite. This War of Mine from our compatriots is very much focused on survival in the best sense of the word: it focuses on real problems, flesh and blood people, cooperation and resource management. You have to work both day and night to survive. It's not easy, but no one said it would be. In Chernobylite, you also have to work hard during the day to be able to take care of the health (physical and mental) of your companions at night.
You already know what games we used as references when creating Chernobylite. Of course, if we disassembled the game, there would be a few more titles that helped us better understand the mechanics we wanted to add to the game, and even expand them a bit. However, it was these productions that formed the real basis for us. And the result of this research and consideration is a unique game that you can play today.
In the next report we'll come back to one of these games again because we want to draw your attention to its… title. What does this have to do with Chernobylite? Find out in the next report :)
That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!
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