Chernobylite Complete Edition News

Weekly Report #168

[h3]Hello Stalkers![/h3]
We are gathering more material and information to share in the next reports with you. Get ready, there is a lot of valuable stuff waiting for publication ;) Of course, until then, we don't want to leave you with nothing. How about another batch of videos?

As you remember, at the end of last year we relaunched our YouTube channel. Since then, every week there has been plenty of videos devoted to Chernobyl and everything else related to this place and the events of three decades ago. There is no shortage of topics, because the more research we do, the more we learn things ourselves. And, of course, we share this knowledge with you.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3620362751711309971

Since our last post we have published a lot of new material on our YT channel. For example, here is one which explains how RBMK works.

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We also continue our series concentrating on the HBO series “Chernobyl” and answer what was well-reproduced and what is an element of fiction.

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We have also published the second part of a mini-documentary on the history of the Chernobyl disaster through the eyes of the liquidators.

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From a historical point of view, we look at other events that happened just before the disaster...

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...and we also try to answer the question of where the name "Chernobyl" came from in the first place.

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And now a bit of science. We answer the age-old question that has fired the imagination of gamers around the world: do mutants walk around Chernobyl?

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We also check what it is about those fungi mushrooms that would grow in the Zone and whether they pose a threat to humanity, as shown in the TV series and earlier in the game The Last of Us.

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Hope you'll enjoy watching them :)

Before we finish, we have one more piece of information.

[h2]WE ARE ON TIKTOK![/h2]

If you can't get enough of our original content about Chernobylite and Chernobyl, scan the code below to start watching us.

[h3]That's it for today![/h3]
Take care, Stalkers!

[h3]Do you like Chernobylite? Give us a review.[/h3]

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Weekly Report #167

However, the real story behind the scenes of Chernobylite is a little different and much more interesting. So the time has come for you to learn it as well.

The fact is that we traveled to Chernobyl to collect materials in the form of photos, videos, and, of course, scans of various places in the Zone. However, we were not doing this for the game, but for... an educational software. Maybe some of you don't remember, but long before we released into Early Access a game about a man searching for a lost love from 30 years ago, we were working on two other projects: Get Even and the Chernobyl VR Project. The second one is an app that lets you take a virtual tour of Chernobyl and Pripyat. For us, this was a big thing. Firstly, because it was the first time we used the then-new technology of photogrammetry. And secondly, probably more obvious, was that for the first time we could go to a place about which legends have been created over the years. We could finally see with our own eyes whether radiation-induced mutants were running around the Exclusion Zone!

Spoiler: they weren’t :(

We had a lot of trips to Chernobyl. We collected so much material that we not only managed to recreate all the highlights of the Zone, but even use a significant part of the scans for Get Even. If you look closely, you'll see that some of the locations known from Chernobylite appeared earlier in Get Even, such as a fragment of a school in Pripyat or a bunker from Kopachi. This can be seen especially at the very beginning of the game.

We've mentioned this before, but it's worth mentioning again in this context: there are many more of these similarities between Get Even and Chernobylite (the look of the locations, the properties of Pandora and Ariadne, the dream scenes, etc.). This is because originally Chernobylite was going to be called Get Even 2. However, we eventually moved away from the atmosphere of an abandoned mental institution in favor of another historical location.

However, before any decisions were made about future projects, we still had the Chernobyl VR Project on our minds. We were very happy with this app. After all, it's not every day that an app allowing people to feel as if they were really in Chernobyl is created. We wanted to share the results of our work with the world. We traveled around the convents and showed people the app. They sit down on a chair, put on VR goggles, walk around Pripyat and ask... how to take out a gun. Seriously. There were plenty of similar questions: will a mutant jump out from around the corner? Can I use any weapons? Where are some NPCs?

The reviews of the Chernobyl VR Project let us know that there are people who want to have adventures in the Zone. Maybe this is some idea for a game that could be set at the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. However, we couldn't just immediately throw ourselves into working on a new project without being sure that it would pan out. We needed solid confirmation of our assumption that a game about Chernobyl is what would move players. Some kind of sign.

Such a sign appeared. When we climbed one of the tallest buildings in Chernobyl and looked at the entire Zone from there. It was then that the words "it would be cool to make a game here" were said.

You already know the rest of the story.

[h3]That's it for today![/h3]
Take care, Stalkers!

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Chernobylite Enhanced Edition in Spring Sale!

[h2]Stalkers! [/h2]
Spring is fast approaching us! On this occasion we have special offer for you will! Until March 23, Chernobylite: Enhanced Edition and all DLCs will be available for purchase for 50% off!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1016800/Chernobylite_Enhanced_Edition/

And here’s a list of all DLCs for the game:

So if you haven't had a chance to play Chernobylite so far, now is the best time!

There's still more content to come. Check out the roadmap here.

[h3]Will you join us? Let us know in the comments or on Discord.[/h3]

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Weekly Report #166

[h2]Before we get to the report, a quick announcement![/h2]

We invite you to subscribe to our YouTube channel, where we will regularly publish videos dedicated not only to Chernobylite, but everything related to it.

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[h3]Hello Stalkers![/h3]
We started our next mini-series with the profile of General Kozlov. It was just a warm-up. Today we are serving you material of a much larger caliber. We will tell the story of the woman who started it all.

Tatyana Amalieva, 30, born in Murmansk. The fiancée of Igor Chymynuk, who worked with her at the Chernobyl power plant. She disappears on April 26, 1986, the day of the catastrophe, and after almost 30 years appears in Igor's dreams. Why? Has Igor gone mad and experience hallucinations, and Tatyana is one of them? Or is Tatyana alive and sending him a message from another world? Whatever it is, it is very effective - she lures Igor to Pripyat so that he can find answers to all of his questions. The inspiration of Silent Hill 2 is clearly visible here.

Tatyana is anything but a typical damsel in distress. Igor doesn’t try to rescue her from the master villain's hands, only to find out at the end that the princess is in another castle. Tatyana is a fully independent character who haunts Igor in his dreams. And she does it in two guises: one is ephemeral, caring and loving, and it bases her monologue on sentimental memories. The other is the anguished voice of terror coming from the real Tatyana, trapped somewhere between our world and… well, what?

It's hard to tell Tatyana's story without spoilers. Because, unlike Kozlov, this is not a small piece of history, but a powerful and very important plot element of the entire game. That's why we decided to approach her from a completely different angle. We will tell you how Tatyana was "created".

The role of Tatyana was played by our friend Joanna, a model and 2D artist. If you go to the board in Igor's room and look at scraps of newspapers, documents and photos - it's her work. The few who read the end credits know this. The vast majority, in turn, know her as a mysterious woman in a characteristic red dress who loves to play the violin. Although it wasn't obvious at first that it would look like this.

Traveling to Chernobyl was an opportunity for us not only to collect materials for the game, but also to look for inspiration. Being there, equipped with cameras and huge trunks full of clothes, we were looking for identities for key characters in the game. Thanks to this, you can find a lot of photos on our social media, e.g. Black Stalker wandering around Pripyat in full gear. And if you think that dressing a large man in a stalker outfit is a challenge, how about a walk in a dress in the open field at sub-zero temperatures?

Joanna remembers her trips to Chernobyl well, although working there was not easy. All photos had to be taken early in the morning when there is adequate light. It was necessary to get up early, put on a proper dress, put on make-up and with full equipment in the form of cameras and lamps go to the designated place. It is also worth mentioning that at this time of year (we went there between late autumn and early winter) temperatures rarely exceeded zero degrees Celsius. Joanna took off several layers of jackets for the photo session, and after that she quickly put them back on. It was so cold.

She talks more about her experience on site in the video below.

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Before Tatyana appeared in the game in a distinctive red dress, the concepts for this character changed like a kaleidoscope. Each subsequent fitting of clothes and new make-ups are further attempts to find an answer to the question of who Tatyana is, or rather who she is supposed to be. You can see the effects of our experiments on the numerous photos and materials we took in Chernobyl. Tatyana in a wedding dress, Tatyana in a ballerina costume, Tatyana in a coat, Tatyana... as Alma from F.E.A.R.

Especially the last image of Tatyana impressed the tourists visiting the Zone. Not necessarily ina a positive way, because we scared them a bit too much and got yelled at by them. But hey, in the end it's all about the good effect.

The photos and videos we took were finally used in the game, as exemplified by the videos displayed on the projector or the photos scattered around the Zone. However, it was the red dress that turned out to be a real game changer. In this outfit, Tatyana is standing among the ruins of the former Chernobyl and playing a wistful melody on her beloved violin. This is exactly the picture we wanted: beautiful, even touching, but on the other hand filled with sadness after the loss. But after losing what? You'll have to find out for yourself.

[h3]That's it for today![/h3]
Take care, Stalkers!

[h3]Do you like Chernobylite? Give us a review.[/h3]

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Weekly Report #165

Vladimir Kozlov is a complicated person. He and his brothers joined the Soviet army in 1986 when he was 16 years old. A year later, he was a member of a platoon stationed in Afghanistan. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he continued his career in the newly formed Russian army, becoming one of the youngest generals in history. His brothers died during the war in Chechnya. Instead of retiring, he decided to work as head of security for the secret organization called NAR, where he introduced military rigor.

On one hand, Kozlov is an old-fashioned soldier, faithful to duty, devoted to the army and a hard worker. On the other hand he’s hated and adored by his subordinates in equal measure. He expects a meticulous approach to his duties. In fact, he treats every aspect of his life as a task to be performed and is proud of his achievements. In short, he's the stiff type who is there to follow and give orders. He is very ambitious, and at the same time he lacks compassion and understanding of human weaknesses. This flaw is actually a strength as it makes it easier for Kozlov to make morally questionable decisions.

But Kozlov also has a different side. Much gentler, reserved only for the only surviving family member...

We would like to tell you a bit more about Kozlov from the developers' side, but it's hard to share this knowledge without avoiding spoilers. Therefore, if you haven't played the game yet - do it and then come back here 🙂 Otherwise, you’re welcome to keep reading.

Kozlov originated in our minds as a generically evil character; a ruthless general carrying out nasty orders, whose main role was really to keep the secret behind the entire NAR operation and obscure the identity of the game's REAL antagonist. We wanted him to look like a bad guy, but somewhere inside he wasn't. Hence the plot twist involving two key characters in the game.

The recurring theme in Chernobylite’s story is lies. People lie and try to take advantage of you. You lie and try to survive. Kozlov is in the middle of it all; he is a pawn on a chessboard that can have a significant impact if the game is played wisely by the protagonist.

As you will soon find out, Kozlov is not the only complicated character in Chernobylite. We will discover them together one by one with each new report.

[h3]That's it for today![/h3]
Take care, Stalkers!

[h3]Do you like Chernobylite? Give us a review.[/h3]

[h3]Follow our official channels to stay up to date:[/h3]

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