Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone Preview

I got the chance to check out Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone, developed by The Farm 51. Kickstarted by 2,380 backers and successfully funded on the 14th of February, this is an RPG  that takes players into the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and beyond… technically. In a running theme for me, I didn’t play the previous game, but this seemed interesting, so I decided to see what it has to offer.

First off, I want to talk about the demo’s actual file size, which is 115 GB. That's a little too big for my liking to be taking up storage on my PC; this is supposed to be a small slice of what's to come, right? Because the demo was only 88 minutes for me.

The game’s story is about Cole Grey, a Planewalker who travels to alternate dimensions to harvest Chernobylite for his home reality to use, whether they want to or not. However, a mission goes wrong, and he ends up waking up 9 months later, trapped in a radiation-filled hellscape. Now, he must do his best to survive the Exclusion Zone, locate his friends, and find a way home. For those who played the previous game, you’ll see familiar faces but won’t have experienced the same events; it is an alternate dimension, after all. I noticed that characters reacted to my actions in-game rather than just dialogue, which is a nice feature and makes role-playing much more impactful.

The combat has quite a bit of variety. Melee combat, at least in third-person, is very similar to DARK SOULS, with dodge rolling, backstabs, and stamina management. Shooting is more traditional, either in both first person and third person views, allowing you to gun down anything in your way as long as you have good aim. Finally, you can harness the essence of Chernobylite and radiation through special gloves to cast… well, magic. Seriously, you can cast fireballs and ice blasts as if you’re a magician. It feels weird to be doing that in a game like this, but it’s fun.

This is all-encompassed by the various classes you can choose. There are six of them with their own stats, bonuses, and playstyles: Eliminator (Melee), Recon (Melee/Ranged), Emissary (Ranged), Technician (Ranged/Essence), Scientist (Essence), and Chernomancer (Melee/Essence). How you build Cole will affect more than just the moment-to-moment gameplay and what gear you can equip, but how you interact with characters and solve problems like any good RPG. However, you aren’t set in your ways once you choose a class as there is a system that will allow you to change your build, although this wasn’t available in the demo, as well as skills, faction reputation, and all the other fun stuff. There’s a freaking air dash, and I want that.

You will need to maintain your Vitals as you travel around the Zone. Your mind, blood, heart, nervous system, muscles, and even your skin can be affected by your adventures, suffering various conditions that will debilitate you. Killing humans will warp your heart, radiation can seep into your bloodstream, and sprinting will make you tired and affect your mind. It can be pretty intense, even in the little I played. You can do this with a friend in online co-op, but only for specific missions in the campaign.

Chernobylite 2 brings back base building from the previous game, allowing you to create a home exactly how you want it. Turn a simple warehouse into a fully functioning armoury with labs and gunsmiths to keep your items stocked and equipment maintained. I got a little worried after my experience with Fallout 4’s base building, but it was quite easy to get a grasp of.

Aside from some performance issues due to the game requiring an SSD that I don’t have, Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone seems like it’ll be a good time, with a dramatic story that will force you to choose sides and gameplay that will keep you hooked. I look forward to further developments.