Chernobylite is a Science Fiction Survival Horror RPG. Set in the hyper-realistic, 3D scanned wasteland of Chernobyl’s exclusion zone. You take on the role of Igor, a physicist and ex-employee of the Chernobyl Power Plant, returning to Pripyat to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his fiancee, 30 years prior. Compete with the hostile military presence, other stalkers and supernatural creatures, as well as the harsh and unforgiving environment in your search to uncover the truth...

You start the game with one comrade and an empty building

Chernobylite is a combat survival FPS RPG set 30 years after Russia's Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. You play as a physicist who was employed at the plant and for some reason, 30 years on, decides to return to look for his fiance. Thirty years have come and gone, so what are the chances that she's still alive? It doesn't matter, as it's closure he's really after.

You start the game in a base overlooking the city. You have one comrade and an empty building. As you venture out into the city, on supply raids, you'll find other material you can bring back to the base. This material will help you slowly build up your base to be more comfortable, as well as constructing work benches to build and upgrade weapons or grow food.

Choose a mission for yourself and each comrade/s

The days basically goes like this: Choose a mission for yourself and comrade/s (each of your team goes on a separate mission). The missions either further expand on the story or you can go on supply raids (split into ammo / food / medicine). When you embark on the mission you can either head straight for the supply drop or other main quest, or you can wander around picking up useful supplies as well as heading towards other points of interest. By using your scanner you can quickly see where any useful items are hiding. However, the scanner doesn't show the position of any armed guard patrols. For those you'll have to keep your eyes and ears open and either sneak past them, sneak up on them and dispatch them quietly or go in guns blazing. Once you've completed your main task and finished savaging, you can open up a portal and return to your base.

Once back at base you get a run down on how everyone's missions went. Next you have to decide how to divide up the daily food rations, before heading back into the bowels of the base to use the resources you've picked up. Then it's off to beddy-byes... unless you want to watch a rather creepy montage video of your fiance which can be projected on your bedroom wall. The next morning, you're all ready to engage in more of the same.

Unlock additional enhancements for your base

Part of the enjoyment of this game is unlocking additional enhancements for your base which then help you with your missions: better weapons, stronger herb based drinks to heal you and combat the effects of radiation. You also need to keep your spirits high - usually this is achieved by drinking a bottle of vodka.

As the days roll on, you soon realise that the enemy guards are not all that you need to be fearful of. There are other, weirder things lurking in the shadows. You'll also come across traders in the wasteland. These individuals all have their own personalities (most of them are more than a little eccentric, to say the least) and you can trade items with them to help you in your quest. You'll also, eventually, get to recruit members to join your team. In this instance it's a good idea to ensure you build beds and walled off areas so they have their own private quarters.

As you travel back to the same places time and time again, you soon get used to the environment. Just make sure you always look out for the green mist - this represents deadly radioactive areas and you're best advised to go around it rather than blunder through it.

Use your scanner to see where any useful items are hiding

The story opens out at just the right pace, slow enough for you to be surprised by events, but not so slow that you get bored of just going through the motions.

I did find a couple of bugs, the most annoying one (which was fixed once I reloaded from the previous checkpoint) saw me being killed by an unknown enemy (which on subsequent plays was visible) that trapped me in a doorway so I was unable to move.

Encouraging news is the studio is already planning to release more content over the next 14 months in the form of 6 DLCs (including paid and free content). Each DLC will introduce a mix of new missions, monsters, weapons, game modes, and much more.

It's a great game that you'll get more out of the more you put in. It's not a case of just rushing blindly into missions. Take a bit of time, thinking about what you're low on, before you head out and you'll be playing this for months.

8

Darren Rea