Chernobylite wouldn't be the first game to send us barreling into the aftermath of the Chernobyl catastrophe, under-prepared and ill-equipped to face the supernatural horrors that stalk the infamous power plant and surrounding exclusion zone, but it's among the most interesting!
The Farm51, the developer behind Get Even and Painkiller Hell and Damnation, is building a game of choice, consequence, and unrelenting terror. If you're looking for a point of reference, Chernobylite might just be what you'd get were you to cross Metro Exodus with State of Decay. You'll have the freedom to choose your approach to the story and combat, craft gear and weapons to better equip yourself for survival, all while building and supporting a team of untrustworthy companions to help you through it all.
It's this blend of non-linear storytelling, where you're able to decide what happens to the world and people around you, mixed with compelling RPG elements and survival horror shooting that has really caught our attention. Well, that and The Farm 51 once again putting its ever-impressive 3D scanning technology to use, building a haunting recreation of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone for us to explore.
And you'll want to explore. Chernobylite pushes you to get out there and investigate the world. This is key, as you'll need to be on the lookout for resources to keep your companions alive, as well as data and information that could shape future choices out in the world. The Farm 51 promises that there is a way to amend your past decisions with strange devices but… well, altering reality can have dire consequences, and the last thing you need is a new breed of savage creature pouring out of the irradiated woods.
Chernobylite is undoubtedly an ambitious game. It's got a little something for everyone, coming together as a package that eagerly promotes replayability and demands your full attention. While many will certainly be eager to point a weapon at supernatural entities, it's the survival aspects that will define Chernobylite: supplies can run out, companions can die, one bad decision can thrust the Exclusion Zone further into the realm of living nightmares.
The Farm 51 has been steadily streamlining and improving its sci-fi survival game through Early Access for the past 16 months and the studio is almost at the finish line, ready to unleash its RPG-shooter hybrid onto an unsuspecting world.
