STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl looks amazing: drops on April 28, 2022

It will have been 15 years since the release of the original STALKER when STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl is released, with developer GSC GameWorld announcing a release date of April 28, 2022.

A brand new gameplay video was unleashed during the Xbox E3 2021 showcase, with STALKER 2 also renamed to STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl. The new STALKER 2 gameplay footage teased everything we need to see: the graphics, the open-world, gameplay, the guns, enemies, and more.

The graphics are mighty impressive, with some of the best lighting and shadows that I've seen in a game, and a huge upgrade to the facial animations. Even when one of the characters walks across a plank of wood at the 2:20 mark or so, the plank is loose and so it moves as he steps over it... just a really nice touch in an otherwise beautifully detailed (with amazing lighting and shadows) scene.

• Read more: This is our very first look at STALKER 2 -- with in-game footage shown
• Read more: STALKER 2 has new protagonist, a stalker named Skif
• Read more: STALKER 2: Xbox and PC exclusive for 3 months, sorry PS5 gamers

STALKER 2 will be running at 4K with ray tracing on the Xbox Series X console, with "unparalleled loading times, visuals, responsiveness" and up to 120FPS support. I'm sure it won't be at 4K and more like 1080p 120FPS for a game as good-looking as STALKER 2.

"S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl is a brand-new entry in the legendary series, enjoyed by millions of players worldwide.

The unique combination of first-person shooter, immersive sim, and horror is back. With unprecedented scale, advanced graphics, freedom of choices and the thickest atmosphere of a deadly adventure, it's going to be the ultimate S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience.

Welcome to The Zone - an area of exclusion around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Full of radiation, mutants and anomalies, it keeps drawing adventurers from beyond the perimeter. Bounty hunters dwell deep into the Zone, driven by its treasures and mysteries. These people are known as stalkers.

Are you ready to become one of them?"

STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl is also another game that Xbox Game Pass subscribers will play on day one, kicking off on April 28, 2022. On the PC you'll need some grunt, with developer GSC Game World wanting an SSD as a minimum, and 150GB of storage on top.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl is penciled in for April 28, 2022 - but I'm sure in a sea of delayed games over the last few years, that this release might slip -- but let's hope not -- because it looks fantastic so far.