Postle dolgojdannogo exit Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, which has already sold a million copies, fans have begun to wonder about the game's key system - A-Life 2.0. This system was supposed to be an improvement on the original A-Life, making the Zone truly alive and unpredictable. However, at the time of release it turned out to be broken, which did not escape the attentive eyes of players.

A-Life 2.0 was announced as one of the main innovations, allowing to simulate the behavior of NPCs and enemies independently of the player's actions. However, in the released version of the game, its work turned out to be very limited: NPCs spawn more often at scripted points near the player, than follow complex simulation algorithms.

Something went wrong?

According to Maria Grigorovich, creative director of GSC Game World, the system encountered problems at the stage of game optimization. To improve performance, the developers reduced the scope of A-Life 2.0. Now NPCs appear in online mode only near the player, and in the rest of the map they are in an offline state.

"This system requires significant memory resources," Grigorovich explains. "During the optimization process, we reduced the distance at which the system is visualized, and also encountered a number of bugs. For example, NPCs appeared in the air instead of the ground."

Criticism from players has increased after references to A-Life 2.0 were removed from Steam game pages. Instead, a general text about advanced AI appeared. Maria noted that the text was changed without her consent: a member of the marketing team decided that newcomers would not understand what A-Life was.

The Future of A-Life 2.0

Maria Grigorovich and GSC CEO Ievgen Grigorovich assure that the team is actively working on fixing the system. However, the deadline for completing the work has not been announced: some employees continue to work in difficult conditions in Ukraine, facing power and internet outages.

"We owe it to our players," says Maria. "We'll bring the A-Life 2.0 mention back to the Steam page once the system is fixed."

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GSC Game World released a patch 1.0.3 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, which fixes critical bugs, improves controls and solves problems with missions. The developers continue to improve the game, focusing on feedback from players.

Main changes of patch 1.0.3:

Fixing crashes and memory leaks:

• Numerous bugs have been fixed ACCESS_VIOLATION_ERROR.
• Fixed crashes with error LowLevelFatalError.

Control settings:

• Reduced input lag for keyboard and mouse. Disabled by default:
  • Mouse smoothness.
  • Mouse acceleration.
• Updated sensitivity parameters:
  • Camera sensitivity: 25%.
  • Aiming sensitivity: 15%.

Main and side mission fixes:

• Fixed an issue where Monoliths could chase the player outside of the X-5 Lab.
• Fixed issue with NPC death during mission At the edge of the abyss.
• Fixed the issue where Bayun the Cat would disappear before collecting the collar in the mission In the name of science.
• Fixed a bug with the player getting stuck in the mission Dangerous Liaisons.
• Fixed issues with NPC Roosevelt aggression and NPC Sava disappearing in missions king of the hill и heavy burden.

AI and balance:

• Fixed stretching of mutant bodies after automatic fire.
• Fixed NPC actions blocking doors in mission Return to the slag heap.
• Sidorovich now correctly sells all types of ammunition.

Saves:

• Fixed issues with saves disappearing after a forced system reboot.

The patch is now available for download. GSC Game World assured that it will continue to work on optimization and fixing remaining problems.

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Game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will not run on graphics cards that do not have hardware support for ray tracing. Ray tracing is a mandatory feature and is enabled by default. It cannot be disabled, which makes running the game on graphics cards such as the NVIDIA GTX 1080 or AMD RX 5700 completely unavailable, despite similar performance to the models specified in the minimum system requirements.

Minimum requirements include NVIDIA RTX 2060 SUPER and AMD RX 6600, but the key differentiator is the presence of hardware ray tracing. A patch is expected on December 9 that will add support for full path tracing, which will further increase the hardware requirements.

Players planning to purchase the game are advised to ensure that their graphics card supports hardware ray tracing to avoid launch issues.

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Bethesda and MachineGames have released the full global release schedule Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The game will be available for all on December 9, but owners early access will be able to start their adventure already 6 December.

The full schedule by region is as follows:

Early Access (December 6):

• London: 00:00 GMT
• Paris: 01:00 CET
• Berlin: 01:00 CET
• New York: 19:00 PM EST (December 5)
• Los Angeles: 16:00 PM PST (December 5)
• Tokyo: 09:00 JST
• Seoul: 09:00 KST
• Hong Kong: 08:00 HKT
• Uppsala: 01:00 CET
• Delhi: 05:30 IST
• Riyadh: 03:00 AST
• Sydney: 11:00 AEDT
• Auckland: 13:00 NZDT
• Sao Paulo: 21:00 BRT (December 5)

Full release (December 9):

• London: 00:00 GMT
• Paris: 01:00 CET
• Berlin: 01:00 CET
• New York: 19:00 PM EST (December 8)
• Los Angeles: 16:00 PM PST (December 8)
• Tokyo: 09:00 JST
• Seoul: 09:00 KST
• Hong Kong: 08:00 HKT
• Uppsala: 01:00 CET
• Delhi: 05:30 IST
• Riyadh: 03:00 AST
• Sydney: 11:00 AEDT
• Auckland: 13:00 NZDT
• Sao Paulo: 21:00 BRT (December 8)

Each of these locations is ready to welcome players at a pre-determined time. Check your local schedule to make sure you don’t miss your chance to go on an exciting adventure!

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle — is not just a game, but a journey through time and space. Pre-order or purchase one of the special editions to begin your adventure on December 6.

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Bethesda Softworks and MachineGames presented release trailer first person action adventure Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which takes players into a thrilling world of mystery and adventure in 1937.

The game's plot takes place between the events of the films. "Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark" и "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". Players take on the role of a legendary archaeologist and must stop the forces of evil that seek to uncover the secrets Great Circle — a source of ancient and dangerous power.

The game offers Exciting travels around the world, including the Vatican, Egypt and other iconic locations. Each level combines action, challenging puzzles and intriguing characters. Indiana uses his signature whip for combat, stealth and overcoming obstacles. The gameplay includes both linear missions and open maps with many secrets, allowing each player to explore the world to their taste.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle comes out already 9 December for Xbox Series X|S and PC, while PlayStation 5 owners will be able to enjoy the game in spring 2025. This release is becoming one of the main events of the month, along with Path of Exile 2.

The release trailer promises a rich atmosphere, dynamic gameplay and a story that will be a worthy addition to the legendary franchise. Indiana Jones fans can get ready for new discoveries and exciting adventures!

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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the long-awaited action adventure from MachineGames, will delight players on December 9. However, for those who want to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of adventure earlier, there is a Collector's Edition with unique bonuses, including early access on December 6th.

Collector's Edition includes:

• 11" The Great Circle Globe with magnetic airplane and hidden storage compartment.
• Steelbook showcase, which will be a decoration of any collection.
• New Adventure Journal, inspired by the theme of the game.
• A copy of the relic Allmaker with a digital code for the premium edition.

Also included is the contents Digital Premium Edition:

• Addition The Order of Giants Story.
• Costume Temple of Doom.
• Digital art book.
• Early access With 6 December.

A bonus set is available for those who pre-order any edition, including the standard one. The Last Crusade Pack, including a travel suit and a cosmetic whip Lion Tamer.

Collector's Edition, previously a Walmart exclusive, is now available for pre-order on Amazon. This edition is perfect for the true Indiana Jones fan, offering not only an unforgettable gaming experience, but also collectibles that will highlight your love for the franchise.

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As it became known, Crysis 3 game source code from Crytek studio appeared online. The archive with the data was leaked back in 2020, but until recently it remained password protectedThe code was cracked only four years later, and it turned out that the password was surprisingly simple: "123123".

If the protection had been more complex, the archive might have remained closed. Now, thanks to the access we have gained, modders will be able to work freely with the game, create modifications and explore the internal mechanics. Moreover, the source code can hide interesting secrets, left behind by Crytek developers, such as unused features, content, or even hidden Easter eggs.

Such leaks often cause controversy in the gaming industry. On the one hand, they allow the modding community to unlock the potential of games and extend their lifespan. On the other hand, they endanger the intellectual property of developers and create risks for the company.

Crysis 3 was released in 2013 and has long been considered a benchmark for graphics and technological advancement in the gaming industry. Thanks to the leaked source code, the game's popularity among the community may once again increase. Perhaps we will see new modifications, graphical improvements, or even projects inspired by the original game.

Crytek developers have not yet commented on the incident. However, a leak of this scale is unlikely to go unnoticed.

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CD Projekt announced the transition The Witcher 4 (Project Polaris) in the stage "full-scale production", and also explained the reason for changing the engine from its own REDengine to Unreal Engine 5.

According to CD Projekt VP of Technology Charles Tremblay, the transition is related to large-scale changes in its approach to development. The company is now working on several major projects simultaneously, including a sequel Cyberpunk 2077 (Project Orion) and a new RPG (Hadar). The REDengine turned out to be too complex for multitasking, so the decision was made to collaborate with Epic Games, the creators of Unreal Engine 5.

"That's not to say the REDengine was bad," Tremblay said. "We're proud of that engine. But to realize our ambitions, to work with open worlds and to build multiple projects at once, Unreal Engine became a logical choice».

The new engine allows teams exchange experiences, technology and resources, and focus on creating content rather than fixing technical issues. This is especially important after a difficult release Cyberpunk 2077, when the studio encountered optimization problems on different platforms.

The Witcher 4, according to the developers, will be bigger and better past projects of the studio. The game is being developed taking into account the experience and mistakes of the past so that fans receive a quality product.

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Players are eagerly awaiting Path of Exile 2, the early access launch of which is scheduled for 6 December, but already now information and gameplay materials have appeared on the network that violate embargo developers. Popular YouTube channel Fextralife accidentally posted a video of an early version of the game, causing a storm of discussion in the community.

Grinding Gear Games, the game's developers, quickly removed the materials and commented on the incident: "We have provided access to a review version of the game to some gaming media. They are allowed to share their impressions, but are prohibited from publishing guides or unedited walkthroughs. All content is subject to embargo until 6 December. Unfortunately, in the case of Fextralife, there was an error on our part that resulted in a breach of the terms and conditions."

The video included gameplay footage and information about Path of Exile 2 mechanics, which caused wave of interest among fans. However, the developers emphasize that a full acquaintance with the game will be possible only after the launch.

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Studio Obsidian Entertainment, known for its iconic games such as Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds, found itself at the center of a major scandal. The company was the subject of allegations of discrimination and the introduction of corporate practices that stifled employee creativity.

The situation began to develop after the studio's art director Matt Hansen has come under fire for his comments on BlueSky about Elon Musk. However, public attention has shifted to his personnel policies, with Hansen accused of refusal to hire white artists position, citing the fact that there were "too many white people" in his department.

A former Obsidian employee, who spoke to SmashJT on condition of anonymity, commented on the situation. He said that after Microsoft bought the studio in 2018, new corporate practices were introduced, including mandatory pronouns in emails and meetings. These measures, according to him, were used as a tool to control employees.

Key issues, he said, include:

• Threats of dismissal for "inappropriate gender treatment";
• Difficulty working with Hansen, who did not accept criticism and defended his decisions with his status;
• Promoting remote work under the guise of "employee mental health."

The insider claims that the corporate changes have had a negative impact on Obsidian's creativity, saying the studio has "lost its unique style" due to corporate pressure and its games have become less valuable to audiences.

The situation was exacerbated after Musk publicly called on Microsoft to look into Hansen's actions and the policies at Obsidian. The company has not yet made an official comment.

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