The Best Kind of Remix

The video game industry is forgetful and it shows. From Epic Games hocking a gamemode to save their fledgling flagship title, to EA's turnaround from supervillain to superhero, there isn't an aspect of game design that goes unforgotten at some point due largely to generational gaps. One such franchise that's been lost just recently got a much excitement inducing sequel. And that would be S.T.A.L.K.E.R..

Having done a review on the game in question, I know quite a bit about this little known masterpiece of both game design and passion for the medium. I say passion because the story of how S.T.A.L.K.E.R. came to be is that of a remix of ideas and what shear will of a start up company can bring to the table in a creative medium. The team at GSC borrowed its concept heavily from a book written by two Russian brothers in the 1970s called Roadside Picnic and the movie, "Stalker," inspired by the book. The concept is simple enough; aliens visited our planet and, like a roadside picnic, they left their trash here. That trash comes in the form of powerful artifacts and strange anomalies protecting said artifacts, polarizing the surrounding governments and communities as a result. Already sounds like a great base for a video game, and man was it ever.

Anytime I see any footage from the two main games, that of Shadow of Chernobyl or Call of Pripyat, I get the itch to go back and play them again. It's because of this remix though that made this series as special as it is. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. takes place in a fictional version of Eastern Europe where the Chernobyl disaster creates the ominous Zone. The Zone is an ever expanding area filled with radiation, environmentally hazardous anomalies and mutated creatures. The reason any of the various factions go into the Zone, ranging from simple bandits all the way up to the government, is the artifacts. Much like Roadside Picnic and the film "Stalker," the basic premise of artifacts, anomalies, an existential nature of the narratives and a soul-crushing atmosphere is present throughout these pieces of art.

It's weird, too, because there aren't many examples of great video games inspired by books or movies. Many video games are taken from the inspiration of playing a particular genre. Fans of that genre, in turn, go on to produce a video game inspired by the games that crafted their tastes and tendencies to begin with. Not only that, but story is a lot of times lost in video games. Many people who claim a video game has a good story can sometimes fall a part under close scrutiny. Taste in narrative is also a factor, but when is it never? It's not that I need a Shakespearean effort on the writing front, but it's nice when we get one every now and again.

I can't think of a better example of remixing than what GSC Game World did with the Strugatsky Brothers' novel and "Stalker." Yes, the differences are absolutely there. One world had aliens and the other went off of a well known, man-made disaster. One is an interactive story where someone needs to play in order to experience the story, which does require some skill even on Easy, while the others are a book that just requires the reader to be literate, or a movie which someone can watch or listen to. The changes these mediums supply are obvious in their differences, but the scope of each project is also different in what they are commenting on or conveying to varying degrees.

I honestly have never tracked one piece of fiction whose creative value and cultural significance has translated as well as Roadside Picnic has across all these different mediums. Having seen the movie and played the video games, I really want to read the book now. The end product of this remix gave us S.T.A.L.K.E.R.. It's a video game I think everyone should at least attempt to play. It is not for everyone, but the design of the world, the story, the characters, the gameplay and mechanics throughout Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Pripyat is a perfect example of what inspiration and remixing concepts can move people to create. In this case, two of the finest video game experiences ever made and a gripping, incredible film.

Go experience them!