The Ukrainian VR shooter Z.O.N.A Origin, which can be safely called S.T.A.L.K.E.R. in VR, has been released in Steam Early Access.
"Imagine a world where, after a mysterious catastrophe, the relatively safest place is the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. In 2030, strange and inexplicable phenomena began occurring there. Witnesses claim to have seen powerful and bright flashes in the north of the Zone. The secret government O.S.Z sent a group of scientists under military protection to investigate, but they disappeared without a trace. Their fate remains a mystery. After their disappearance, many stalkers tried to enter the northern part of the Zone but also vanished. Anomalous activity in the Zone increased, with strong psi-fields and new mutants appearing. Experienced stalkers believe that unexplained processes in the north of the Zone create anomalies and artifacts. However, confirming this is impossible due to the high radiation levels, especially after recent emissions. It is believed that once the Zone accumulates enough psi-energy, it will destroy all life on Earth. Head to the most secure area in the north of the Zone and uncover this mystery, facing your fate head-on," this is how the authors describe the game's plot.
As we have already written several times, AGaming+ developers are big fans of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and are looking forward to the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, but in the meantime, they are trying to create their own game about the Chernobyl zone. And they seem to be doing quite well, with the first reviews of Z.O.N.A Origin on Steam noting that it is the closest thing to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience that players can have right now, and in VR.
For a VR project by a tiny studio, one of whose employees serves in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the other died at the front in 2022. Z.O.N.A Origin looks very good. This game is worth supporting.
Z.O.N.A Origin will have full Ukrainian, English, and Russian localizations, including voice acting. The authors expect the game to be available on Steam Early Access for about a year.