Retrozone

You are an ordinary stalker trying to survive and escape the mysterious Zone, full of dangers.

From the first minutes, Retrozone makes a strong impression thanks to its familiar textures (some taken directly from the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R.), as well as its high-quality audio and visual design. Certain locations feature the original Shadow of Chernobyl soundtrack, while safe zones are accompanied by melancholic acoustic guitar picking. You'll explore detailed recreations of settlements with Soviet brutalist architecture, conveying the signature sense of isolation and danger that defines the Zone.

Gameplay is fairly hardcore: bandits open fire almost as soon as they spot you, so you'll need to fight from cover and carefully check dark corners — tense encounters are guaranteed here.

Since only a demo version is currently available, the game features just a few locations, mostly corridor-based with a clear route, though they occasionally widen out, encouraging exploration for supplies. The original game's more complex mechanics are also absent: there's no inventory management, weapon customization, or choice of fire modes or ammo types. Anomalies and mutants are virtually nonexistent — bandits are the only enemies here, though interaction with NPCs is possible. The arsenal is also fairly limited: a Makarov pistol at the start of the game, a pump-action shotgun, an AK rifle (purchasable from a trader at the camp), and an SVD sniper rifle.

The mod isn't without its flaws: besides the small selection of weapons and locations, the AI moves erratically, and enemies can get stuck and clump up around objects, turning into easy targets. But in open areas, you become the target — bots shoot from a distance with great accuracy, and often just a few hits are enough to kill you.

Despite the AI issues, Retrozone looks very promising. For a demo, the project turned out large in scope and length, spanning several levels and accurately conveying the Zone's signature atmosphere of isolation and danger.