Chernobylite: A gripping tale of a Ukrainian physicist searching for answers for someone he loves in a radioactive open world wasteland.
We all have fears. It’s human nature to have them. Some are different and scarier than others. But how we tackle them defines us as people. You know how the saying goes, courage is not the absence of fear, but the action despite fear. And when it comes to gaming, this is no different. Some iconic horror games require you to challenge your fears. Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Alan Wake, Evil Within, you name it, they all possess a high level of terror to a point where some people feel avoiding them altogether is the best option. But where’s the fun in that?
Welcome to Chernobylite, where you have no choice but to face your fears to complete your primary objective. You play as Igor Khymynuk, a Ukrainian Physicist, and you have to find your fiancée who vanished before the Chernobyl Disaster. As some of you know, Chernobylite was released last year on the previous-gen consoles, as well as Microsoft Windows. But this year, it gets a new life on current-gen consoles. With that being said, we would inevitably expect at the very least almost every aspect of the game to be improved.
Chernobylite has a great story in which the context is from a historic time. The strong liking for the game’s story stems from curiosity. I have always wanted to learn the history of the Chernobyl Disaster, and I feel it is one of my objectives to gain as much knowledge as possible. Whether it is from fact or fiction. Igor and his wife Tatyana, who is his fiancée, had previously worked at the power plant. Tatyana went missing before the disaster, and Igor has to go through horrifying obstacles to find her. This includes searching for answers and might involve discovering a conspiracy.
Igor had received a photo of Tatyana, and he is haunted by her. This prompted him to travel to the nuclear power plant to find out more about her disappearance. However, it is rather strange that Igor waited thirty years to find out whether Tatyana is alive or dead, but this is one of the few things that you will want to know more about to put the puzzle pieces together. Another interesting thing is that as you progress, you can change the storyline by making crucial decisions that determine the game’s outcome, and by constantly hearing Tatyana’s voice in your head, it can sometimes help you in making the right choices.
Chernobylite’s gameplay is very interesting. As mentioned before, you are given choices that can greatly affect the outcomes of the storyline, as well as hearing Tatyana’s voice in your head in many instances. Of course, you have the main story, but you will also have extra missions to take on. I would advise you’d do the extra missions as well as the main ones to get the full experience. You may also need to know that you will be given a series of missions for you to complete. But here is where the originality lies, you can assign which of your allies you want to complete certain missions with, or ones you wish to do personally.
What I like is that you can only complete a mission each day. That means you have to tread carefully on what missions to play, just so you end your session thinking you’ve wasted your time. A crafting system has been implemented, which enables players to craft their weapons and items, which proves to be considerably helpful in completing missions. Speaking of items, they help you out a lot in your survival. Some more than others. But I would say my favourite equipment to use is the environmental analyzer, which is a very versatile tool. Scan for craft items, search for enemies, replenish health, mission directions; this thing can do a lot. Especially during stealth mode.
Chernobylite on PlayStation 5 is noticeable. You can identify that the gameplay is a little smoother than on the previous-gen console. If you own a 60 frames per second monitor, then you are in luck because the current-gen version now supports this, and it goes without saying how much better the game performs.
Chernobylite’s current-gen visuals are impressive. You will notice this when you reach the main menu for the first time. The woman standing with the violin looks much more realistic, plus the background and clearer text, which were signs that improvements had been made. The game shows have brighter and more vibrant colours, and the result is much more attractive designs. The environment, models, weapons, equipment, and pretty much every other area in the game look gorgeous. The developer was able to achieve photorealistic effects in the game. This is not an exaggeration; this is one of the best I’ve seen in a current-gen game.
Chernobylite’s audio has improved. In the previous-gen console, sometimes the character’s voices would be out of sync, but with this upgrade, they have rectified this exasperating issue. Playing the game in English is nice and all, but having the audio language in Russian gives you that authenticity you need. Doing so gives you that feeling that you are in Ukraine. The voice actors and actresses had delivered on their roles, especially the woman who was the voice of Tatyana. Her performance can give you the sensation that you are being haunted, and you wouldn’t be able to know her next move. The sounds of the environment made me feel like I was in a belligerent environment.
Chernobylite looks a lot fresher on the PlayStation 5. The developer had done a splendid job in identifying the main issues from the previous-gen console and fixed them, as well as enhanced the game’s current features, and overall produced a more playable and enjoyable title. The story was gripping, as well as a horrifying experience, and has perfectly placed you in the eyes of a man desperately seeking answers for someone he loves dearly, and having to constantly combat your fears to achieve that can be too much to handle for any man. If you feel you can handle that level of suspense, then you should go for this game.
Chernobylite is now available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. And follow our website for the latest gaming news.
