Summary
STALKER: Legends of the Zoneis getting an Enhanced Edition, which is set to hit the market on May 20, GSC Game World has announced. The bundle will offer fans a chance to revisit the originalSTALKERtrilogy while enjoying some key improvements.
GSCshadow-dropped the original version ofSTALKER: Legends of the Zonein early March 2024, when the bundle materialized on the Xbox and PlayStation Stores. Eight months later, the tri-pack was also ported to the Nintendo Switch, hitting the eShop on November 1. GSC subsequently revealed that a next-gen update for the bundle was in the works, announcing it as part of its year-end message to fans.
The new andimproved version ofSTALKER: Legends of the Zonehas now received a release date—May 20. GSC will market it as the Enhanced Edition of the bundle. The developer also shared a new trailer for the next-gen patch, which seeks to illustrate some of the key improvements that the upcoming update is set to introduce.
STALKER: Legends of the Zone Enhanced Edition Promises Visual Upgrades and More
Legends of the Zone – Enhanced Editionpromises to treat the first threeSTALKERgamesto a series of visual upgrades, including screen space reflections and global illumination. It will also introduce godrays, also known as crepuscular rays, visible beams of sunlight that radiate through foliage and objects. This set of enhancements promises to deliver a significantly more immersive atmosphere. In terms of other novelties, the Enhanced Edition of theSTALKERtrilogy will offer upscaled textures and more detailed 3D models for weapons and NPCs. New water shaders will also be part of the package, together with 4K cinematics.
STALKER: Legends of the Zone – Enhanced Editionwill also feature better skyboxes. While GSC didn’t elaborate on the matter, the promise of skybox improvements could suggest higher-resolution textures, improved lighting integration, support for volumetric effects, greater draw distances, dynamic environmental changes, or a combination of these features. Additionally, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game(s) will get new graphics modes. The Quality preset will target 30 frames per second at a 4K resolution, while its Balanced counterpart will raise the frame rate target to 40fps. Performance and Ultra Performance modes will also be part of the package, targeting upscaled 4K/60fps and 2K/120fps, respectively.
TheSwitch version ofSTALKER: Legends of the Zoneunsurprisingly doesn’t qualify for the free next-gen patch. However, it’s still unclear whether the upcoming Switch 2 will be compatible with the Enhanced Edition of the bundle.
