Hopefully one bug less in this world. Well, whatever intention the developers had, Patch 1.0.1 is just out now, with its release being highly rushed to book the days for a growing number of player complaints plaguing S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy Enhanced Edition. So far, fixes definitely came with it, but the stadium remains open for the fan debate.
Let’s have some good news, though. The patch goes after technical gremlins players have been experiencing since day one of the Enhanced Edition. In fact, the devs even provided a link to the grand list of fixes (not that anything says “we have listened to you” in bullet points quite like a changelog). But hey, if you thought a patch would wipe out every nasty bug in the game, keep in mind that this is just Update Number One; more are in store.
But here’s the clash. Speaking opportunities abound. Some fans find the sanitization of Soviet imagery in the game downright mortifying. One player said it was an outright “disastrous” move, for in his view, checking these features seriously kills the soul of the game. Others responded that changing the Russian text into Ukrainian is way past a mere localization issue and reckons it is, actually, a very powerful political move, mainly in light of, you know, current events. The ensuing hustle began on Twitter then.
And then comes the other argument: Why are they working on this when S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 still needs polishing? One was tweeting, “AI needs work, stealth is broken, performance could be better.” Another, “Can’t wait to play [S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2] in 2028!” Ouch. Dev defenders were arguing that different teams work on different projects, but that hardly soothed the doubts.
Last but not least—the conspiracy theories. A few players believe that the “enhanced” looks are actually AI generated, while others found such insinuations “ridiculous.” (Apparently, Steam would have shut it down? Who knew.) Meanwhile, console lovers are just glad there’s now something to play, one reply meaning “Good for us who prefer consoles!”
So, what next? More patches, hopefully. Some clarification on the progress of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. And even more Twitter-controlled mess. Till then, Stalkers are on their own to get familiar with the Zone—with one warning: Avoid the comment sections unless you’re stocked with a bottle of vodka and a couple of bandages.
