The S.T.A.L.K.E.R Trilogy is now available on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One

GSC Game World announced the arrival of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R  Legends of the Zone Trilogy on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. The Trilogy includes all three popular S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games: Shadow of Chornobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat. Available via backward compatibility, players can enjoy the game in a high-fidelity mode.

You can purchase these titles separately for USD 19.99 each or get the Legends of the Zone Trilogy bundle from the Xbox Store for USD 39.99.

In a post on Xbox Wire, Mike Nelson wrote:

Every element from the original games has been maintained and faithfully ported to console thanks to the hard work of GSC Game World and their partners at Mataboo.

This all makes for a great opportunity for Xbox gamers everywhere to get some foundational knowledge of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s universe in the lead-up to the launch of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, coming day one to Game Pass on September 5, 2024. 

He further mentioned that bringing these hardcore PC games to an Xbox controller was not easy. As the series is a blend of first-person shooter, horror, immersive sim, and exploration genres, getting it right was vital.

He also said:

Speaking with GSC Game World PR Specialist Zakhar Bocharov, we wanted to learn more about what this process was like, bringing these cult-classic, hardcore PC titles to console, and some of the innovative design and UI adjustments the team had to make to bring all three games to Xbox. 

Zakhar Bocharov, GSC Game World PR Specialist, stated:

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has been a PC franchise for a long time, so the key priorities were concentrated around adapting the experience for consoles as a whole (including, but not limited to, native controller support for console interfaces).

We created everything from scratch, ensuring that the game was both easy to control and comfortable to play.

From the weapon selection wheel, aiming system, to menu navigation, the development team had to work on everything to make sure the game could be compatible to an Xbox controller. Also, they ensured that the essence of the classic PC game, its unique gameplay loop, and the feeling of conquering the hostile environment of The Zone stayed intact.

Bocharov also mentioned:

We wanted to bring S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to consoles for quite some time, and we worked closely with our trusted partners at Mataboo to make that happen. Despite the new release date for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, we decided to keep S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy in early 2024 to give the players some time to complete the originals before hopping into the sequel. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a direct continuation of the plot and a standalone title, but obviously knowing the previous events and characters would help you to enjoy certain story moments, nods, and Easter eggs better.

The version available for Xbox consoles is similar to the classic PC version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Development team is working on releasing a patch with graphical enhancements and other features to the game soon.

The console version will also have mod support through mod.io, but this feature will also be released at a later date.

Launching the trilogy as the release date of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 approaches seems like a strategic move by both Microsoft and GSC Game World. They aim to set the market for the upcoming title, intending for players to get hooked on the trilogy, learn about its background, and provide feedback and insights to the companies in anticipation of the new release.

Have you played S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on your PC? If yes, share your experience and your thoughts about launching it to the console world.