The new survival RPG S.O.T.A. 2 has launched on Steam. After the indie project was previously announced, the release has been delayed, but some games have now been found. However, very few are enthusiastic about the game.
What kind of game is this? S.O.T.A. 2 is a project by two indie developers from Russia who wanted to capture the spirit of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series in a new MMO setting. The acronym stands for “Stalker Online Time Anomaly”.
You play in a post-apocalyptic Soviet Union, where a time anomaly is causing problems. The new survival MMO is said to contain RPG elements according to the developers, even though the core features mainly come from the hardcore shooter genre:
- Bullets must be loaded individually into the magazine
- upon death, you lose all loot
- food deteriorates
- bullets are subject to realistic physics such as flight time and bullet drop
After S.O.T.A. 2 was initially supposed to be released in June, it finally had its release on Steam on July 14, 2021, after a delay, where it is offered for €3.99. An alternative version is available through the official site, which is entirely in Russian (via sota-games-server.ru). Versions for Xbox and PlayStation are not planned.
Only 36% positive – “Mostly negative”
How is the game received: Currently, there are 22 player reviews on Steam, of which only 36% are positive. This is only enough for a “mostly negative” rating (via Steam).
Additionally, S.O.T.A. 2 has only reached 23 players at peak on Steam so far (via steamcharts.com). The alternative client from the developers’ website is not included in this count.
What is the criticism? English reviews mostly point out that the game is entirely in Russian. Those who do not speak the language cannot play. However, the Russian reviews are mostly negative as well, and users who have managed to play criticize, for example:
- Missing and flawed content – pigs walk through walls, there are no explanations, and the controls are complicated
- The aggressive advertising – you cannot do much yet, but the premium shop is already operational (and the button is even translated)
- During years of development beforehand, hardly any of the fundamental problems were addressed
- S.O.T.A. 2 was promised as a free-to-play game and now charges money
In positive reviews, it is said that only the players are missing, and users give S.O.T.A. 2 credit for being made by just two developers. However, these reviews come from accounts that own very few games.
Whether the actual idea of combining RPG and survival has succeeded can currently not be derived from S.O.T.A. 2. However, there is another, larger project that aims to achieve exactly this balance – and also comes from Russia: New survival game also wants to be an MMORPG, fully focuses on PvE and exploration
