Rafael Colantonio named S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 his game of the year

Renowned game designer Rafael Colantonio, the creator of the cult games Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic and the Dishonored series , has announced S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl as his personal game of the year.

"Stalker2 is not perfect but it’s my Game Of The Year. The atmosphere, the brutality of the world, the survival, the free form exploration… Last game I enjoyed before this was BG3."- Rafael Colantonio

Colantonio is also known for his criticism of the Metacritic game scoring system, which he believes unfairly rewards "safe" and well-optimised games while ignoring those that offer a unique gaming experience, even if they suffer from technical flaws.

This is especially true for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, which he considers a prime example. The game designer stressed that technical errors can be fixed over time, but the score recorded on the aggregator will remain forever. According to him, this does not reflect the true quality of the game and its potential.

Colantonio once again emphasises that unique gameplay and atmosphere are more important to him than perfect technical implementation.