United24 Funds transferred directly to the National Bank of Ukraine for military equipment, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction
https://u24.gov.ua/

UNICEF Funds directed towards providing safe water, healthcare, education, and protections for children
https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/wa...

UNHCR Funds directed towards providing essential items, shelter, and financial aid for refugees outside and within Ukraine
https://www.unhcr.org/ukraineemergen...

International Committee of the Red Cross Funds directed towards delivering medical supplies and assistance, essential items and provisions, and tracing services for POWs and casualties
https://www.icrc.org/en/wherewework...

Links to additional reputable charities
https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/



Immersion in video games has been a seductive ambition for players and developers for over half a century. Many have tried to achieve it through advanced graphics or meticulous systems simulations to varying degrees of success. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy developed by GSC Game World is certainly no exception to this. However, its particular design philosophy nevertheless captured my imagination and allowed me to truly immerse myself into its world design, its gameplay systems, and its narrative themes. In this video essay, I want to explore how the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy defines its own unique brand of immersion, and understand how immersion can dramatically shape our conceptions of video games moving forward.

Introduction 0:00
Zone of Alienation 6:57
Good Hunting, Stalker 16:10
Long Shadows of Empire (SPOILERS) 24:28
Conclusion 37:45



Special thanks to @Soup Emporium for his help and guidance!

Sources:
Champandard, Alex J., and Mathew Kumar. “Interview: Inside The AI Of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” Gamasutra, 12 Mar. 2008, https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/1....
Gorbachev, Mikhail. “VIEW: Turning Point at Chernobyl Mikhail S Gorbachev.” The International Foundation for SocioEconomic and Political Studies, 17 Apr. 2006, https://www.gorby.ru/en/presscenter/p....
Hall, Charlie. “Stalker Fallout: Polygon Traces the Exodus from Kiev's Legendary GSC Game World.” Polygon, 8 Sept. 2013, https://www.polygon.com/features/2013....
“How Shadow of Chernobyl Changed during Development (Oblivion Lost Prototypes and Beta Versions).” YouTube, PC Gaming Inquisition [PCGI], 28 Dec. 2020,    • How Shadow of Chernobyl changed durin...  .
Kuzio, Taras, and Roman Senkus. “Popular Movement of Ukraine.” Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine, 2001, http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/....
Plokhy, Serhii. Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe. 1st ed. New York: Basic Books, 2018.
Purchese, Robert. “The Californian Sent to Save Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl from Development Hell.” Eurogamer, 31 July 2018, https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20....

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. font provided by Maxim Avdeev (Amazingmax) on dafont.com
https://www.dafont.com/amazstalker.font

Soundtrack features tracks from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare by Stephen Barton and Harry GregsonWilliams, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl by Vladimir "MoozE" Frey, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky by Vladimir "MoozE" Frey and Alexey Omelchuk, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat by Alexey Omelchuk.

Gameplay of Shadow of Chernobyl was captured using the Memories of the Zone mod pack, which includes the OGSR x64 engine, the Zone Reclamation Project,
Absolute Nature, Absolute Structures, Photorealistic Zone 2, Original Weapons Renewal 3, and STALKER Weather Overhauled 3, as well as the dozens of
modders from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. community who contributed to this mod pack. (https://www.moddb.com/mods/stalkerme...)

Gameplay of Clear Sky was captured using AtmosFear v1.3 for Clear Sky (https://www.moddb.com/mods/atmosfear...,
the Sky Reclamation Project (https://www.moddb.com/mods/srp), and the STCS Weapon Pack v2.6.3.
(https://www.moddb.com/games/stalkerc...)

Gameplay of Call of Pripyat was captured using Absolute Nature 4 (https://www.moddb.com/mods/atmosfear...,
Absolute Structures (https://www.moddb.com/mods/atmosfear..., AtmosFear 3
(https://www.moddb.com/mods/atmosfear..., and Original Weapons Renewal 3. (https://www.moddb.com/mods/originalw...)

All gameplay footage is original unless otherwise noted.