S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 eyeing 2012

After numerous delays, GSC Game World released the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl in 2007 and has since put out two follow-ups to capitalize on that game's critical success. The first, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, arrived in 2008 and operated as a prequel to the events in the original game, while this year's Call of Pripyat served as an extension to the end of Shadow of Chernobyl.

Now, GSC Game World is gearing up to deliver a sequel proper to Shadow of Chernobyl, announcing today that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will arrive in 2012. In announcing the game's development, GSC Game World also noted that the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise has now sold more than 4 million units worldwide.

The studio did not provide much by way of gameplay details for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. However, GSC Game World did say that the game would benefit from an all-new multiplatform game engine that's being built in house. CEO Sergiy Grygorovych also characterized the game as "the next chapter" in the series.

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe takes place in an alternate reality set in the infamous city of Chernobyl, which suffered a nuclear reactor meltdown in 1986. In the game, the town is subjected to a second dose of nuclear fallout, spawning a rash of hideously mutated monsters that now occupy the postapocalyptic town.

For more on the series, check out GameSpot's review on the latest installment, Call of Pripyat.