A new STALKER Unreal Engine 5 fan project is in the works, and fans can now download and play an early build.

　　We know that STALKER 2 will be running in Epic's most recent game engine, and a team is now also working on a new project to 'partially' run the original STALKER trilogy in Unreal Engine 5. This new project is being helmed by 'RedProjects' and is being described as a 'hybrid' port. Due to popular demand, an early build of the game featuring the entire Zone from Shadow of Chernobyl can now be downloaded and played. "This is not just a simple port in the traditional sense - it's a hybrid", the team described the project. "All internal processes, NPC behavior logic, shooting, quests, and A-Life are taken from the original X-Ray engine. The graphical part has been replaced with Unreal Engine. To demonstrate the full functionality of the port, the entire trilogy is available: Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat."

　　As expected, being an early test build, this downloadable version still contains plenty of bugs and issues, including an unfinished attachment system, flashlight issues, player hands not being displayed, and more. Still, as noted by the team, shooting, and interaction are fully functional in this build. "There is a small non-critical bug that causes items to spawn away from the crates and containers they should come from", the team notes. "Most of the console commands from the original Stalker also work here; the commands are executed as follows: xray.{command from X-Ray}."

　　Those interested can download this unofficial STALKER Unreal Engine 5 build from Moddb here. We've included some screenshots of the mod in action below.

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　　Released in 2007 for PC, STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl is set in the Zone - based on a real-life version of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. A sequel, Call of Pripyat, was released in 2009/10. The game also received a prequel named Clear Sky in 2008.