How many references to the novel "Roadside Picnic" have you found in the game?
For those who don’t know, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series is inspired by the novel Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. The term "Stalker" was coined in the novel to describe individuals who venture into the Zone to retrieve artifacts.
I’ve personally noticed three direct references:
- Red
In Shadow of Chernobyl, Red is the savior of Strelok, finding him in the death truck. We find out the saviour's name during the mission "The legends of the Zone" in Stalker 2 when we ask the medic about lab X3.
In Roadside Picnic, Red (Redrick Schuhart) is the novel’s protagonist.
- Gutalin
In Stalker 2, Gutalin is the barkeep at the Shevchenko.
In the novel, Gutalin is Red’s friend and a fellow stalker with a philosophical bent.
- "Let No One Leave Unsatisfied"
This is the name of a final quest in Stalker 2 for Skif's ending.
In the novel, Red’s final words are: “Happiness for everybody, free, and let no one leave unsatisfied!”