For all its rapidly respawning NPCs, despawning monsters, broken quests, and general bugginess that remind us what we mean when we talk about ‘eurojank,’ Stalker 2 emerges as an ambitious, at times brilliant, game that has certainly found its audience. This audience is willing to overlook, or even embrace, the imperfections when they serve the atmospheric survival sandbox experience. Naturally, Stalker 2 enjoys popularity in its home country, with the series maintaining a strong following in Eastern Europe. However, one demographic that might come as a surprise is Japanese octogenarians who happen to be presidents of erotic game studios. While this group may consist of just one individual, it highlights how unexpectedly games can transcend age and culture.
Nakamura-san’s Gaming Journey
Everything about this man’s vibe resonates; from the undersized monitor to the largest mouse cursor imaginable, and from the cigarette perched in his mouth to the orange Intellimouse that exudes a sense of ‘if it ain’t broke…’ Nakamura-san is truly living his best life. According to a recent tweet, he is thrilled with his new rig capable of running the demanding Stalker 2, although he hopes for mods that would enhance the UI and subtitle size. “The text is too small for an old man over 80!” he humorously noted (via machine translation).
Diving deeper into Nakamura’s background reveals that he has built a bit of a reputation in Japan. An interview with IGN Japan in 2020 showcased his passion for the original Stalker games, which he played with around 200 to 300 mods. During this conversation, he shared how he fell in love with the series and his journey into creating “beautiful girl games.” Nakamura expressed admiration for the novel Roadside Picnic and Andrei Tarkovsky’s film Stalker, both of which inspired the games. He even drew parallels between the reactor at Pripyat and the one at Fukushima, stating, “The joy of playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. isn’t just the fun of a shooter; it’s also emotionally compelling to the overall atmosphere, from the eerie depiction of a ruined underground lab to the beauty of the sunset over a Ukrainian forested area.”
Even if Google Translate may have slightly misrepresented his sentiments, the essence of his message is clear. One can only hope that someone out there will create the mods Mr. Nakamura needs to fully enjoy Stalker 2. Better yet, perhaps someone will gift him a larger gaming monitor to enhance his experience even further!
