Surviving all the monsters and enemies in The Zone is hard work in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, but dying was harder for player character Skif's English voice actor Alex Montyro. As the main protagonist of STALKER 2, players assume the role of Skif, who enters The Zone hoping to make enough money to start a new life, but he's quickly caught up in a conspiracy that draws him further into danger.

In an AMA on the STALKER subreddit, Montyro - TheRealSkif - answered questions about the process of creating Skif's voice and character. From drowning gurgles to screams of death, STALKER 2 developer GSC Game World had Montyro record various sounds for the myriad of ways players might die in the game. However, it wasn't until he interacted with STALKER 2 fans that he realized why he had to record so many ways Skif could die. Montryo provided fans with a lot of behind-the-scenes insight, including his approach to key scenes and the work it took to make the different sounds of Skif's potential deaths. STALKER 2 is an intense survival game, so this meant Montryo spent a lot of time in the booth dying.

Dying Over And Over Again In STALKER 2 Is Hard Work

Skif's Potential Deaths Provided A Challenge For Montyro

Redditor bullet-sponge mutants to mercenary factions, Montryo recorded a sound for any scenario.

Montyro called his dying day in the booth exhausting and fun, all a part of the rewarding experience that was working on STALKER 2. The drowning noises were also the weirdest thing Montryo recorded as he made those in an actual bucket of water. He explained he stuck his head in the water and the developers bugs continue to pop up in STALKER 2 the team continues to address them.

STALKER 2 Fans Get To Share Their Enthusiasm

The AMA Also Allowed For Other Jokes From The Community to Surface

Redditor Skif's first pistol is arguably the best weapon in STALKER 2. It's easy to upgrade, and as it's a part of every cutscene, players can't lose it like other weapons.

This AMA is a great example of the STALKER 2 fanbase rallying around the game and letting the people behind it get a well-earned victory lap. While Montryo was joking with everything, he was also heartfelt and expressed how the developer's ion for finishing the long-developing game energized him. When explaining what meant the most to him about his STALKER 2 experience, he commented, "I understood how important this game was, so I got real into the process. I loved working on the cutscenes the most. The team at GSC are all lovely and amazing people."

Sources: TheRealSkif/Reddit, ultrafistguardmarine/Reddit, The_Vi/Reddit, alexmontyro/TikTok