Hello Hunters!
Without grizzled veterans sending you out into the Zone for toilet roll and bolt cutters, it just wouldn’t be ZERO Sievert would it? And it definitely wouldn’t be ZERO Sievert 2 either.
In many ways the quest systems are just as important as the guns. They’re what give you reasons to step outside the bunker (assuming blasting mutants and looting their corpses isn’t already enough motivation). These systems don’t just appear out of thin air though, a lot of care goes into building them. So we sat down with the team to find out how the ZERO Sievert 2 quest system actually works.
First up is Mart, Technical Designer at Underdog (and former Splash Damage developer). He’s the shepherd of the quest system, looking after all the technical bits and bobs that let the rest of the team create the gameplay they want.
The quest system acts as a clean central hub that ties together lots of different game systems (player interactions, shooting, inventory, etc.) without everything talking directly to everything else. That way a small change in one place doesn’t accidentally break something elsewhere and turn the whole thing into spaghetti code.
Everything is event-based on the backend through something they call the Choreographer. Any system in the game can send or listen for messages through it, which keeps things flexible and easy to expand. The goal long-term is that this setup will also make it possible for modders to create custom quests.
Next we spoke to Antoine, Lead Game Designer at Underdog. His job is designing the intent behind the quests. Where players should go, what they should do, what they encounter, what rewards they get and the overall journey through the game.
The team has three main goals with quests:
Tell the story through doing, not just reading
Guide players through the world and help them discover cool things
Deliver unique challenges that only a properly set-up quest can provide
After the basic introduction, the Barman (still very much alive) has a welcoming challenge for any would-be hunters in Zakov.
The first task is simple: head into the Forest, recover a flag from a crossing, do a bit of looting and shooting, and extract alive. You’ll see familiar elements carried over from the first game (health, stamina, status icons) alongside new UI pieces like the updated PDA and a quest tracker.
You’ll also spot a few ghouls that have been made a little more elusive. They're zigzagging more and feeling closer to the original game’s behaviour. And yes, the crows still show up for the after-party.
Once you turn the flag in, the Barman has more work for you, including an introduction to the next quest (building your base!).
Important note: A lot of what you see is still work-in-progress. UI markers, art and even some of the drawings are placeholders. Everything is actively being refined, but please do share your feedback in the comments as it will all go toward making the game the best it can be.
And that’s a look at how quests are coming together in ZERO Sievert 2 More missions, more story, and more reasons to keep heading back into the Zone.
If you haven’t added ZERO Sievert 2 to your wishlist yet, now’s a great time!
And if you’d rather watch this update than read, check out the full dev video here: