From Drowning Gurgles To Death Screams: Skif's English Voice Actor Shares What It Was Like To Record For STALKER 2

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 ultrafistguardmarine asked Montryo how he felt about them accidentally sending Skif off a cliff to their death. Montryo responded he finally understood why the developers had him record so many of Skif's deaths and shared a TikTok video of his dying Skif acting. In the video, Montryo shows off the death screams, grunts, drowning gurgles, and choking sounds he acted out for when players encounter new ways to get Skiff brutally killed in STALKER 2. With encounters ranging from bullet-sponge mutants to mercenary factions, Montryo recorded a sound for any scenario.

Related 10 Things To Do First In Stalker 2 (Essential Beginner Tips) STALKER 2 is a big game, and navigating it might be a challenge without a few hints to light the way and make the opening hours of the game easier.

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 recorded him gasping for air. With such a strong commitment to getting the details right, the team at GSC Game World has been rewarded with a high number of sales, even as 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

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Redditor The_Vadmi asked the big question on every STALKER 2 player's mind: "How did it feel working alongside STALKER 2's other protagonist, Skif's pistol?" Montryo appropriately replied that it was intimidating to work alongside the game's real lead character. It's funny to see Montryo be in on the joke, as he revealed he has yet to play the game himself, but also because 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 passion 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_Vadmi/Reddit, alexmontyro/TikTok