Stalker 2 studio celebrates International Cat Day with a horrifying new monster

pcgamer.com:

Today, August 8, is International Cat Day(opens in new tab), and to celebrate the moment GSC Game World has released concept art for a «bayun,» which is essentially the Stalker 2(opens in new tab) version of a cat. As you might imagine, it is horrific.

You think I'm kidding? Feast your eyes:

#InternationalCatDay pic.twitter.com/kYwX3uTGjvAugust 8, 2022

«A very stealthy and nimble mutant,» the image says. «For years, stories about it were regarded as mere fables. Bayun takes its name from its throat sacs, which allow the beast to imitate all kinds of sounds, including human speech.»

The bayun is emaciated, denuded, oozing through open sores, has glowing green eyes (when it has eyes, that is), and yellowed fangs bared in a hideous grimace. What promises to make it really terrifying, though, are those throat sacs, and the mimicry they enable. Veterans of the Zone may remember the sound of a baby softly crying in the dark recesses of an abandoned underground laboratory, and how that ultimately worked out(opens in new tab). I won't get into details, but I will admit—with not a trace of shame, because that shit was awful—that I squealed like a litter of frightened piglets when that whole thing went down.

The fact that it's a cat makes the bayun even worse. People who don't own cats may not realize this but they are capable of an incredible range of vocalizations. My own cat has a gut-curdling howl she busts out a couple times a month when playing with her favorite toy (which is doubly strange because otherwise, she hardly makes any noise at all), and for those of you unfamiliar with the Oh Long Johnson meme, get a load of this:

So imagine that, but irradiated, hungry, angry, and probably about the size of a large dog, and