Pseudogiant
General Characteristics
Type	Unknown
Statistics
Health	Very High
Attacks	Arms
Abilities	Create shock waves
Body parts	None
Locations	Shadow of Chernobyl Lab X-18 (One) Yantar (One) Wild Territory (Very rare) Pripyat (Rare) Clear Sky Swamps (One) Agroprom (One) Red Forest (One) Call of Pripyat Zaton (Very rare) Yanov (Rare-common) Pripyat (Very rare)
[Source]

The Pseudogiant is one of the rarest and most fearsome mutants in the Zone, appearing in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat. It has inherited incredible strength, inhuman resilience and a grotesque form which heavily deviates from human-based mutations.

Overview Edit

The pseudogiant resembles a massive, raindrop-shaped torso with a pair of disproportionately large limbs. These serve as both arms and legs to the creature, which uses them both to move around and grab its victims. An adult pseudogiant can weigh up to two tons and stand two meters tall. Their clumsy appearance is deceiving however, since they can move very rapidly when needed. Their muscles are exceptionally powerful and their bones are as hard as steel. The creature's brain is protected by a sturdy skull about ten centimeters thick, while its many complex functions are controlled by the spinal medulla. Another astonishing feature of the beast, is its ability to create localized shock waves, damaging anything in the vicinity.

Attacks Edit

The Pseudogiant uses four attacks: a headbutt, a swing/grab with one of its muscled arms, or a surprisingly effective stab from its smaller, clawed arms, and a ground pound 'stomp' that creates a damaging shockwave. The first three attacks can be avoided by being out of range, and the last area-of-effect attack can be avoided by jumping.

Appearances Edit

Shadow of ChernobylEdit

Locations Edit

Pseudogiants are rare mutants and the player only encounters a few of them; the first one is in X-18 and another one in the tunnels below X-16. After retrieving the documents from X-18, a Pseudogiant may spawn in near the entrance to X-18. Pseudogiants are randomly spawned in Pripyat, mainly in the stadium. There have been confirmed reports of Pseudogiants in the Dark Valley, Wild Territory and the Red Forest.

Resilience Edit

Pseudogiants are incredibly resilient to all forms of weaponry in Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat, but in Shadow of Chernobyl they're rather weak – a magazine from any assault rifle will take down a Pseudogiant if all bullets hit the mutant's head, or just a clean hit to the head with a shotgun would do.

Clear Sky Edit

Locations Edit

In Clear Sky, there is one confirmed Pseudogiant in the Devilish camp in the Red Forest and supposedly one at the western parts of the Swamps. Another one can be found in Agroprom on the first trip there.

Resilience Edit

In Clear Sky, one in the Red Forest near the "Devilish Camp" will take either 27 SVD rounds, 19 shotgun shells from a SPAS-12 at point blank range, 6 M209 40mm Grenades, 135 5.56mm SS109 rounds, 73 PKM rounds,  97 9x19mm PB1s from an MP5, or 82 .45ACP FMJ rounds from a Colt M1911A1 on Veteran difficulty. Thankfully one direct hit from an RPG-7 will instantly kill one, if the player manages to have one with at least a single rocket handy at the time. It isn't especially clear whether headshots inflict more damage or not (especially considering their thick skull). In general, firing at their head is the best way to kill them, but players who are exceptionally skilled with grenades can do a lot of damage. However, their durability depends on the difficulty.

Call of Pripyat Edit

Locations Edit

Pseudogiants are often found wandering around Yanov after attaining the Mutant Hunter achievement. They also may randomly spawn in Pripyat in freeplay but much rarer in comparison to Yanov. Pseudogiants in this game also gain the ability to hurl objects at the player with their attacks, and are one of the mutants granted a special scripted attack – capable of knocking the player down onto the ground, and dealing heavy damage with a single follow-up attack. This, if it connects, can often outright kill a poorly equipped player, but it also seems to require the player be standing still or immobilized by a shockwave.

In the one scripted area where they are found – underground in Zaton – their shockwave can knock the player off the walkways and railings above if they try to use them to get around the giant. Lastly, every Pseudogiant emits large amounts of radiation, often enough to induce at least minor radiation poisoning just by getting within range of attack. This radiation emission persists even after death.

Resilience Edit

In Call of Pripyat the Pseudogiant's resistance to weaponry has been significantly increased. They are the toughest mutants in the game, even more resilient than the deadly Chimera. Their bodies are so tough that it can take about 2-4 Gauss Rifle shots to take one down, and they can survive even direct hits from an RPG-7, the ground pound attack can deflect RPG-7 rounds if used at the right time.. With standard assault rifle ammunition it takes hundreds of rounds to reliably take one down. On the other hand, it only takes around 60 buckshot rounds to do the same, although the lengthy reloads on most shotguns make this a difficult and dangerous task. A PKM upgraded with a 200 round belt box magazine with enough 7.62x54mm PP rounds is a good choice. On Master difficulty, under 200 .45 ACP Hydroshock rounds will kill a Pseudogiant.

Despite their resilience, Pseudogiants appear to be more territorial than offensive. They typically will not pursue a target more than a short distance before abandoning the attempt and falling back, only attacking when another target gets within range. The Pseudogiant also, even after have only lost about half or a fourth of its health, may retreat from a battle. Such events bring into question the nature of the creature, despite its gigantic strength, fierce appearance, and viciousness in combat.

Survival Tips Edit

• Preparation is key. A tough suit of armor and plenty of medical supplies, a large stockpile of ammunition, and a high perch will go a long way. Pseudogiants take an incredible amount of ammunition to kill, and if one can't confront them from a secure position with good equipment, they'll likely get too close for a player to use weapons comfortably, especially explosives.
• Pseudogiants are, like the lore states, deceptively agile. A player cannot reliably outrun and gun one simultaneously, especially in the consistantly cramped confines of their preferred homes.
• However, if not weighed down heavily and with use of the Energy drink, it is possible to exploit the beast's movement when reloading. Through zig-zagging and quick jumping one can avoid the heavily damaging melee attack entirely.
• The higher ground is vital. Nearly every Pseudogiant can be taken down safely if the player can find a ledge or railing it can't take down. They're completely unable to climb.
• Pseudogiants in the wild are thankfully rare, but far more dangerous – not only will the player be unable to get the higher ground, it makes quick work of any NPCs that could help. It's more advisable to run, and either let NPCs whittle away at its health, or just sprint away entirely.
• The RPG and RG-6 may not instantly kill the Pseudogiant, but a direct hit or salvo will soften them up dramatically. A follow-up shot or salvo, if the player has time to reload, will finish them off.
• The first Pseudogiant encountered in Call of Pripyat in Zaton can easily be killed without taking any damage because it is too large to attack a player who has retreated back through the doorway with anything but its area-of-effect ground pound. Using the catwalks and train car as an elevated position as an attacking position also works, but once again, the area-of-effect attack can still do damage.
• Out in the open, players can sprint away and use hills and obstacles to break line-of-sight with the Pseudogiant, causing it to lose interest and wander off.
• On the easiest difficulty, two M209/VOG grenades are enough to kill a pseudogiant through direct impact.
• In some cases it is possible to shoot it until it gets close, then fleeing into a building where it cannot follow you. This will probaly cause the giant to start to wander off, giving you the chance to leave the building and continue shooting again.

TriviaEdit

• It's not exactly known how a Pseudogiant mutated to this extent as all human-based mutations will still retain their humanoid form and if they were made by scientists, they would have inherited psychic abilities. While it retains a visage of a human face and limbs, it has greatly deviated from the standard form of a human being. It's possible that the Pseudogiant is a conglomerate of several humans that have mutated together.
• It also has remnants of human body parts such as two little arms on it's side and a deformed and seemingly useless foot sticking out of it's lower body. The two arms it uses for walking and attacking seems to have mutated out of it's body.
• A Pseudogiant is so heavy that the ground will quake whenever it's on the move.
• The Pseudogiant at the Dark Valley, which spawns after X-18 in the factory lobby, appears to have sharper teeth than other Pseudogiants.
• There appears to be a hand growing out of the Pseudogiant's behind. It is unknown if the hand is from a prey animal or if it is another appendage.
• The pseudogiant is the only human or mutant in S.T.A.L.K.E.R series that can withstand a RPG-7u direct hit.

GalleryEdit

A Pseudogiant and a Chimera.

A Pseudogiant on the assault.

A closer look at a Pseudogiant's face.

A dead specimen.

Dead Pseudogiant´s face.

A dead pseudogiant at close proximity.

Waaay much too alive for such a closeup.

Confirmed presence of Pseudogiant in Dark Valley in SoC

M.O. vs. Pseudogiant vs. Blowout

Pseudogiant in Dark Valley (post X18)

Skat-clad M.O. vs. Pseudogiant

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