The game is set in Novistrana, a fictional Soviet breakaway state highly reminiscent of other recently post-Soviet countries in the design of its buildings and the naming of its streets and suburbs. Game characters speak a fictional language reminiscent of Ukrainian or Russian. The population is largely white, and the country's churches are Eastern Orthodox. Novistrana is rife with political turmoil, with many differing political forces vying for power representing a range of ideologies. The ideologies of Novistranans are generally influenced by their class or career. Police brutality and political corruption are prevalent.

Novistrana has its own national anthem, which is sung in a fictional language. Similarly, the alphabet used in Novistrana is fictional although it draws heavily from the Cyrillic alphabet. "Novistrana" can be translated in Russian and some Eastern European/Slavic languages as "New Country". In other Slavic languages it could be translated as "New Party".