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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl

EMAIL PRINT pc

8.1 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 44 critic reviews
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Based on 371 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: THQ

Developer: GSC Game World

Genre(s): First-Person Shooter, Role-Playing Game

Players: 32

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: March 20, 2007

Summary

The player will become a stalker, a guy who earns money from shoveling embers out of infernal oven of Chernobyl Zone. Returning from the radioactivity-blazing Zone, he will sell anomalous formations to underground dealers and scientists in research camps on the Zone border. With the money procured, the player will purchase equipment, weapons and protective suits allowing him to reach previously inaccessible areas. This is a role-playing game without growing experience of your character, without changing characteristics and levels. We want the player to develop his real mastery, moreover Stalker is an FPS/RPG game and much depends on his ability to fight. [GSC Game World]

Cheat Codes & Hints: GameSpot Guide

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

PC Format

Broken. Absolutely and utterly broken. Not the game, oh no, it's my fragile nerves that have been shattered. Adrenalin is still coursing through my veins as I type, and what's more, I absolutely love it. STALKER is a thoroughly affecting game, and it's got me by the short hairs. [Apr 2007, p.56]

Yahoo! Games

Its setting is superb, its gameplay tense and convincing, and it boasts what are definitely the best fill-your-pants moments in a PC game for quite some time. It's hard to see how it could have turned out better.

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games(TM)

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. leaves you no choice but to engage with story and character, deciphering between friend and foe, the truth and the lie. [Apr 2007, p.94]

Boomtown

The atmosphere of the game is so thick that you can cut it...Even though it all ends kind of sudden[ly], S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is still one of the best First Person Shooters I’ve played in a long time, especially if you like the post-apocalyptic atmosphere from games like "Fallout."

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ActionTrip

I have become so jaded with idiotic titles that this one comes as a true breath of fresh air; with its strong attention to the important aspects of game design. This is the type of game I would go out and buy for myself... if that's worth anything to you.

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AceGamez

I loved every single challenging, compelling, atmosphere-laden moment of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. It's just so different from everything else that's out there.

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Game Over Online

The combat mechanics – weapon feel, body point damage system, enemy AI, running and sneaking, encumbrance and fatigue – have all been simulated excellently and with real care paid to balance and playability. The end-of-civilization free for all environment is a very exciting and engrossing setting for an FPS.

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GameCritics

It's an incredibly rich, unique and innovative take on first-person shooters-yet it's also a flawed game, suffering from a few minor scripting bugs and some rough edges in the gameplay that occasionally interfere with what is, for the most part, an exceptionally engaging experience. But despite its imperfections, it is a truly groundbreaking game, captivating in its complexity, its mystery, and its vividly realized world that stands as a milestone in both imagination and engineering.

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Games Master UK

Better than anyone could have honestly hoped for. [May 2007, p.68]

Jolt Online Gaming UK

That the gameplay itself is not of classic status is a shame, but S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is still a game that anyone with am interest in first-person shooters or richly detailed, immersive game environments should seriously consider buying.

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GameZone

From its alternate reality setting and realistic gun mechanics to its trading system and action horror formula, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is radioactive rareness.

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GamerNode

An epic game with a dark twist. Fans of games like Oblivion should have no problem spending a long time on this one.

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PC Gamer UK

The bravest, most futuristic survival horror game since "System Shock 2"...A singularity in the landscape of PC games, it deserves careful exploration. [Apr 2007, p.90]

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PC Zone UK

As a brave experiment in all-action shootery, STALKER has certainly succeeded, though with its dearth of personality and many peculiar foibles, you can't help but wish that the publishers had granted GSC some extra time to polish their creation. Oh, hang on a minute... [Apr 2007, p.56]

GamePro

An immense treat that offers fresh and innovative gameplay experiences. If I had to level one complaint against the title, it's the fact that it's missing the little bit of extra polish that gamers have come to expect.

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GameSpot

It's got some quirks, but S.T.A.L.K.E.R. delivers a dynamic and impressive first-person gameplay experience you won't soon forget.

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Computer Games Online RO

Despite its shortcomings, STALKER is definitely one of the “must play” titles of 2007, whether you’re a FPS fan or not, even though you might do it just for the single-player part, with it’s incredible atmosphere and unique game experience.

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Gaming Target

The things it does well (environment, story, character) definitely outweigh the shortcomings (tough ranged combat, uneven framerates). The multiplayer has the makings of a classic, and GSC is evidently working at improving it, since their first patch was mostly multiplayer fixes.

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GamingTrend

The game starts off a tad bit slow, but once you are engrossed in the story nothing is quite like it (except a movie that is a tad bit similar to this game). I will be returning to this game once some more mods come out and when the vehicle mod is perfected.

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PC Gamer

Installing and playing through S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was like discovering and opening a long-forgotten Christmas present. [June 2007, p.54]

IC-Games

The game can be difficult to master though, so new people to the genre might struggle at first but patience should be used because this could become the classic start to this engines long use in games.

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Game Informer

You’ll likely split your time fairly evenly between cursing the problematic UI and localization, and marveling at the outstanding ambience or frantically trying to shoot or sneak your way out of a jam. If you’re willing to slog through some frustrations, you can find some diamonds in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s rough that you won’t find anywhere else in video gaming.

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IGN

By itself, the game is a fascinating achievement, even if you trip over technical cracks more than you should.

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Play.tm

It's certainly a little rough around the edges, but spend a little time delving deeper into the 'Zone' and you'll find you've chiseled away at a beauty.

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AtomicGamer

The mostly-open, Fallout-style post-apocalyptic world is really engaging and its basis in a real-life event makes it that much more interesting, but the frustrating gunplay, high difficulty, and lack of transportation can get on your nerves pretty often.

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Pelit (Finland)

Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl has arguably one of the most engrossing game environments ever, but it is annoyingly railroaded by tight fencing-in. Also, the constantly respawning enemies are annoying and take away the feeling of free exploration. Luckily, the great end-of-the-world atmosphere keeps the player interested till the very end. [Apr 2007]

Eurogamer

It's a warped behemoth from the Ukraine, and one of the scariest games on the PC. Stalker will remind you of all kinds of prior games, and yet it will also defy your expectations. Like the mythological Chernobyl zone it is based upon, this game is a treacherous, darkly beautiful terrain. Not everyone is going to enjoy venturing into the zone, but some of those who do will find what they've been looking for.

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Computer and Video Games

Littered with a variety of anomalies which can cause the unwary to explode and other delightful stuff, mutant doggies, deserted buildings, weather effects, real-time day/night cycles etc. etc. - it creates a deliciously unique atmosphere.

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1UP

The game's "exclusion zone" setting, a no-man's-land roughly 30 square kilometers surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, is very much "Mad Maxim": post-Soviet road warriors just beyond the containment dome. Bleak as the end of the world (or at least life as we know it), it's an invention as gorgeous as years-old graphics overhauled for a late launch get.

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VideoGamer

It's a survival horror game with incredible ambition, so succeeding in a few areas is still very commendable.

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Edge Magazine

Its troop AI is better than that of "FEAR," and environmentally more aware than that of "Far Cry." [May 2007, p.84]

PALGN

It's amazing that a slightly buggy game that was originally slated for a 2003 release can provide such fantastic gaming. It's almost scary to think just how influential S.T.A.L.K.E.R. could have been, had it been released 3-4 years ago with completely polished code.

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NTSC-uk

The clunky interface, numerous bugs, fractured story telling and underdeveloped ideas do distract from what could well have been a real classic, but the fact that GSC have come through development hell to produce a game as memorable as this is quite an achievement.

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G4 TV

An innovative and engaging game, provided you can get over the steep learning curve.

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GameTrailers

One of those games that hardcore shooting fans will eat up, but the rest will be left wondering what the fuss is all about. It has some unique ideas with its open-ended world and myriad of mission objectives, but it’s all dampened by its questionable gunplay.

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Strategy Informer

Succeeds and amazes in some areas but almost horridly trips and stumbles along in others. Still I find myself liking the game and am willing to overlook its potholes.

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2404.org

It’s a good game that has many bugs and doesn’t seem to be appropriately optimized.

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Worth Playing

From an objective point of view, it suffers so many technical flaws that I would normally caution against purchase. However, from a subjective perspective, I enjoy the setting and ambience so much that I recommend it despite the bugs and inelegant performance.

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Sydney Morning Herald

Patient players looking for a unique experience ultimately will be rewarded by this atmospheric and ambitious shooter.

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GameDaily

Not a fast-paced shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. appeals to a deeper sense of survival, in which players scrounge for valuables and information in a world gone twisted.

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Game Almighty

Stalker attempts to be many things, which is a lofty and worthy goal, but its inability to deliver is a huge disappointment. It wants to be an RPG, offering you an inventory and items with modifiers, and yet has no implementation of experience, skills or adjusting your attributes. It also wants to be a free-roam, huge world, Oblivion/GTA hybrid, but comes across as having bitten off more than it could chew.

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GameSpy

Multiplayer combat is quick and brutal, but straightforward and really nothing to get too excited about. It's really the single-player mode that shines here.

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Total Video Games

A messy amalgamation of storylines and side-quests, coupled with poorly executed Quality Assurance and archaic game saving, STALKER is about as radioactive as plutonium, and should be treated as such - behind thick lead-lined walls of concrete. The lead-lined walls being a metaphor for the high spec required to play the game at a decent performance.

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Cheat Code Central

Flaws abound in the game.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 371 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

perkele kakka gave it a9:
Absolutely one of the best games I've ever played. Large free-area, realistic weapons, shooting is really hard and above average story. Graphics are awesome and gameplay is quite buggy, but its half fps and half rpg, that's why the action and shooting isnt as smooth as in games like F.E.A.R.2 or half-life 2 (I love those games) but who gives a shit? so much things and tasks to do in this game! this game is definitely worth of playing.

odd A gave it a10:
This game is simply beautyful. Not the colors and stuff, but the gameplay! The difficulty of this game is mixed with the little feeling that you CAN win! The weapons are realistic and awesome! This is one of the games where EVERY single enemy has the ability to kill you with a single headshot, so you wont be left unchallenged. If you are/want to become a great gamer, try this game. If you succeed you can call yourself a real gamer. But bevare, enemies will try to flank you, sometimes you must fight a whole army (10-20 people) and you will die ALOT. But you should try it out, it's pretty damn fun. The 6th best FPS i have played. (Bioshock, System shock, SS2, Doom and Deus Ex are higher if you wondered).

H. D. gave it a2:
This game has nothing big to offer.İf you want throw your money out of the window,buy this thing.Play Fallout 3 if you want a game in this concept.

josh q gave it a9:
Maybe because we don't rate our games off hype or top notch graphics... here's comparison for you, Bioshock is that beautiful dish u get at a gourmet restaurant that tastes terrible, but all the snobby people try to hype it up to be something, Stalker is that meal that you get at some no-name restaurant that blows you away. Why don't u logically explain thins rather than go on ur fanboi rants, o bioshocks great, yea, last i checked playing thru the same exact-looking environments against the same exact enemies with terrible ballistics and uninteresting weapons with their failed palsmid system which allows u to shoot things out of ur hands (most of the stuff is shot out of guns in other games).

Mark P gave it an8:
I think this is a great game. It's not perfect, but it's good. One person has mentioned a poor tutorial and this I agree with. The in-game help when starting should be more thorough. But the world where the player lives in is incredible. The movments of the mutant animals and just the feeling of being in a wastleand is so realistic. Currently, I have not finished the game, but night has fallen and I'm too scared to continue so I've headed back to camp. I'm not sure what to do now. My only ral gripe is a better tutorial especially when it comes to using the PDA and getting through the missions.

Johnny D gave it a2:
Pretty terrible game all around, I really wonder how anyone can give this a 9 or 10. The only unique concept is it's attempt to blend FPS and RPG but even then, Deus Ex and Bioshock do it better. The game starts out with the worst tutorial I've seen in 15 years of gaming. It gives a 3 minute demonstration on how to use your PDA, while not mentioning how to open the PDA UI at all. It leaves you to find out how to access your inventory, switch weapons, zoom in, etc etc. A pretty miserable start. Graphics are terrible from an artistic perspective (gray and brown as far as the eye can see) and from a performance perspective. Gameplay feels like a grindfest without any xp to grind out. AI is a complete joke, both of allies(which is typical of all FPS's so no faulting it there) but also of enemies. Half-Life, which was released 10 years before this game, had better enemy AI. Overall this game plays like Deus Ex's retarded stepchild, and I feel sorry for people who give this game 9s and 10s. A non-linear world does not mean an immersive world. Trudging across fields of brown nothingness breaks immersion pretty damn fast. This game does NOT have good graphics, even at top settings. Lots of graphical detail doesn't compensate for crappy art. It has the most unintuitive start of any mainstream game ever. There are a laughable amount of bugs, even if they are fixed in later patches it is still unacceptable.

Logan M gave it a10:
GREAT!!!!! The only problem with me are a few bugs in the quests but this is becuse they wanted it to be almsot fully in english. If some of the characters speeches we still in russian there would be no bugs. The one phrase they left in russian is to me important. when the guy says but down ur gun its in Russian!!!! good thing I already knew waht it mean.

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

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