S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky

 PC
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Image
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 684 Ratings

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  • Summary: The story of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky brings the players one year prior to the events of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game in 2011. A group of stalkers has for the first time reached the very heart of the Zone - Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and brings about a cataclysm on the brink of aThe story of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky brings the players one year prior to the events of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game in 2011. A group of stalkers has for the first time reached the very heart of the Zone - Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and brings about a cataclysm on the brink of a catastrophe. An immense blow-out of anomalous energy changes the Zone. There are no more reliable and relatively safe roads. The entire levels vanish in the outbursts of anomalies. Stalkers and even expeditions die or end up sealed on the lost territories. New areas, which remained unknown since the time of the Zone emergence, appear on the Zone map. The Zone continues to shake with blowouts. The Zone is unstable. The anomalous activity is at its maximum. Changes of the Zone map known to stalkers shake the fragile balance of forces in the Zone. Among the groupings, there flare up hostilities for the new territories, artefact fields and spheres of influence. There are no more old enemies or friends - now everyone is for himself. The Factions War has started between the groupings. [Deep Silver]… Expand
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  • Developer: GSC Game World
  • Genre(s): Action, Shooter, Shooter, First-Person, Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi, Arcade
  • # of players: Online Multiplayer
  • Cheats: On GameFAQs
  • Rating: M
  • More Details and Credits »

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 47
  3. Negative: 1 out of 47
  1. games(TM)
    90
    Clear Sky chiefly succeeds because it transforms grim fantasy into a startlingly real-world experience. [Oct 2008, p.108]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Gamers.at
    85
    Clear Sky may not be as action-orientated, polished and visually stunning as Crysis or other “Hollywood-Shooters”, but it definitely has got its very own charm, that it’s easy to fall for. In short: Who liked the original Chernobyl Lost, will love Clear Sky!
  3. Gameplanet
    80
    This is a truly dark game that has a compelling and mysterious story. You will be on the edge of your seat as the mystery gradually unfolds. The game breaking bugs of the initial release, and the need to mod the game, severely affect the rating of what would otherwise be a very good game.
  4. GameZone
    75
    Though its release is marred by a number of bugs, Clear Skies is ultimately a worthy addition to your library. Casual gamers will find it harder to enjoy than those who are more hardcore, but there is still fun to be had in the hollowed-out, desolate locales of the Zone for those with the patience and a penchant for challenging gameplay.
  5. Edge Magazine
    70
    As easy to misunderstand as it is to break, it again turns the best and worse of PC gaming into something extraordinary. [Oct 2008, p.94]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. Boomtown
    70
    Clear Sky has a lot of potential - as does the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise - and is a worthwhile game to add to your collection because of its fair price but until the insane amount of gremlins is addressed in a patch it will always be a failure in the eyes of the fans.
  7. GameCritics
    40
    But Clear Sky takes everything that I loved about Chernobyl—the mature storyline, the nerve-wracking underground laboratories and the rewarding combat—and muddies them with a litany of bugs and bad design to the point that it overwhelms its more redeeming qualities.

See all 47 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 115
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 115
  3. Negative: 30 out of 115
  1. Eagle999HUN
    Sep 29, 2012
    10
    Wrost optimalizing game, in Stalker games. But its my favourite. Contains a lot of bug, but i don't care. I liked the fractions in the game.Wrost optimalizing game, in Stalker games. But its my favourite. Contains a lot of bug, but i don't care. I liked the fractions in the game. The game have a lots of gametime.… Expand
  2. RodB.
    Sep 18, 2008
    10
    This game is a complete success. Everything from the atmosphere, to the combat is done flawlessly.
  4. DonaldW.
    Jan 13, 2009
    9
    S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky is a great game. Be sure to install the patches first but after that.......whoa. You can make it as long or as short S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky is a great game. Be sure to install the patches first but after that.......whoa. You can make it as long or as short as you want. Tons of side quests and the faction wars make it interesting as well. The end is underwhelming compared to Shadow of Chernobyl but it serves the purpose of filling in the blanks just fine.… Expand
  5. BrendanD.
    Sep 7, 2008
    7
    The graphics are beautiful, gameplay is fun, but it's still quite buggy, even after patching.
  6. HenryBukowski
    Oct 5, 2014
    6
    A true 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R game brought low by crippling bugs.

    This game has the amazing atmosphere of the original stalker game. It also shares    A true 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R game brought low by crippling bugs.

    This game has the amazing atmosphere of the original stalker game. It also shares many of the same locations and as a result there's continuity and familiarity with 'Shadow of Chernobyl'.

    The difficulty has arguably increased, particularly aided by a changed bartering system whereby you get virtually nothing for the items you wish to sell (artifacts the exception) It's harder to make a quick buck and upgrade equipment, but I'd suggest this is a wise move, as in Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Pripyat you could make a fortune by picking weapons up from the ground and sell them to the Stalker standing a foot away, who, because of the AI, never thought to pick them up himself
    The artifact system is hugely improved. No longer do you simply find 6 high value ones sitting in the middle of the road for you without any danger to you at all; now, artifacts are invisible until very near proximity, and you use a detector to point you, by trial and error, to the treasure. This important change makes finding artifacts far more rewarding.

    However, we must get to the bad:
    The game is riddled with crippling bugs. LImansk is a complete mess of a location and is guaranteed to crash your system - forcing the player to reload many times trying increasingly bizarre strategies to prevent the crash. I gave up without completion.
    My second try was going oh so well, until I got myself into a bad spot where I ended up sleeping through an emission in a partially covered building. The game never recovered, as the game never recognised the end of the emission and as a result most npc characters never went back to normal behaviour.

    Having to give up twice was disappointing and makes it impossible to rate the game highly - enjoy it while it lasts! Fans of the Series, will still find something to enjoy here.    … Expand
  7. JimCorbett
    Aug 24, 2012
    4
    What a pathetic game. I struggled to bring myself to complete this one. So many bugs, flaws, and poor design. Forget about running the gameWhat a pathetic game. I struggled to bring myself to complete this one. So many bugs, flaws, and poor design. Forget about running the game with dynamic lighting, you'll get only about 5-10 FPS with that enabled even with a modern PC. The turf war is introduced in the beginning but that is the last you will hear about it as the main storyline is strictly linear with no player choices. Twice during my playthough i came to an unavoidable part where i would lose all of my money. This in effect caused me to be unable to purchase any higher end armor so when i reached the later stage of the game i had poor armor that was basically ineffective. Aimbotting enemies that can see through bushs and brush, and that can land a grenade directly at your feet from 50+ yards ruins the game even further. The map is expansive, but unfortunately it is almost a complete carbon copy from the first game with the exception of 2-3 areas. Weapons degrade faster than a condom and you will often find your gun jamming at the most inopportune times, unable to buy a better weapon or repair your current one because the game decided to rob you of all your cash a few missions earlier. "Friendlies" will randomly become hostile to you for no reason, even ones that are supposed to give you some dialogue, this forces you to reload a previous save again and again until the game decides to act like it is meant to. The atmosphere is even worse than the first one, there are no scares or exploration, it's basically just a straight up shooter. Overall it is just a complete disaster of a game that you should avoid at all costs.… Expand
  8. AcadianReviewer
    Sep 7, 2008
    0
    -Incomplete Graphics and bad physics engine. -Cost is too high for game. -Storyline is so weak it can even hold a job. -Blue Screens if the -Incomplete Graphics and bad physics engine. -Cost is too high for game. -Storyline is so weak it can even hold a job. -Blue Screens if the player wants advanced features.… Expand

See all 115 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Best PC Game of 2008
19
#19 Most Discussed PC Game of 2008
14
#14 Most Shared PC Game of 2008

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