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

1. WesM

   Jan 14, 2010

   10

   S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is definitely not a game for everybody. It can be brutally difficult, even on the normal setting. It doesn't hold your S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is definitely not a game for everybody. It can be brutally difficult, even on the normal setting. It doesn't hold your hand or cut you a break at the beginning--there's not much of a tutorial, early weapons are inaccurate and weak, and you'll die a lot. But that's part of the charm of it all. It's a rough world out there, and it's not meant to be easy to survive. Whereas games like Fallout 3 make the post-apocalyptic world seem almost harmless, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. brings out what you'd expect it to be like. You're no super-human, you're a regular person, a bullet to the head will kill you just like it'll kill anyone else, and those people will try to kill you in return just to survive.… Expand

   • 0 of 1 users found this helpful
2. Lead

   Sep 11, 2012

   10

   ''ATMOSPHERE'' There İs Nothing Much To Say.

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
4. EricR.

   Sep 6, 2007

   10

   This is probably one of the most amazing and extreme first person shooters i have ever played, yes it has its bugs and coding issues but once This is probably one of the most amazing and extreme first person shooters i have ever played, yes it has its bugs and coding issues but once you patch the game and get everything up to speed, the game had me playing for hours and hours. so many different things and possibilitys you can explore and proceed in many different ways. Just has me playing and playing just because of the several ways you can play through it, and many different and interesting endings and gameplay route within it. Its sort of like Deus ex and BioShock , so if your a fan of the Dues ex or BioShock i highly recommend this game. With the types of game play thats implemented in this game you'll just be blown away by the story and and environmental surrounding of this hostile world of Chernobyl!… Expand

   • 13 of 14 users found this helpful
5. ShodanSpectre

   Sep 19, 2017

   9

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A very immersive, dark, pending-apocalypse-themed game. Made in Ukraine, and as one who grew up in Russia I could really tell the difference in design from western impressions of the post-soviet world.
   
   I've played through it twice: once with the Arsenal mod - gives more and, more realistic weapons. 2nd time - the "Lost Alpha" version of the game, without any mods. Lost Alpha has some content that has been cut from the final release but, sadly, also some bugs, specifically certain types of Outbursts can get you anywhere - even deep underground in the designated hiding spots you still die. I haven't figured a way around that yet, perhaps one could activate godmode for the duration of the outburst if they reach cover.
   
   But that aside, the game is very well-made. It gives you an impression that the map is very large and diverse, and also "alive" - there are many things here and there, some can change since you've last visited them. Things that are not really expected but fit into the world really well.
   
   There are quest-givers that trick and cheat you. "Hehe, you brought what I asked for. Why thank you! And now GTFO while I'm in a good enough mood to let you walk away in one piece." - but, one could expect such people in the world "Stalker" takes place in.
   
   There are no "good" and "bad". At the beginning - all factions are neutrally-suspicious of you, as one would expect upon arriving at a place where everyone can get backstabbed any moment. The military are following their orders and trying to keep whatever is in the zone from getting out - alive or not. The "Dolg" ("Duty") - group, are a self-organized militia that kind of does the same, or at least claims so, but without government control over it... and while also making a profit of it. The "Svoboda" ("Freedom") group - are more like runaway criminals trying to thrive in a place where even the laws of physics are at times twisted inside out, leave alone man-made ones. But, many of these "criminals" are no worse than the ones who claimed them as such.The player may choose to remain neutral, or to join either the Duty or the Freedom groups. Later in the game, the player discovers the Monolith group, which is less understandable and more dangerous than the previous two. They generally shoot before they talk, yet they aren't just generic NPC gunfodder either.
   
   The armed NPCs may be not as frightening as some of the mutants, but in this game they are by far the most dangerous enemies, and the AI is particularly good, which isn't often seen in shooter or RPG games. Once alarmed, they don't forget about you 10 sec after loosing sight. They remember you for a long time, they will come at you and smoke you out of your hiding/sniping position, sooner or later.
   
   The mutants, while less dangerous and sophisticated than the NPCs, and also much less frequent - are a threat mostly when they take you by surprise, esp. at night (btw, nighttime in this game is REALLY dark. Without a flashlight - you can't see a damn thing. With a flashlight... well, you can see a little patch of ground about 10ft ahead of you). Dogs (which look like they are either a bit mutated or just very worn and... just weird in a rather creepy way) are quite common, their behavior is aloof, they are easy to kill during the day with just about any weapon, and one may start disregarding them as insignificant threats... Until one night they get attacked by a tight pack of 5-7 very aggressive dogs at once. On occasion, even rats can become aggressive and pose a threat, when attacking at night in huge numbers, esp. if the player is wounded, low on ammo, and jumped into the abandoned building to heal up or otherwise recover from an encounter that went worse than desired.
   
   The game does well in showing a world where noone is ever fully safe, no matter where they go. Most characters don't really understand what the f is going on, but are still trying to get through the day and perhaps make some money on the side, to either pay old debts, make a small fortune, or just get drunk at one of the relatively safe hubs scattered throughout the world.
   
   Through this atmosphere of omnipresent local dangers, such as mutants, anomalies, bandits - the game conveys a sense that something big is coming from the heart of the Zone. Something many, many times worse than what has happened already. Something that must be prevented at any cost. And the protagonist seems to be somehow related to it, through vague clues scattered throughout the world.
   
   The environment, resource management, voice acting - in this game is very good and atmospheric. I've found only a couple bugs, at least in the Lost Alpha version. But they can be gamebreaking / progression-halting later in the game, when you reach the vault door.
   
   The firearms and combat could have been made a bit more realistic (the enemies as well as the character are a bit damage-spongy in vanilla), but there are mods to fix that.
   
   Overall great game.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. stranglehold

   Oct 18, 2013

   8

   Awakening in the Zone, you are one such S.T.A.L.K.E.R., fighting for survival in this man-made Hell, while trying to discover the truth behindAwakening in the Zone, you are one such S.T.A.L.K.E.R., fighting for survival in this man-made Hell, while trying to discover the truth behind Chernobyl's sinister past and ominous future. Patient players looking for a unique experience ultimately will be rewarded by this atmospheric and ambitious shooter.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
7. elolugo

   Jan 7, 2020

   7

   A good fresh air from the genre. Good game but sometimes it seems unpolished gameplay-wise

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. B.O.S.Kuro-chan

   Mar 27, 2007

   0

   This game is 2D, not worth any upgrades to Vista. I would rather drink pig urine that was pooped in by a Gorilla with hemorrhoids than playThis game is 2D, not worth any upgrades to Vista. I would rather drink pig urine that was pooped in by a Gorilla with hemorrhoids than play this game. It is ugly, sounds horrible, has bad controls, horrible gameplay, retarded story line, and, to top it off, it installs about 20 viruses when you boot it up. Avoid this game at all costs.… Expand

   • 0 of 18 users found this helpful

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